Suitable dog

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> I can't tell you about question number one, but I sure can tell you >
about> the best dog for the job.  Without a question, it is a Border >
Collie. 

Says you! >g<

I was gonna leave this one alone, but can't sit here and see my Aussies
dissed.  Your personal experience is that Aussies are nippy and Border
Collies give God advice.  My personal experience with the Border Collies
I've met was that they were more loyal to the act of herding than to
their owners.  I was terribly intimidated the first time I went to a
herding clinic and watched a Border Collie circling and crouching,
circling, herding, all around the bunch of sheep. It was beautiful. Then
I figured out that the dog was just out there having a good time, totally
out of control. It took 3 people, including the owner to hem him up and
tackle him. 

I rate how "turned on" to their owners a dog will be by how far from that
owner he is expected to work.  For instance, a retriever is far more
people oriented than a Blue Tick Hound.  A bird dog falls somewhere in
the middle.  Go riding with them and the hound will leave...the bird dog
will range farther, the retriever will usually hang the closest.  This is
how it should be since a coon dog that won't leave you is useless.

Border Collies are definately better at the big out runs (bring in those
sheep from that distant hill) but I think I'd prefer an Aussie for close
pen work.   They are very attached to their owners and constantly aware
of your presence.  I had Collies as a kid, and my mom has a Sheltie.
Don't suggest either of them since their method of herding is to bark
non-stop and circle right in front of you.  Their Sheltie never shuts up
if they crank their lawn mower or if  a kid rides a bike, he just chases
he tail right in front of it and never stops barking.  Aussies and Border
Collies are silent herders so they definately win this one in my opinion.
 I'm sure there are some Border Collies out there who are very tight with
their owners, but I've got 3 Aussies that I can hardly clean the stall
for. They keep running around in front of me to sit at attention and gaze
deeply into my eyes...just praying I'll tell them to do something.

That said, in my opinion the *best* thing about my dog was that I could
say, "Go Home!" and she WOULDN'T go riding with me.  I've yet to see
public land that invited a loose dog, and I know my neighbors have
appreciated me not bringing my dog onto their property where they let me
ride. 

The only dog I ever ride with is a Blue Tick Coon Hound that my neighbor
owns.  When I see him loose I try to sneak by him but that doesn't help.
Doesn't matter if I'm a mile up the mountain I know the second he crosses
my trail....BAOOOOOOOOO!  I can hear him baying as he retraces my trail
across the valley.  It's slightly amusing to pretend I'm an escaped
convict and the guards are gaining on me...but once he catches me he
immediately loses interest and wanders off across the side of the
mountain after something else...which is how my neighbor got him.
Somebody else lost him.

Angie
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