Where to get a Border Collie puppy?

Duras

Hi everyone,

I have a quest on getting the perfect puppy & I hope someone is able to give me some advice.

I am looking to get a border collie puppy, but not any puppy Ideally my puppy is a male which will be born is the month of April, it is black & white purebreed with a good pedigree.

I have no idea where to start looking, so I thought boards can be a good starting place. Maybe some of you folks know some forum/group of the breeders. Or any other advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!

Outkast_IRE

Honestly have a good look at rescue dogs online,

There a constantly collie pups being brought in, and alot are pure bred or interesting mixes. We resuced our Collie and she is now 9 years old and is fitter/better condition than most other dogs half her age.

aonb

PM'd you

DBB

Duras, I'm dying to know why the pup has to be born in April! If it's something you're happy to tell us, go on! Tell us
Also, can you clarify if you're thinking about a rescue pup, or are you wanting to go the breeder route?

Cherry Blossom

Hi OP, What do you want the puppy for? Is it just a pet, do you want to show or is it to be a working dog?

Duras

Hi guys, thank you very much for the quick answers! To bring some clarifications: it has to be born on April as it will become a present on an exact date on June. And at that time it should be 6-8 weeks old

And yes, it has to be purebred as he would have a career in the "show" world. That's why I dont think a rescued puppy can do (as pedigree is a requirement).

Celly Smunt

I've always had collies and always got them from working farms. Generally there are always litters about and they are the best dogs for trainability (its in the blood I suppose).

At the end of the day the dumbest collie will still be a smart dog,but if your see the mother and father at work you'll probably get an idea of how the pups will be hence going to a farm.

kylith

I'm sure you've already done so, but don't forget to tell the person that you're getting them a puppy: unexpected puppies are more of a problem than a present

DBB

Ah, okay, so you almost certainly need to go the breeder route, and a breeder who is into showing preferably.
One thing I will say, don't take a pup at 6 weeks. Unless a pup is coming from awful conditions (which won't apply to you if you're going the reputable breeder route), the minimum age to take him from his mum and siblings is 8 weeks... If the breeder is really good at socialising their pups, I'd leave him put til 10-12 weeks.
But 8 weeks at the minimum.

Cherry Blossom

Reputable breeders won't let puppies go until they are at least 8 weeks old. They will also undoubtedly want to meet and vet the intended owner of the pup. Have you googled 'Border Collie breed clubs' the breed club will know of planned litters but it might be very hard to get a pup on the exact date you want. Some breeders have a waiting list over a year long, you might have to wait quite a while for a pup with show potential.

ShaShaBear

Absolutely make sure the person you are gifting it to is fully aware of the gift, the breed, the age and all that goes with it. Be sure that they are financially able to deal with a dog and all the associated costs. And finally, be sure that they can put the required time and effort into proper exercise and training, as they go stir-freaking-mad if they aren't mentally AND physically tired out every day.

Border collies, pedigree or otherwise, are not for the faint of heart or impatient. They are absolutely, under no circumstances, a good starter dog.

alroley

I don't think a reputable breeder would sell a puppy to someone when they know that person will be giving the puppy as a gift to a person the breeder knows nothing about?

DBB

alroley wrote: »

I don't think a reputable breeder would sell a puppy to someone when they know that person will be giving the puppy as a gift to a person the breeder knows nothing about?

They certainly wouldn't, but hopefully the op can confirm for us whether the intended recipient knows the plan! If they do, then it's not such a problem.
I know there have been a couple of times, years ago now, where dogs I rehomed were intended as presents unknown to me. The applicants went to the trouble and hassle of going through the entire vetting process, but intended all along to hand the dog to someone else (it's a difficult one to screen out for a really determined liar)... And in every case, the poop hit the fan with the recipients, who rang me in despair within hours berating the gift-giver, and asking me to take the dog back.
It's a really baaaaddd idea, unless of course the recipient is fully involved!

ihatewinter

Make sure the person really wants a dog, as Border Collies need hours of stimulation and exercise or they will become destructive and bored. That's why so many of them are dumped and end up in pounds.

I know as I have a 14 year old Border Collie who still demands long walks when she is not herding livestock and plus can still outwit me. Many sure the pup is properly socialised as they can be hard to stop nipping as they have a tendency of not listening if bored.

Plus they will herd and chase cars, children, other animals and wheels if there is a farming strain in them. Again many are dumped because people think the pup is biting and hunting their child as they are bored and not given enough stimulation

Knine

There is not many people breeding show quality Border Collies in Ireland. It is unlikely you will get one suitable for showing in that time frame you need. Does the person receiving the gift show already or are they a newcomer?

Would going to the UK be an option?

ShaShaBear

ihatewinter wrote: »

Make sure the person really wants a dog, as Border Collies need hours of stimulation and exercise or they will become destructive and bored. That's why so many of them are dumped and end up in pounds.

I know as I have a 14 year old Border Collie who still demands long walks when she is not herding livestock and plus can still outwit me. Many sure the pup is properly socialised as they can be hard to stop nipping as they have a tendency of not listening if bored.

Plus they will herd and chase cars, children, other animals and wheels if there is a farming strain in them. Again many are dumped because people think the pup is biting and hunting their child as they are bored and not given enough stimulation

I last had an 11 year old collie that was a plague. Now a 9 month old that is Shadow incarnate (I maintain that Shadow wasn't done torturing us after cancer, so he possessed another collie pup that we never wanted to adopt and forced his way into our home :P )

boomerang

Agree you need to know what you are letting yourself in for... They are highly desirable dogs - my absolute favourite breed - but in their need for exercise and just as importantly, something to occupy them - they are a breed apart - no pun intended!

Personally I don't like the show-strain BCs at all. Too small, too heavy-coated, too much of the spaniel influence in their features. Anyways I think it's a travesty to breed for looks and conformation alone - these were working dogs bred for health, soundness and smarts for hundreds of years before they were recognised by the Kennel Club in 1976. I would far prefer a regular working collie, or if you want proof of lineage and ability, a collie that is registered with the ISDS. Maybe the show collies are not as worky, though. Are you drawn to the show collies for their looks? If so have a look at my rescue collie...



A truly important book to read before you buy is "Understanding the Border Collie" by Carol Price.

Knine

Several of the show people use their dogs also for dog sports. Some do obedience. These dogs also win at shows. There definitely seems to be two different types though even among the show dogs.

muddypaws

OP, when you say the dog will be going to shows, do you mean in competitions like agility, flyball maybe, or do you mean conformation shows? If you mean agility, then the dog doesn't need to be a registered pure breed dog, he/she can go onto the agility register.