Some ways my Border Collie or Border Collie Mix has changed my life

• I used to be grossed out by dog hair; now it is the norm. I just vacuum my bed.
• I laugh WAY more with them than without them.
• I have planned to decorate an entire room around them - a BC shrine. Did you know there is a BC wallpaper?
• Exercise is not optional anymore - Kip and Glory can tell if I'm even thinking about a walk.

And perhaps the worst:

• My dogs can eat from a fork….

A couple of years ago my dad had leukemia. It was the very quick kind and we knew that he didn't have long. The chemo stopped working and we placed my dad in a hospice. After a whole month, that was supposed to be only 3-5 days, they sent him home. He got better for a little while and lived another 5 months. His last outing was to our house for Christmas day. We were eating dinner and Glory was kind of begging. O.K., she begs shamelessly and rests her head on my lap leaving little wet puddles on my jeans. We have this little game we share sometimes if she wants a treat. We get nose to nose and she growls (it's a play growl) and I tell her to "smile". She curls her upper lip and bares her teeth. Then she kisses me through her "smile". It was the very last time my dad ever laughed before he died and it was all because of a Border Collie.

- Karin

• My husband, who never had a dog before our first BC, learned the true and honest meaning of - "Man's Best Friend."
• Our dogs add LOTS of humor to our lives
• Dog hair EVERYWHERE in our home is often referred to as "Extra Fibers."
• A California King Size Bed is not big enough for 2 humans & 2 medium sized dogs - the dogs are BEDHOGS!
• No matter how bad the work day was... it instantly gets better if only for a moment, when walking in the door - and seeing those big happy brown eyes, smiling faces, perked ears, and rapidly wagging tails!
• The company of Dogs has greatly enriched our lives!

About 15 yrs ago, when we adopted our first BC, GYPSY - I was taking a shower the morning after we brought her home. Out of nowhere, the shower curtain gets pushed back, and there was this beautiful face of a young tri-colored Border Collie, watching her new mom in her new home take a shower!! That was the one and only time GYPSY ever did that, I wonder why? It guess it doesn't matter, as it really made me laugh out loud!

All these memories of our beloved GYPSY, make me realize I would do just about anything to have that wonderful dog back in my life, and I mean just about ANYTHING! I still love her so much, even after being without her for 15 months now.... Does the loss of a beloved BC ever get any easier?

- Gale

How has Ben changed my life?

• I am now used to being stared down by a dog.
• I am a much better Frisbee thrower.
• Our conversation revolves around the god (oops, I meant dog).
• Laughter echoes even more in our home than it used to.
• My husband and I get much more exercise - as do the horses and the cows.
• We have many, many more friends as Ben makes friends with everyone.
• We are anxiously waiting to move into the country to give Ben more room to roam.

- Lani

My life has changed:

• I have to guard all my body movements, because just a twitch means the game is on.
• Licks on the face get me to pick up the ball faster.
• Laughter is so good for the soul.
• Tug of war has strengthened my arm muscles, and should be a national sport.
• Because of the muscles from tug of war my ball throwing has gotten so much better too.

- Mary Anne

When we got our first BC mix, I didn't even know what a border collie was! We had just lost our beloved Chica dog after 10 years and I was desperate for another dog, preferably a black one. There were free farm puppies in the paper so we drove out to see them. I loved the mother and ended up picking the only pup that had a little white on her chest. What a bombshell!

Bonnie set out to whip us into shape right away, even though she was only 5 weeks old. Yikes! We were REALLY ignorant.

Bon wasn't about to sleep on the floor beside our bed, she was getting INTO it with us, no matter what. And so she did, and has been every day of her life to our delight.

As she grew, Bon told us she needed 3 things.

• A fenced yard -- so she could run free. No way was she going to settle for leashed walks.
• A dog door -- so that she could go in and out whenever she wanted.
• A dog friend -- to boss around. (she ended up with several)

From Bonnie,

• I learned to throw a Frisbee straight, low and often.
• I learned to stand still when she tried to herd me by nipping my feet
• I learned that the "creep and stare" didn't mean she was going to attack me.
• I learned that the vacuums look a lot like sheep and need herding.

From Sammy, my beloved 2nd BC, I learned that

• Belly scratches are first priority.
• It's more fun to herd Bonnie than chase Frisbees.
• One dog can stretch to monopolize the entire sofa.
• Some BC's actually come when called.

From all my dogs I have learned that my heart will always hurt whenever I have to leave them, but the joy of coming home heals the pain.

- Deb

Ruth has taught me/changed me:
" I am not smarter than a dog
" I am on a schedule and don't even know it
" There is something evil about the light above the bar
" If you hide a Frisbee/ball/toy, she will still be there 2 hours later staring at it
" If you hide a toy she will still remember 2 day, 2 weeks, 2 months later that at one time that spot held a toy and it could still be there
" I now spell more words than I say
" I have an ego now because of my dog...Yeah, I know she's great....
" Take your Frisbee dog to the park and you will have every kid in town wanting to throw and staring in AWE
" I have shared every snack have I made in the past 2 years 3 months and 29 days
" It's not a sport until someone starts bleeding
" There's always time for another throw
" I am still counting all the different expressions of her face & eyes; and angles her tongue can hang from
" You have to be very specific in directions, again, she's smarter than you
" There is no replacement for the love and companionship of a dog
" Not everyone gets it...some people will always think -- "it's just a dog"
" I have never been more happy than I am now
" And of course, she is the reason I opened my home to so many border collies

Pepper has taught me/changed me:
" There ARE perfect matches out there
" Not all communication is through sight and sound....it's between hearts & souls
" Not all beauty can be caught on film; some you have to be there and feel it in your soul
" Don't leave the car door open...there will be a happy boy inside when you return waiting for a car ride
" I no longer sleep in. My little alarm sits in his crate and wakes me with very pleasant barks when it's time to get up
" A true greeting is a dog with a smile
" There is nothing more beautiful than a happy border collie

Sam has taught me (My rescued dog that I kept and then lost unexpectedly)
" Be strong...be very, very strong
" Things happen for a reason and only God knows that reason
" He's still with me all the time and no matter how long it's been, I still cry
" I don't remember a whole lot, but I will never forget that little boy with a heart of gold
" If I had one wish, I would use it to bring him back

All my fosters:
" No matter how bad the dog seems -- Jack & Laddie, they can always be worse -- DUKE!!!!LOL
" It's hard to housebreak, crate train, teach manners, mend them inside and out, and maintain patience with a BC. But it's even harder to let them go.

When I start to think about it, dogs have not just changed my life, but molded it into what it is today, and thinking back over the path was happy and sad all at the same time.

- Gen

Ayla (my first dog who is no longer with us)
" All dogs are special, even those with special needs
" To allow the dog to work things out (Ayla had impaired vision from birth. We had a large field out back and I learned that if she didn't respond to my "come" command to just stop and wait and when she realized I had "vanished" and she started looking for me to call her and start moving.)
" To be patient
" That there is nothing you can do to stop a seizure.
" A 50lb dog CANNOT sit in ones lap while driving!
" Just because she was "special" didn't mean she couldn't do regular dog things
" Dogs always know when you've had a bad day.
" How to let go.

Cindy has taught me:
" You can never throw the ball too many times
" I need to know where my feet are pointing
" Keep one eye on the dog, the other on where you are going!
" To relax and just have fun.
" Get up and GOOO in the morning!
" Breakfast and dinner are NEVER to be late.. or you will hear about it!
" I swear I can hear her thinking sometimes.
" You cannot hide toys well enough
" I will never be fast enough!

Zoie has taught me:
" Some things just never get old
" Never underestimate the sounds a dog can make
" That dogs are VERY flexible
" To just accept that she wouldn't stay in that position if it wasn't comfortable!
" Teeth put holes in shoes (all my shoes have the same 2 holes in them! LOL!)
" Some dogs like citrus... or in Zoie's case the ENTIRE orange.

Tap has taught me:
" To be soft
" To be consistent more than ever
" Dogs heads out car windows can be very entertaining on long trips
" All dogs deserve a second or a third chance in Taps case
" She is so funny she likes to take JUST the soles out of the shoes!! Doesn't touch the shoe... just steals the sole... and mostly out of Brian's shoes... in fact I think all but 1 pair of his shoes has mis-matched soles! She has only stolen the soles out of my boots... I guess she just likes the stinky ones!! LOL!! Even more of a mystery is what she does with them....

Melody (the coonhound)
" To keep a blanket and pillow out for her
" If she spins more than 3 times on her bed it needs fluffing
" To save room for her on the couch
" If there is a pillow, you can bet her head is on it.
" That the TAN in black and tan coonhound can be literal (she sunbathes... gotta work on that tan!!)
" To NEVER EVER leave a box of doughnuts un-attended.
" More knowledge of ears and the different types of infections and how to treat them then I really wanted.
" To duck when she shakes her head (drool!!!)

All in all my dogs have made me a more dedicated, consistent and a more observant person that I was before. I don't sweat the small stuff and I always laugh when they do something funny... which around here is like every 15 min or so!

- Renee

I used to make fun of those people who take their dogs everywhere with them. Those little "froo froo dogs". (Nevermind that I had the froo froo dog, just didn't treat him like one.) These people are obsessive. Bows in the hair, little jackets, the outfits, and those satin pillows. HA! That's not a real dog. Okay, I've stooped to the level of taking my dog everywhere with me, Murphy has had bows in her hair, but the hair around her ears is so fine, that I don't allow the groomer to do that any more, we just do bandanas. And, Murphy sleeps on a cushy pillow. It makes me hang my head in shame. Now, when I make fun of the froo froo dogs, it's not because they are spoiled, it's because they're little. I am left wondering if they left the rest of the dog in some obscure location.

I smile all the time. Now, I have a reason for my smiles, not just because I like to smile.
I have created certain habits. When I walk into a room I normally would shut the door to, i.e. the bedroom, I've given up on shutting the door. I know that someone is going to be barging in at any moment to tell me how much they love me and how much they missed me, in that 30 seconds that I had left their sight.

Murphy has a bell on the door to tell us when she has to potty. She was so quiet when she was a puppy that we didn't know she had to go, until it was too late. So, we trained her to ring a bell. Now, anytime I hear a bell ring, I immediately go to the door to open it. No matter where I'm frequenting. Pavlov's dogs? Only I'm the dog.

I can't say that I allow my kids to eat off of the silverware. It's a little more than I can handle. They eat off of their special plates for those "special treats". I don't know what is worse, that I can't eat off the same silverware as the dog, or that I bought special plates for the dogs, and they were more expensive than my own.

I am excited to walk into the door after a short, long, good, bad, ugly, or indifferent day. Because, I know I have at least two face that are sooo excited to see me that they would move the Earth to get to me.

That's how my kids have changed my life. What would I do without them? Go insane!

- Sarah

Some of those life changes were so subtle, I didn't see them coming.

" I'm never alone. Even if I want to be - like in the bathroom. That room is too small too, especially when I have all four Border Collies following me in there.
" His eye is on the sparrow, and their "eye" is on me.
" Cookies and ice cream were meant to be shared - along with everything else I intend to eat.
" The sound of a vomiting dog will wake me up from a dead sleep and get me flying out of bed faster than the alarm clock.
" Few things are as comforting as burying my arms and face in a dog's furry neck.
" I have to take care of myself because my BCs depend on me for their very lives.
" Only dog people can talk about dog poop, and find it to be an interesting dinner conversation.
" What does it take to get a devoted couch potato off the couch? Four Border Collies.
" Neither rain nor snow, nor heat or cold, nor dead of night ... we're out there with the dogs.
" There is no such thing as a white shirt.
" Every jacket I own has a plastic bag in the pocket.
" Black hair goes with red wine, and white hair goes with white wine.
" Nothing makes me smile, cry, laugh or sing faster than living and loving my Border Collies.
" There is a big difference between "living" and "life."

- Grace

Yesterday was the 26th anniversary of the birth of my first dog, Tucker, who was a BC/CollieX. I adopted Katydid the following year. 26 years is a very long time ago; and the young woman I was then is now a feisty 50 yo.

How has a BC changed my life?

My dogs have been the catalyst for my walking (in all kinds of weather) over the years. By walking with our dogs over the years, my older sister and I have bonded in a way we never could have as children and teenagers. The regular exercise me to fairly easily walk the 7 miles around Lake Buttermere in the Lake District of western England in my 1985 visit to the UK.

I've learned that there is more to taking a walk than walking. There is sniffing, squirrels, canine pee-mail, rabbits, squirrels, very silly mourning doves and robins, UPS trucks finishing up their daily routes, and, btw, did I mention squirrels...

Despite having a 25+ year history of desk jobs, having a BC does tend to keep me more fit than I might otherwise be. Picking up poop, filling water and food bowls, adjusting the "flying carpets" which have traveled long distances from their original location, trying to restrain a 45+ lb BC from lunging at squirrels, bicyclists, and sitting on the floor to cuddle are all good activities for a fitness program. Of course, there was also agility classes which demanded as much from me as they did from Sara.

Alarm clocks are not so necessary when you have a BC under the age of 12-14. They have been the alarm clock. Also I soon learned that sleeping in late is seldom an option. ;o)

BCs are smart individuals. Their reasoning ability includes counting numbers of biscuits Mom drops into her pocket (and do simple arithmetic to determine how many bikkies are remaining and how many the other dog has gotten); the recognition of outdoor shoes vs. indoor shoes, the ability to understand multi-lingual commands, body language, and spelling of critical words such as bath, vet, pizza, kitty, and ... squirrel. They are also psychic--able to know when you're on the way home from work and when there's thunderstorms or tornadoes in the area.

Whatever standards for housekeeping & yard work I grew up with have been replaced by those which emphasize a dog-friendly environment. I revel in the ease of hardwood floors rather than carpeting and easy to wash slip covers, rugs, and bedspreads. I sing the praises of mulch and pine needles.

There is undoubtedly more, but I'll stop here.

- Kris

Dexter, my BC, my buddy

" I have never felt so "attended to" since I adopted my BC Dexter from MBCR
" He is constantly looking as if he's asking me "what can I do for you next?"
" He wants nothing more then to please me and my husband, or so it seems.
" He wants nothing more then love (and food) in return
" He loves life and lets me know it each and every day with his wagging mini tail (his tail was cut off at some point in his life), smiling face and eager eyes
" He looks like a Tahitian hula dancer when I walk in the door his tail wags so fast
" I have to "trick" him with black out curtains to get him to sleep past 4:30am on the weekends, and I think he's actually letting me think I'm tricking him
" He loves to play and wrestle with his co-habitant, Zooki, a BC/Cattle Dog mix
" He loves agility and is so willing to get through the obstacles to get his treat at the end
" He'll soon be involved in a sheep herding clinic, which I'm sure he'll enjoy, as he does everything else he gets involved in
" I'm getting very spoiled with his good nature, easy to handle and free spirit nature
" Since arriving in our home, he has taught me to smile, laugh and enjoy life more; I think he taught my husband the same thing
" As for the dog hair, and dirt inside the house, I have to vacuum every other day. But the dogs are worth it!

- Carolyn

From Bayou my foster-

Don't leave shoes anywhere that doggies can see. They are easily grabbed. He hasn't chewed, but he likes to carry them places. Shirts, socks, and other things that smell like me are all free game as well.

Just because you taught him the rules, he knows the rules, and deliberately breaks them, doesn't mean that he is doing it to make you mad. (That's Murphy's job) He's just trying to make me pay more attention to him than the resident dogs.

Dogs can be totally dependant on their circumstances. Rough housing with dogs, kids, cats anyone else is fine. But, when the vet is coming at you, violating you by touching your "man stuff" you cannot predict how you're going to react.

This is a special special foster. I feel like I'm learning things for the first time. He's going to be hard to let go, but I know he needs a very special forever home of his own.

- Sarah