Billy is a fun dog, but he has his eccentricities.
I really enjoy taking him for his early morning walk each day. He so obviously enjoys himself that every day he makes me smile. He has a beautiful spring in his legs that simply oozes 'fun'. No Deer is safe from a good chasing.
However, he does occasionally show strange behaviour. Every time I attach his lead he curls into a ball as if he's about to be beaten; I have no idea why he does this. He also hates being brushed, and will often snap at us; we have to reassure him that it's all OK.
He has never been abused by us, but occasionally his behaviour suggests that he has; and that he's frightened of us. He quite often shows signs of fear. We did have a couple of neighbours who HAVE been nasty to him, throwing stones, kicking, and hitting him with a stick, etc; so maybe it has left a mark.
Luckily the worst of these people has now moved away. It's strange that whenever we met these people's own dogs they have always come to say 'hello'. If one is kind to animals, usually they reciprocate the kindness. We've always had a lot of canine visitors; they didn't.
Generally he's a lovely dog to be with. He has boundless energy. He'll chase, and bring back, Tennis balls all day long. He's also madly in love at the moment, the object of his passion being a beautiful German Shephard called Amie.
It is claimed that a dog covers about 10 times the distance of his/her owner whilst out walking. In Billy's case I would raise that figure to 50 times!
I should add that his pink nose is now almost all filled-in with black. Another few months and he'll be the most handsome Border Collie in France (well, actually, he already is).
32 comments:
He looks a lovely dog. Could he have been mistreated by his breeders.
I wonder! he came to us when he was very young, so I'm not sure he'd remember too much about them. He certainly remembers the people who've mistreated him here; he growls and barks at them.
Billy is a beautiful dog. My first dog was a border cross. He 'went on holiday' when I was three and never came back. I still remember him and know that I loved him.
Oh, poor Billy ..... why on earth would anyone want to mistreat him ? Your neighbours don't seem to like dogs very much .... didn't you have your suspicions that one of your dogs had been poisoned by one of them ? I'm sure Billy knows that you love him but, maybe his first reaction is a memory of others mistreating him. XXXX
I've had more contact with Border Collies than any other dogs. They've all been wonderful, and extremely friendly. Lovely dogs.
Our neighbour's dogs killed our hens, about which we said nothing. The other neighbour, who threatened to kill Bok, has now moved away. It used to be so nice here!!
It is hard to match possible poor treatment by neighbours of Billy in the past with his current odd behaviour. Some dogs just hate being brushed. Full stop.
And what a lovely photograph of him Cro.
Isn't it strange how the nose is changing colour. One of our cats had a pin nose but as she is aging it is gradually filling in with black. I wonder why this is.
Briony
x
Yes, the brushing bit is just him wanting to be a scruff; like his Dad.
He's easier to photograph when he's asleep.
I have no idea, but I do prefer it black than pink. I reckon in another 6 months it'll be all black,
Border collies are famously intelligent. He may well have learned to fear certain things from your mean neighbors even if he only had one or two bad encounters with them.
He's so cute, by the way!
Dogs have good memories. I'm sure that you are adding good things to his memory bank
We have a rescue cat. Got her aged 2 or 3 and she has been with us 5 years but still runs away if I put on black shoes, and she won't sit on my knee.
He certainly doesn't forget who's been nasty to him.
He seems to have quite a complex character. He much prefers the company of other dogs to humans, but I suppose that's natural.
I have come to think of cats as creatures that simply require to be fed. If they show any sign of affection; it's bonus.
How a dog owner could mistreat another person’s dog is very difficult to understand. I would assume that they are also mistreating their own.
Billy is a beauty and I am sure that your life is enriched having him.
I have always had affectionate cats, although, some have not particularly liked anybody else.
As Kant said: you can judge the heart of a man by the way he treats animals.
Our Freddie was quite indifferent towards us, but at night I would occasionally find him sleeping under my chin.
Rick wasn't too keen on being brushed and groomed when we first got him but he has learned to trust us and loves it now. But he will let us know when he's had enough!
I was brought up in an era when animals were controlled by fear. I never did ascribed to it as it's counter productive with something stronger than you. You have to breed trust and then they are easy to handle. They have to know who is boss but a firm hold on the scuff of their neck or forelock always works if accompanied by special words. Animals get to know who is in charge and like most humans like some order in their lives.
Billy also growls like crazy when we dry him with a towel, when he comes in from the rain.
I'm sure that's right; firmness without being nasty. I hate all violence towards animals.
A friend has a, now very elderly, border collie, which will have absolutely nothing to do with other dogs but is very happy with humans.
Sweet Billy. All my dogs have had their peccadillos. Like Billy, all minor in the larger scheme of things. Any person that is mean/nasty toward animals is not someone I want in my circle.
The ones that have been nasty to Billy are CERTAINLY not in our circle. They make themselves into rejects.
Jack Sprat would eat no fat, etc.
The breed is so very intelligent, and they have a memory like no other dog. He doesn't forget. His fear response is an instinctive response.
Didn't mean to sound like a know it all. I think that I did. My apologies. I've known two border collies in my life, and they are an impressive dog.
Your comment didn't come across at all like you thought. I'm sure you're correct. Humans don't forget, Elephants apparently never forget, so I'm sure BC's are the same.
Agatha, my rescue she was saved from a dog hoarder, was 4 we we found each other. She is a lovely dog and we adore her but she has some fear still or reflex to certain things. We keep telling her she is adorable and we love her to the moon and back and them some.
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