Being really stupid!

So there you are, on a long and winding road with your anxious dog..... The progress is very slow. So you think to yourself, as I did, well, Gail really likes playing, but my 14 year old oldie is not happy to oblige. May, just maybe, if she had the chance to play with another dog, she would realise much quicker, that the world is not a bad place. 

Organising a play date is a problem, as with every dog, there comes a human and she is terrified of humans...
So what is the solution?
I thought I had a really great idea and I wanted to add another dog, one without problems, one that is good with people and likes other dogs. Not a puppy, but a young adult dog. As I wasn't that successful with a failed worker, I thought this time I search locally, looking for a dog that needs a new home. Obviously getting Gail a companion wasn't my only aim. I could do all the things I wanted to do with the new dog until Gail was ready, if ever, and take off the pressure off her and ease my frustration. Despite having a plan how to help her, there was still this ongoing frustration, that we couldn't do the things together I had planned.

So here is what I found. Most Border Collies are given up at the age of 8 months up to 2 years. At that age they are adolescents. Often a difficult age, especially if you haven't put in much training before. So there they are and I was amazed at what kind of behavioural problems they all have. Chasing cars, chasing joggers, chasing cyclists, dislike of other dogs, dislike of people.  Some are even given up for pulling on the lead. Despite all their problems it seems that the owners still wanted to recover some of the money they must have paid for the dog as a puppy. I understand the notion, but if your dog has serious behaviour problems, ca you really charge a huge amount for them. 

I looked at quite a few dogs. Some where lovely, but not a fit for my situation. What else surprised me was, that if you contact people about their dogs some seem to be really coy. If you ask where the dog is from, if the parents or dog had any health test etc, it felt like you are asking for state secrets.

As I wasn't able to find anything 8 months and older, I started lowering the age. 6 months, 5 months, 4 months.... I couldn't really have a puppy as I work full time and can only take the dog to work with me, if the dog is house trained... I looked at very young dogs kept in crates where the seller wasn't quite sure which of the adult dogs were the parents, I met young dogs in dark yards, where you were given 10 minutes to decide if you want that dog or not, where no information was given regarding the parents, other than, they work on our farm. Where you couldn't meet the parents, didn't get information regarding their health status. Did they have any DNA testing done. 

I always thought, if I was looking to buy a second hand car and was offered a car in a similar setting, in  dark yard where the current owner wouldn't give me any information regarding the car, mileage, repairs, accidents, we probably would all walk away immediately. 
So why do people who sell puppies can get away with it? Would they buy a dog off themselves with so little information?

I was quite surprised really. Don't get me wrong, most of the young dogs seemed really nice, which made it sooooo   difficult to walk away.

So obviously this wasn't working out. By now I was convinced that the idea to get another dog was brilliant and once I set myself a goal I go for it. So I had to change what I was looking for.

I looked for breeders. I still didn't really want a 8 week old puppy. So I looked for breeders who had some slightly older puppies. 

I wanted a working line dog. Preferably short coated. I didn't really want to deal with all that hair of a show line Border Collie. That might sound stupid, but my oldie is a show line Border Collie and the amount of hair is just unbelievable.

I used to live in the UK, so I know some working lines there and I know some people. With asking a round I found a litter in Ireland. Dogs were already 4 months old and as travel preparation took at least another 3 weeks, they would be 5 months when ready to travel. The communication with the breeder was a bit hard going as he is a very busy man. 

And though I knew that the puppies were not raised in perfect condition, as they grew up in a stable, I ignored the warning bells and went for it.

Here is the thing, a puppy that grows up in a stable or kennel as very little stimulation and doesn't meet a lot of people. For a working dog, which will live in a kennel, that might be perfectly fine, but with a dog that will move to a city it might not be the ideal upbringing.... but hey, what could possibly go wrong?????

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