It's Official..puppy Incoming!

TobiDaDog

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Well...in a few months anyway. Probably late August. As some of you know, my 6 year old collie mix, Sydney, has had some serious depression and health issues for nearly a year now. She has had a litany of tests done, ranging from blood tests to steroid trials to cancer screenings. The vets have all thrown up their hands. She is physically fine...but she still seems to be withering away. And then suddenly, a few months ago something changed. My sister got a puppy.

Sydney met this pup, a bouncy Pyrenees mix, and after initial hesitation fell head over heels for her. She began to move. And play. And romp. And eat. She hasn't kept her target weight since last October but now she is EATING!! She LOVES Trixie's visits.

Now we are putting two and two together...some months before Sydney began getting sick, our elderly border collie/aussie mix had to be put down. We think that she just slowly got sadder and sadder and has been just...dying of loneliness. She needs another dog to keep her company.

After much, MUCH debate, we decided that we should get her a puppy to play with.

I've been obsessively doing research on dog breeds...seeking out the one with the best temperament and least likely chance of getting cancer (which totally scratched golden retrievers, they have a 50/50 chance!!)

We have also been peeking into shelters, but none of the pups there have caught our attention. Most seem to be reactive, dominant, or shy. Not what we have in mind for 'the perfect sibling.'

In the end it was decided that we would be bringing a beautiful rough collie pup into our home. Their sweet, easy going nature and trainability is exactly what I want in a dog.

He is not born yet, but we are on a waiting list with an AMAZING breeder and can hardly wait! He will be a hiking buddy, a playmate for my nieces, and most of all...a friend for Sydney.

Here are his parents:

Capture.JPG
Capture.JPG
 
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TobiDaDog

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Beautiful dogs! You must be really excited. I've always liked the Collie temperament, but not so much all that hair.
I'm very excited!! It's been a long time since I've had a puppy running around the house. I actually don't mind the hair so much. If I did, I wouldn't already have two cats and a dog! Plus everyone, human and animal in my house knows they're getting a brush taken to them on the weekends whether they like it or not.
 

amethyst

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So exciting, I am on my second rough collie, they are seriously the best dogs, lol. They have the sweetest temperaments. My first helped raise a litter of kittens and my second one loves everyone and thinks everyone loves him, (most of the cats do, I have lots of pics of it) and he even has a cat of his own (former feral). If you keep up on it brushing really isn't as big of a deal as people seem to think from looking at them.
 

Maria Bayote

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Awws...I would be excited too if I were in your shoes. I am sure that puppy would bring more joy to your home, especially to Sydney. Best of luck.
 

Willowy

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I have a Collie. They're the best! I was never much for purebreds but I might have found "my" breed. He doesn't shed all that much (but I used to have a Lab, GSD mix, and a Husky mix, so it's all relative, lol) but grooming is a Thing. We'll need lots of pictures!
 

amethyst

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I have a Collie. They're the best! I was never much for purebreds but I might have found "my" breed. He doesn't shed all that much (but I used to have a Lab, GSD mix, and a Husky mix, so it's all relative, lol) but grooming is a Thing. We'll need lots of pictures!
I have to kind of laugh when people look at my dogs and point to the collie like "oh he must shed so much!". I also have a lab/German shepherd mix and he sheds way more then the collie and I swear he sheds like every 3 months too! lol. I honestly didn't know labs and GSDs were two of the worse shedding breeds until after I got him.
 

neely

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Congrats, I'm so excited for you! :cheerleader: Another collie lover here especially since I like the herding breeds.

I honestly didn't know labs and GSDs were two of the worse shedding breeds until after I got him.
Our shepherd left what I referred to as tumble balls in the corners of the house. :biggrin:
 
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TobiDaDog

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I have a Collie. They're the best! I was never much for purebreds but I might have found "my" breed. He doesn't shed all that much (but I used to have a Lab, GSD mix, and a Husky mix, so it's all relative, lol) but grooming is a Thing. We'll need lots of pictures!
I've been hearing so many amazing things about the breed!! I'm surprised they aren't more popular. (Though I'm fine with it...if everyone and their brother isn't making puppies we keep the breed nice and healthy) Here's a sneak peek of the puppies...not sure which one will be mine though!

 
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TobiDaDog

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The saga continues...we decided NOT to go with the breeder or puppies shown above, sadly. The breeder was giving me very good impressions at the start. She has delivered her puppies all over the world, her dogs are gorgeous and very well health screened...but the more I talked to her, the more I realized that I wasn't getting what I wanted.

Her emailed answers to my questions started coming in three days apart from one another. She just didn't seem that interested in speaking to me. Fine, I have patience.

But then she told me that the pup I had picked was NOT guaranteed to be the one I got, even if I put down a $500 deposit!! I asked her what she meant and she said that someone else had first pick, so I would end up with the one they didn't choose...and that was my only option. Despite her website saying that she transfers deposits to different pups, she told me that I could NOT transfer it to a different litter, and that the deposit was non refundable at all.

I spent the next 24 hours deliberating on this, and she began sending me messages saying that if I didn't respond she'd give the pup to someone else who wanted to pay for it.

I told her that I'd like some pictures of the 'leftover' puppy, and she told me that she didn't like giving out extra pictures or videos unless the deposit was paid! Um. No.

I told her that I was sorry for wasting her time and that she could sell the pup to the other prospective buyer.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. It just wasn't meant to be. I know we'll find that perfect puppy somewhere else!!
 

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She wanted a second deposit? I think you got scammed. Good for you for walking out on that deal.

I'm thrilled to hear that Sydney is improving and that you now know
what's been bothering her. Have you thought about taking her to the shelter and letting her pick out her new BFF? That's what I did when my girl wanted a puppy. Actually, we went to different vets who had rescues. (there was a boy dog who had to meet and greet too and I tried to keep him away from other male dogs. Getting fixed at age 2 can only do so much.)

Yeah, I've been worried about Sydney and looking for this post/thread. When we got our 9 year old her new puppy age 4 months she was thrilled. They played 8 hours a day and the male took the remaining 4 hours. After six months, the vet said the older girl looked like she was two years. Sydney's got a ton of joy coming.
 
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TobiDaDog

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She wanted a second deposit? I think you got scammed. Good for you for walking out on that deal.

I'm thrilled to hear that Sydney is improving and that you now know
what's been bothering her. Have you thought about taking her to the shelter and letting her pick out her new BFF? That's what I did when my girl wanted a puppy. Actually, we went to different vets who had rescues. (there was a boy dog who had to meet and greet too and I tried to keep him away from other male dogs. Getting fixed at age 2 can only do so much.)

Yeah, I've been worried about Sydney and looking for this post/thread. When we got our 9 year old her new puppy age 4 months she was thrilled. They played 8 hours a day and the male took the remaining 4 hours. After six months, the vet said the older girl looked like she was two years. Sydney's got a ton of joy coming.
I never got a deposit down. She put me on a waiting list for free, then told me that she did in fact have pups born..so I picked (or tried to) from there. Then she told me that if I wanted more pictures, I'd have to pay a deposit. She was quite pushy with me and told me that if I didn't decide QUICK, then she'd sell the pup to someone else.

We did go to the shelter a few times, but all of the puppies that we saw were reactive or temperamental, even bristling up and barking at other dogs or shying away from our hands.
 

Kflowers

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That breeder doesn't sound quite right.

I'm sorry things didn't work out at the shelters. I know the right puppy for Sydney is out there. She'll teach the puppy so fast you won't believe it, you'll be certain you have a genius puppy when what you've got is the best friend-mom-grandma dog in Sydney and maybe a genius puppy.
 

Willowy

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I thought their website was a little weird. Although I've noticed a bunch of pet Collie breeders are like that (random scriptures, shoutouts to Jesus for no apparent reason, etc.) so that's an odd trend. Why do they like Collies? But yeah they didn't seem quite all there. I hope you find the right breeder soon!

Facebook has been cracking down on animal ads, but some decent breeders still advertise there. See if there's a breeder's page for your area. Also check the breed club website.

I got my boy from a craigslist ad because his owners were getting divorced and had to move to apartments. He was 8 months old. It can be a little risky but maybe you'll find the right doggo that way.
 

1 bruce 1

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I have a Collie. They're the best! I was never much for purebreds but I might have found "my" breed. He doesn't shed all that much (but I used to have a Lab, GSD mix, and a Husky mix, so it's all relative, lol) but grooming is a Thing. We'll need lots of pictures!
We've got a slew of collie dogs and I swear, you can't beat their smarts and sense.
 

1 bruce 1

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I never got a deposit down. She put me on a waiting list for free, then told me that she did in fact have pups born..so I picked (or tried to) from there. Then she told me that if I wanted more pictures, I'd have to pay a deposit. She was quite pushy with me and told me that if I didn't decide QUICK, then she'd sell the pup to someone else.

We did go to the shelter a few times, but all of the puppies that we saw were reactive or temperamental, even bristling up and barking at other dogs or shying away from our hands.
Move on. That's ridiculous. Anyone with a pile of pups ought to be proud of them and send pictures more than the buyers want.
It's difficult to know, but remember shelters are noisy places with a lot of loud, aggressive barking. A puppy in a shelter is like shoving a 5 year old kid into a prison. It's overwhelming and either they fight back (reactive or bristling) or just shut down (shy away and get depressed.) A pup that shy's away from you might just blossom in a loving home.
Do you know a good trainer or a person with dog experience that could accompany you to the shelter, if that's something you're interested in?
 
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TobiDaDog

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Move on. That's ridiculous. Anyone with a pile of pups ought to be proud of them and send pictures more than the buyers want.
It's difficult to know, but remember shelters are noisy places with a lot of loud, aggressive barking. A puppy in a shelter is like shoving a 5 year old kid into a prison. It's overwhelming and either they fight back (reactive or bristling) or just shut down (shy away and get depressed.) A pup that shy's away from you might just blossom in a loving home.
Do you know a good trainer or a person with dog experience that could accompany you to the shelter, if that's something you're interested in?
We actually have a special program in our local shelters where dogs are not met in close quarters to other animals if need be. They're taken into quiet room, for a walk, or to a completely separate 'thrift shop' style store with a special play area to roam in while people shop. It's a fantastic way to meet dogs one on one.

But simply put, none of those dogs 'clicked' at all. They're just not what I've been seeking.
 
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TobiDaDog

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There was another breeder that I was looking at that so far has answered ALL of my questions in a timely manner. She has jumped through hoops to provide me references, pictures, videos...I will probably end up buying my puppy from her if all goes well.
 

1 bruce 1

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We actually have a special program in our local shelters where dogs are not met in close quarters to other animals if need be. They're taken into quiet room, for a walk, or to a completely separate 'thrift shop' style store with a special play area to roam in while people shop. It's a fantastic way to meet dogs one on one.

But simply put, none of those dogs 'clicked' at all. They're just not what I've been seeking.
I gotcha there.
Just keep looking, and don't give up.
 
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