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My border collie has the area around my house looking like it was under a mortar attack!
 
In the summer, since cattle are all out to grass, he is pretty much confined to the yard.  He has many holes (we call them "wallers") dug all around the house and retaining wall-anyplace up next to concrete, like the foundation of the house and a cement retaining wall on the west side of the house. 
 
He does this so that he will have a cool place to lay.  Of course, as the sun moves, so do his "wallers"!  I keep filling them up and he keeps digging them out.  I've tried to mix sticks, twigs, even bricks in with the dirt and it doesn't even slow him down.  He just digs them right back out!  It makes it real difficult to walk around outside, or keep things mowed-and let's not even talk about growing grass!
 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  He hates water, so a pool would be of no use.  He does tolerate being hosed down when it is hot, but that is it.
 
HELP!!!!
Charlotte

I am a member of BPO and Tiny Tracks and neither board includes Border Collies!  Personally, I think the Border Collie would fit better at BPO!

Borders are wonderful dogs and so full of personality!

Any other Border Collie families out there that would like their own board?

After much soul searching and anquish, I placed Loki in a new home.

I interviewed many prospective families and finally found the family that will be perfect for her.   She now lives in Colorado with really super Mom and Dad and 3 children.  The family had a Rottweiler that died this last spring from old age.  They are familiar with the breed and know what is involved in keeping a rottweiler.  So many people that I interviewed had no idea - just wanted a kick-a** dog. 

She gets to be in the house 24/7 and has fit right in like she has always been there.  I am a little jealous that she is doing so well.  Robert would never let me have her in the house for more than little bits at a time. 

I miss her.

Any suggestions on how to keep dogs from jumping the fence?  Loki and Red have gotten in the habit of jumping (or climbing!) our fence and are out most of the time anymore.  This has just started the last couple of weeks. 

My fence is 48" high, so it not easy for them to get over.  I even put an electric wire (like and electric fence for cattle)  at the top and it did not even slow them down.  We live in the country, so they are not bothering anyone when they do get out, but they cruise in search of skunks, coons, feral cats, etc.  Of course, I don't need to tell you the outcome if they find anything. 

A couple of nights ago, I went out to let them in on the porch and heard the most awful commotion in the corral.  I whistled and called, but there was so much going on that they either didn't hear me or chose not too.  Robert had to go outside with the shotgun and shot up in the air to get them distracted.  They did finally come back to the house.

I put the dogs in at night to sleep on the porch, but they are out pretty much all day.  This fence jumping is really getting on my nerves.  I don't want to have to keep them chained up all the time,  but the last couple of days, I have put them on the chain except when I am outside with them.

Robert has always said: "If you have 1 dog, you have a dog.  If you have 2 dogs, you have a half a dog.  If you have 3 dogs, you have no dog."  Lately, I am beginning to agree with him.

I have to figure this out or I have to have one less dog.  I'm catching a lot of flack from Robert - like it is MY fault that HIS dog and MY dog have started this.  His logic is that HIS dog didn't do this until I got my dog.

Any suggestions?

I just measured Loki....At 15 months old, she is 22' at the shoulder and weighs 76 lbs.  She is ALL muscle.  I'm sure she has more growing to do.  Right now, she is in her "thin" stage.  She gets thin right before she goes through another growth spurt!  There was once it really worried me.  I even gave her heavy duty wormer! She probably needed the wormer anyway.  But right after that, she grew like crazy!

Loki is not totally an outside dog. 

She comes in the house to hang out everyday when I am home.  I enjoy her company and after a while in the house, she finally settles down and then naps at my feet-she on one side and Foxy on the other.  She has learned though that she must use her "house manners" (no roughhousing!) which are different than her outside manners. 

We do like to sit in the porch swing in the evenings.  Loki and Red Dog, the border collie, race to see who gets to sit in the swing with me.  Sometimes I have all 3 dogs in it with me!  Talk about a load!

She does spend the nights outside and when I am at work, she is outside.  We built a doggy duplex several years ago that has 3" of insulation in the top, sides, and back, so it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  In the winter, when it is super cold, I still bring them in to sleep on the back porch.

Red dog is teaching her "the ropes" which consists on watching out for "Mama" and don't let anyone get too close.  If they touch the fence, they are fair game.  We live in the country, so that is acceptable.  The dogs know who is OK and anyone that they don't know - and some that they do! - are not OK.  My Border collie is VERY protective of me.

Red dog has also taught her that skunks, coons and badgers are bad and need to be assassinated.  Stray cats also fit into this category.  Fortunately, I keep a LOT of Febreeze and tomato juice on hand!

The more I think about this, the more reasons I find to be glad that I chose to not let her go to my daughter's in Missouri.  Not to mention that she found out that she would loose her house insurance if she had a Rottweiler.  Her town does not have BSL, but her insurance company said that they would cancel her.

I'm so glad she is still here!

I may have to find a new home for Loki.  It's not that she has done anything wrong - it's just that she is TOO playful. 

Loki grew up with my pomeranian, Foxy, and loves to play with her, guard her and protect her.  Last week, when I was going out of the yard, Foxy tried to get out the gate.  Loki put her BIG foot on her to keep her in.  Somehow, Foxy's back got hurt.  I know that she did not do it on purpose, and after a visit to the vet, Foxy is OK now.

Loki does have a tendency to pick Foxy up by her tail when she is going where Loki does not want her to go.  It is funny to see her do that, but now that I know she can cause Foxy some injuries, I need to rethink this.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am open to all.  If anyone would be interested in providing a new home for Loki, I live in SW Nebr.

Loki is 1 year old (July 3rd) and is just a BIG, lovable baby.  If you want an 80# dog in your lap, she would be perfect.

  Charlotte

I went outside the other morning to say good morning to Loki.  I was shocked to find that her whole jowl area under her chin was horribly swollen up.  She looked like she had swallowed a softball.

 By the time the vets office opened it was as large as a melon.  We live quite a ways out of town, so I called my vet.  He asked the obvious questions: snakebite? dogfight?  These were pretty much ruled out.  We are assuming that it was from a hornet sting (they hang around the water bucket and dog house).  He had me put her on mega doses of benadryl for 3 days.  The swelling is mostly down now, but a hard knot the size of a golf ball remains under her chin.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen to their furkids?  

Leerburg Kennels has a good informative board that has a lot of health information.  The people there put me into a panic.  One posted that her GSD had this happen and was dead by evening.  Another posted that his was fine one day and swollen the next day.  He had a melanoma and had to be put down.

I want to err on the side of caution.  If the rest of the swelling and the knot are not better by Tuesday, I will be taking her to the Vet.  It's time for her shots, anyway.  

BTW - tomorrow - JULY 3 will be her first birthday!

Thanks for being here.

Charlotte