Choosing A Puppy

So, you think a Border Collie may be the breed for you? Remember it is a working breed and you will need to be able to channel its energy and enthusiasm! Will you be trying your hand at Obedience or Agility? Or do you just want a loyal companion and if so, how far are you prepared to go to ensure that it receives enough mental stimulation to keep it as a HAPPY loyal companion? It is a myth that Border Collies need 20+ miles of exercise each day, but what they do need is plenty of mental stimulation, leadership, companionship and training.

Still set on a Border Collie? Then you need to find a reputable breeder and there are various ways to do this. The simplest is to contact The Kennel Club, and ask for a list of breeders with puppies, or better still, ask for the contacts at any of the nine Border Collie Clubs in the UK – they will know of any of their members with puppies available. Contact the SBCC puppy co-ordinator.

A good breeder will very likely ask you a long list of questions, such as where you live, the size of your house and garden, if you have children and how old they are, where the dog will live, if you work and if so who will care for the dog, your previous experience with dogs (if any), what other pets you have and so on. These questions are asked as much for your own good as that of the puppy – if your circumstances are not suitable for some reason it is better to find out now than end up 12 months down the line with both the family and the puppy unhappy.

On your part feel free to ask about the pups and their parents. Ask about health tests – whether the sire and dam are hip scored; will the puppies be eye and hearing tested, and so on. If you want to show the puppy, or try Agility or Obedience, tell the breeder so that they can help assess which pup would be best for you, although of course no one can guarantee these qualities! And Border Collies don’t just come in Black & White! There’s Red & White, Blue & White and Tricolour, and the striking dappled effect of a Blue or Red Merle.

Remember good breeding means merging different lines of the breed and the sire may be several hundred miles away - hopefully the breeder will have some photos, but when you see the pups, expect to meet their mother, so you can assess her temperament, if she is well fed and cared for so that she can feed her pups well. Some breeders have the pups in the house, so the pups get used to the normal sounds of the home – the TV, vacuum, washing machine, etc., and they come into contact with people and other pets (such as cats) which may live there too.

Don’t rush into the choice of puppy, (some may already be reserved), watch how they play and interact with their siblings and mother and with you too. Your pup is going to be living with you for a very long time and you need to get on! Don’t assume that any that don’t immediately run up to you are shy – they may just be tired at that moment, or maybe they are sitting there appraising YOU!

Once you have chosen your pup the breeder will normally produce a contract for the sale – each contract varies but look for the proviso that should you, for any reason, be unable to keep the puppy, you will return it to the breeder for re-homing. Of course you hope this will never happen but it is good to know that, should unforeseen circumstances force you to part with your pup, the breeder is there to help find a new, loving home.

When you collect your pup the breeder should give you with a fact sheet covering diet, vaccinations, worming, training, house-training and exercise - it is SO important that young puppies are not over exercised as this can cause irreparable damage to young bones. You should also receive copies of the pup’s vaccination, eye and hearing test certificates (if these have been done), the relevant paperwork if the pup is microchipped or tattooed and a copy of your pup’s pedigree. Remember to fill in the Transfer of Ownership form, then the Kennel Club will send you the pup’s registration document. Armed with all this you are ready to start your new life together, but don’t forget to keep in touch with the person who made all of this possible – your pup’s breeder. They should be your first port of call if you have any concerns and will be only too willing to help you raise your pup to be a true, loyal, loving companion, an ambassador for a very special breed – the Border Collie.