5 Reasons You Should Adopt A Dog

5 Reasons To Adopt A Dog.

When considering getting a dog people often overlook the adoption option. There are a lot of misconceptions about adopting a dog. Here are 5 reasons you should consider adopting a dog.

1. Saving A Life
2. Help Reduce The Unwanted Pet Population
3. Saving Yourself Money
4. Don't Support Puppy Mills
5. Make A Friend For Life

Adopting a dog is a great option!

Ali Posing For The Camera

Ali In Action!

If you own a Border Collie than you already know the high energy these dogs have. Ali has no shortage of get-up-and-go. She will spring up from a dead sleep at the first sign of movement to the door.

I enjoy taking pictures of her in whatever we do. Action shots are some of the most fun. They are not always easy to catch, I am not a professional photographer by any means. I use my phone for pictures.

Rescue Dogs: Ali's Tail

My Name Is Ali & I Want To Tell You About Rescue Dogs.

I am a 2½ year old, purebred border collie. I come from a line of working dogs, bred to love, respect and help my human work. This is the life I want to live.

Humans Can Be Cruel.

Border Collie Training

Training A Border Collie.

I have read a lot of articles about training a Border Collie. I won't say they are all wrong but I will say, from my experience with Ali, I disagree with most of them.

I understand each dog is different and each situation is unique. My sister runs an animal rescue, Ridge Rescue Society, this is where I adopted Ali from. Around these parts Border Collies get surrendered often. It is not an issue with the dogs but the people not understanding what they were getting into. Some of the dogs certainly have had some obediance issues, again not the dog's fault.

What I have learned though is these dogs all have certain characteristics that are almost always consistent from dog to dog.

I am not a professional dog trainer but I know what works with my dog.

Here kitty, kitty..

Mentally Stimulate Your Dog

Mental stimulation is important for all dogs.

Dogs are thinking animals and, like you and I, they can become bored.

This is even more true with your Border Collie. These dogs have a high, very high, level of intelligence. Without proper mental stimulation, along with exercise, unacceptable and destructive behaviors are going to become an issue. This is not because your dog is bad, your dog, like a child, is bored and acting out. Idle paws do the devil's work.

The good news is with a Border Collie it is easy to give them a good brain workout. In fact there is one way you can do this by slightly altering something you likely do already.

Breaking The Herding Instinct

Breaking the herding instinct of your Border Collie.

I will start by saying anything stated here is based on my experience with my own dog, Ali. For the record she is a purebred Border Collie from a line of working dogs.

Understanding the herding behavior.

Herding behavior is a trait in dogs that has been bred into them over centuries by man. The natural predatory instincts have been bred out while still maintaining their instinct to herd their quarry. This produces a very effective helper. I won't go into detail on this behavior, if you want to know more you can read up on it here.

Understanding that this is a natural instinct they are born with is the first step in managing it.

A Border Collie & You

The Border Collie is a unique breed of dog. They are as much fun as they are work. All dogs require a commitment of their owner but this breed demands it. If you are not prepared for this then you may find yourself in trouble with yours.

What does a Border Collie need?