Category Archives: A Year With Your Puppy

Too Old to Have a Dog?

May 5, 2025 Dentbros 2 Comments

When are you too old to have a dog?

How do you know when you are too old for a dog? It’s a question I find myself grappling with increasingly, as I am now the ripe old age of 62. I think your perception of age changes as you get older – what seems ancient to someone in their twenties feels like a spring chicken when you’re a retired pensioner! Judging when you’re too old for a dog is very difficult, but I’ll try to talk it through.

When I began my breeding journey I had a few clear goals in mind. I wanted to breed four generations of dogs. This has proved far harder than I imagined, for various reasons. Murmur is a great granddaughter of my amazing Sunny, but she is not having any puppies. I wanted to have bred both parents of a litter, again, not likely to happen. And I imagined keeping a puppy from my litters until I was in my mid to late sixties.

Living their best life

As well as thinking regularly about whether people are too old to have a dog, I also grapple with the issue of ‘what makes a great home for a dog?’ I will write a separate post about that, but the two things go hand-in-hand, because when you are ‘too old’, you can’t care for your dog as well as you have done in the past, perhaps?

So the first point to make is that dogs deserve to be well cared for. I have summarised my views on Being a Perfect Dog Owner and I stand by what I said then. Being fit enought to exercise your dog is my number one concern.

Too old to exercise?

I have come to realise that just because someone is in their sixties or seventies, does not mean they can’t take their dog for a decent walk. Some people, like my good friend Margaret, are still regularly running good distances aged 70+, whilst I struggle to run for more than a minute.

It’s worth mentioning here that I had to stop doing agility three years ago because my knee was so painful. Now I have a new knee and I’m running with Busy and Quin again – Busy is SO happy to be doing agility again! However, there are plenty of activities you can do with a dog without great mobility.

Health conditions in owners

Sadly, I know too many people who become ill or unwell, even at a relatively young age. Three people I know who are my age or younger are battling breast cancer at the moment. It’s a terrible disease that strikes half of us, at any age.

Fortunately, I also know of a lovely man in his 70’s who is out the other side of his treatment, doing brilliantly. He has taken on a rescue Border Collie aged 5 and is really enjoying being out walking with him every day, having lost his beloved Jack Russell, Penny, a few years ago. I know that he is giving his new dog, Loki, an absolutely fabulous life, with so much care and attention.

Health conditions in dogs

It’s worth taking a moment to think about how the health of a dog becomes harder to manage as you get older. Dogs don’t stay with us for long, sadly, averaging just 10-12 years, but they go through stages of needing more or less care.

Older dogs are easier to manage than puppies, as they are more settled and less demanding. However, after the age of 7 or 8 they often develop health issues. This includes arthritis, but also conditions like diabetes. These can be hard work to manage, costing time and money. If you have issues with your own health, you might struggle to manage your dog.

Too old for a first dog?

In the past, I have received plenty of applications for a puppy from people approaching retirement. Again, I have been quite snobby about this, thinking that it’s a bad age to take on a puppy. But why is this? Who am I to judge this?

If someone is taking on another dog in their sixties, having previously had multiple dogs, they should be OK, right? Well, not necessarily. As I’ve said above, if you are busy with issues in your own life, you may just assume your dog will just fit in with things, but then find they have developed behavioural issues, or just aren’t trained as well as previous dogs have been. I have come to realise that people in their sixties are often caring for elderly parents and this can be very time-consuming.

Starting a journey with a dog for a first time in your sixties seems really daunting to me. There is so much to learn when taking on a dog! Start by reading my post on 4 ways to get the perfect dog. If you are prepared to put in the effort though, dogs bring joy, every day. So why not?

Other options when you are too old

When you are in your 80s, you probably are too old to get a puppy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy dogs. If you are in a care home, you should benefit from a visiting volunteer with their dog, supported by a charity such as Canine Concern.

Another option might be to share a dog. My mum (aged 86) has my eldest dog stay with her when she is at her house. She bring Aura back to my house on a regular basis, so I can take her out with the others. Having a dog with her has been great for her confidence, keeping her company and providing structure and routine in the day. My mum was complimented by a doctor yesterday for her fitness, which I am giving Aura credit for!

There are charities that support people who struggle to manage a dog. One of these is The Cinnamon Trust, a wonderful charity who provide “hands-on assistance to pet owners across the country when any aspect of the day-to-day care of their pets poses a problem; as well as the provision of lifelong care for pets who outlive their owners.”

Make arrangements for your dog’s care

Whatever age you are, you should have arrangements in place to have your dog or dogs cared for if you become unable to look after them. Plan this out and revise the plan regularly if your circumstances change. Talk to friends and family and see if they would be prepared to provide temporary or long-term care?

Borrow My Doggy is another organisation who can help provide shared care for dogs. People who work all day can match up with someone who is at home, but can’t manage full responsibility for a dog.

Never too old to enjoy a dog

I think my conclusion is that you are never too old to have dogs in your life. As long as you are aware of the demands of having a dog and take full acount of their needs, there is always room in your life. I treasure my dogs every day and the pleasure they bring me and my family is immeasurable. I will make sure that they continue to live their best lives, whilst planning that my remaining years are spent with my best friends.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. This book is a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely! Find out lots more by looking at the Contents page.

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.

If you are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

A Year With Your Puppy

10,000 Hours: Becoming an expert dog owner

February 10, 2025 Dentbros 1 Comment

10,000 hours and why it’s so hard to own a dog

A few years ago, I discovered that there is a theory that when you have spent 10,000 hours doing something, you might become absolutely brilliant at it. As if you are ‘naturally gifted’. The theory is just a theory, but I think the key is that becoming good at something takes a long time. So how long does it take to do 10,000 hours? And what does that mean for someone owning a dog? Let’s break it down:

40 hours a week for 5 years = 10,000 hours
10 hours a week for 20 years = 10,000 hours
2 hours a week for 100 years = 10,000 hours

Learning a new skill or hobby

When you take up a new hobby, the learning process can be really painful. It feels as though you will never get to grips with it. Slowly though, you improve. And the more you practice, the quicker you improve. Until you can do it without thinking!

When you get your first dog, you have to go through the painful learning process, just as with any new activity. You might have grown up around dogs, so have some awareness of what is involved, but you will rarely have had responsibility for the dog. Owning a dog is another whole experience, isn’t it? It takes a loooooong time to really understand your dog and what makes them tick. Around 10,000 hours in fact!

Of course it should be easy to accumlate that experience, shouldn’t it? After all, a dog is alive for 10-15 years, on average. You own them all the time, so that’s 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, around 5,840 hours a year. Expert in 3-4 years, surely?

Actually ‘owning’ your dog

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Owning a dog is not just about them belonging to you. You have to be engaging with the dog in some way. This includes:

Feeding your dog
Walking your dog
Grooming your dog
Training your dog
Playing with your dog

These are the kinds of activities that will help you really understand your dog. Try completing the questionnaires I wrote as part of my book – A Year with Your Puppy. This reviews where you have got to after 6 months and again at the end of the first year with your puppy. How well do you really know them?

I have done 10,000 hours with my dogs

I grew up with dogs, but I don’t count that – it was background experience, nothing more. The first dog I had was already 8 years old when I took her on from my mum. I didn’t do that much with her, if I’m honest. My first puppy was Buzz and I did take him to classes for a bit, but he was mainly a family pet.

The first dog I really owned was Sunny, in 2006. She was my ‘dog of a lifetime’ and changed everything for me. I owned her positively, making sure I trained her and did things with her. After that, I began breeding and that’s when my experiences really began. I reckon I am now an expert.

Each dog is different

I have owned 10 Border Collies, each with different personalities and challenges. So each dog counts towards my total, quite apart from the fact that I’ve owned dogs for over 30 years. I currently take three different dogs to training classes, and I spend time with each dog playing and training them throughout the week. I would say my weekly total of ‘owning’ a dog is therefore around 15-20 hours a week. That makes me an expert.

Being an ‘expert dog owner’ means that I understand my dogs. I can sense their moods. I know when something is bothering them. It means that when someone is coming up behind me on a walk, one glance at my dogs is enough to tell me the person is there.

What does it all mean for you?

Owning a dog is difficult. What do they need? What do they want? How do you become a ‘Brilliant Dog Owner‘? My advice is to start by understanding that you don’t know much. See my post about ‘Getting the Perfect Dog‘.

Read my book – A Year With Your Puppy, either free on this website or in the handbook you can buy online. Track your progress.

Make sure you find a good dog trainer. Ask around for recommendations. I am very fortunate to have two brilliant trainers now – Emma Conlisk teaches us scentwork and Kate Lamcraft teaches us agility. They are both ex school teachers and I can promise you they have done their 10,000 hours of teaching, owning dogs and teaching owners of dogs!

Good luck!

Buy the Workbook

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.

If you are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

A Year With Your Puppy, Dog doc - reader's questions

Scared of Dogs? How to meet a new family dog

January 31, 2025 Dentbros Leave a comment

What to do when your family are scared of dogs

I recently met a lovely couple who told me their daughter had recently got a dog, as her husband loved dogs. But they were scared of dogs, so they weren’t now able to go and visit their daughter very easily. This is such a common problem that I thought it was worth writing about it.

Scared of dogs Border Collie puppies — Those dogs are too scary!

Being scared of dogs is incredibly common – Cynophobia is listed at no 7 in the UK for top phobias. Amazing when you consider what a country of dog lovers we are. Perhaps that’s why it’s so high: people are always being faced with dogs and we are not very good at managing them, are we?

What makes us scared of dogs?

I was reminded of family I met a few years ago, where the wife wanted a dog but the children were scared. When I met them, it became immediately apparent that the husband was scared of dogs. Turned out he had been bitten by a rabid dog is Thailand! Hmm, I think I’d be pretty scared of dogs too! Not all fears are as easily explained.

To be absolutely honest, I can be scared of dogs and I own 5 Border Collies! I don’t like German Shepherds. Or Chihuahuas. I think dogs that are bred as guard dogs are naturally protective of their families – that needs to be respected. And everyone knows that Chihuahuas are vicious little so and so’s.

Have respect for other beings

I think it’s important to be respectful of other people and I don’t see why dogs shouldn’t have the same respect. If we don’t know them, we should wait to be introduced. We need to understand what a dog is saying.

Children in particular, need to be taught how to behave around dogs. I have written numerous times about that. Have a look at this post in particular: Children and Dogs. It’s really important to teach children how to be around dogs. That’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about getting dogs into school, supported by the excellent charity Canine Concern.

Tips for family meeting your dog

So how do you introduce your family, who might be scared of dogs, to your new dog? Here are my top tips:

Shut the dog away. It’s really, really important that you don’t expect your family to come into the house with the dog at the door. If your family are frightened, the dog will become frightened as well.
Give the family or friends a hug. It may sound odd to say this, but now that I do so much scentwork with my dogs, I understand the value of scent to my dogs. If your smell is on your family, your dog will definitely be more relaxed. We’re all family!
Bring the family in and get them settled. Take their coats off, get them a cup of tea, sit them down. No rush, take your time.
Go and see your dog, on your own. Make a fuss of them, give them a treat and put some more in your pocket.

Next steps

Put your dog on the lead, in the house. Manage them, quietly. Bring them into the room your family are in. Be calm and quiet. Keep your family seated, if possible. Ask them to be quiet.
Slowly bring your dog towards them, being ready to back off if anyone, including the dog, becomes stressed.
Let your dog ask to be fussed. Tell your family what the dog likes, where to stroke them. Do NOT let your dog jump up, or jump on the sofa, or paw your family. If they do that, take them away and train them some more. Don’t expect your family to tolerate this rude behaviour.
If your family are comfortable with it, ask them to give the dog a treat. They should gradually get used to your dog and may eventually even like them.

Overall, take it slowly and be prepared to go back a step. Gradually let everyone get to know each other and make friends.

Not everyone likes dogs

Hard to believe, but true. Even when people aren’t scared of dogs, they may not like them. We may choose not to be friends with someone who doesn’t like dogs, but we are pretty much stuck with family. So respect their views and work around it?

If it doesn’t go well and your family still don’t like your dogs, you will need to manage that. Shut the dog away and focus on being with your family? Show them that they are as important as your dog? For that time, at least.

Other options for meeting up

Another way to manage family who are scared of dogs is to meet up somewhere. You can all go for a walk together and they can see your dog running around, without having to have direct contact. Or you can have lunch in the pub with your dog lying quietly at your feet.

Border Collie puppies — Some more dog lovers!

All of this depends on your dog having good manners and you being able to manage your dog successfully in different situations. If you can’t, that’s on you. There is plenty of information and advice on how to do this, on this website and elsewhere! Good luck!

Buy the Workbook

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.

If you are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

A Year With Your Puppy, Dog doc - reader's questions

Understanding what a dog is saying

January 30, 2025 Dentbros 4 Comments

What is your dog saying to you?

“What’s that Lassie? Little Timmy is stuck down the well and needs me to come and rescue him? OK, let’s go!” I was on my way to meet a family last week when I remembered this and it made me laugh out loud. I used to love the Lassie films as a child and I was always so impressed with how communicative he was. How on earth can you understand what a dog is saying?

Now that I own collies myself, (albeit Border Collies, not Rough Collies) I know that they are easily able to convey this information. I absolutely know what my dogs are saying to me. Most notably my first dog, Rue, came into my study one day and said “Mum, you’d better come, that puppy is doing something really naughty.” I was quite surprised when she said this, but sure enough, when I went and looked, he was doing something naughty.

Why are dogs scary?

Anyway, I was on my way to meet a family whose mum wanted to get a dog desperately. However she said that her 8 year-old daughter was terrified of dogs. I offered to take Busy over to meet them and discuss what kind of dog they might get. As part of my preparation, I was considering what is it that makes dogs scary? I decided that the easiest answer is that we don’t know what they are thinking (or saying). And of course they don’t know what we are thinking. Or do they?

Border Collies saying hello — What is she saying?

When you spend all day every day in the company of dogs, you come to realise that they are not that complicated. They love routine, they like to know the rules and they want to be loved. That’s not too hard, is it? They want us to be consistent towards them, hopefully consistently loving. Dogs really love it if you do the same stuff every day, so they know what to expect.

A Dog Needs

What might a dog be saying to you? Well, these are the things it needs:

Food (always top of the list)
Warmth (somewhere nice to sleep)
Water
Toileting (they much prefer to toilet outside, away from their bed)
Exercise (is it time to go out for a walk?)
Play (throw the ball throw the ball throw the ball…)
Cuddles (well a nice stroke or tummy rub at least)
Kind words

Basically then, a dog is saying something about one of these topics. So if you are out on a walk and a dog comes bounding over, it is probably saying “Play with me?” Or “Hello pleased to meet you,” or “Aren’t I gorgeous?” Chances are they are NOT saying “You look tasty, can I bite you?” or “I hate you!”

Why might a dog bite?

Unless they are trying to catch and kill prey to eat, dogs usually only bite in self-protection. So if they think you are going to attack them, they will try to get in there first. Sadly, people who are afraid of dogs often try to kick them or hit them to make them go away. This of course makes the dog retaliate and they then learn that people are not friendly. Unfortunately, they might then bite the next person they see, which leads to that person becoming frightened of dogs. Understandably so.

Dogs also might attack if they are confused. This is why dogs find children so threatening: they are noisy and unpredictable. They run around very fast, making lots of noise. They try and grab at the dog and put their faces too close.

Listen to what the dog is saying

If you have an encounter with a dog, try to stay calm and quiet. Make yourself inoffensive. Don’t go for a full-on stare at the dog, it’s too intimidating. Ask the dog if they would like to be petted and wait for a reply. Don’t expect them to be thrilled to see you. Be gentle. Offer your hand, palm down, to be sniffed. If you smell OK, they will be happy to be stroked. Patience is important, don’t rush. If you want to stop a dog jumping up at you, turn away from them. Trust me, it works.

Once you get to know a dog, you will learn to understand them. Hopefully they won’t need to tell you about someone stuck down a well, but they probably will tell you it’s dinner time.

Buy the Workbook

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.

If you are looking for a Border Collie puppy, please contact the Kennel Club Assured Breeders and ask to go onto their waiting lists? Or visit the Champdogs website? Don’t ask me for help, I can’t do anything more.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

A Year With Your Puppy, Finding a Dog

7 Ways to be a Brilliant Dog Owner

November 19, 2024 Dentbros 2 Comments

How to give your dog its best life

With so many first time dog owners appearing over the past 18 months, it is hard to recognise just what it takes to do the best you can for your dog. I know people who absolutely adore their dogs, but they do not necessarily have all the right attributes that their dog would want. So what does it take to be a brilliant dog owner?

I’m going to start off by saying – buy the right dog! That doesn’t mean the most expensive, or the one I like (Border Collie). It’s what’s right for you. Choose the right breed and buy from the right breeder. Or get a rescue. I don’t mind. It’s you that will be living with it for the next 10-15 years. That’s longer than you’ll have your car or your sofa. After that, it’s up to you..

1: Interact with your dog

Talk to it, play with it, stroke it. You’d be amazed how many people like having a dog around the place, but don’t actually engage with it. NB: Don’t cuddle your dog unless they ask to be cuddled. Above all, be there for your dog so it doesn’t need to rush up to other dogs and people. It should NOT be desperately attention-seeking. It should be happy with its own family.

2: Be present as much as possible

Dogs are sociable and like hanging out together. If you’re going to be out all day, make sure you do plenty with your dog when you’re in. Hire a good dog walker, who walks dogs in groups. Have another dog. Or a cat.

Border collies dog owner — Just hanging out

I’m not saying you can’t have a dog if you work. We all have to work at some stage in our lives and I don’t think people should deny themselves a dog just because they are out. Dogs sleep for the majority of the day anyway, provided they have had a good walk in the morning and some play, training and interaction later on.

3: Groom your dog

Check your dog over daily for parasites, grass seeds, sores etc. Just stroke it! Brush when you can, but often. Little and often works wonders. Even if you dog has long hair, tackling it for 5 minutes a day can make a big difference.

Many of the poodle crossbreeds need regular professional grooming, which does take time and effort to organise and of course costs money! Take that into consideration when choosing the right dog for you? Don’t wait until it is a horrible matted mess that has to be shaved to the skin. We have created dogs in different shapes and sizes, so it is our responsibility to care for them properly if we are to be the best dog owner.

4: Feed your dog sensibly

A well-balanced diet makes for a happy dog. Pay attention to the level of activity of your dog, rather than what the bag says. Is it active enough? Or too hyper? Too fat? Or too thin? You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs, not see them.

We all know that obesity causes terrible health problems, so why inflict that on your dog? ‘Just a few treats’ is no good if your dog suffers as a result. You have the power to control your dog’s food intake and therefore to manage its health proactively. Pay attention.

If you have more than one dog, don’t think you can feed them all the same food and don’t just chuck the food down and walk away. Control the food you give and watch how it is eaten. Manage it. Personally, I feed a nutritionally balanced kibble because it works for my dogs. I am not knowledgeable enough to feed them food I have concocted myself. And I can’t be bothered! It’s easy to feed ourselves rubbish, but why should our dogs have to suffer? Raw food carries bacteria which may be leading to antibiotic resistance, which could be fatal for us all. I do not recommend this.

5: Walk your dog

Walk your dog slowly, so it can sniff and experience the world around it. An hour wandering and sniffing is far better than a pavement trudge several times a day. Don’t take it for a run! Dogs don’t naturally go ‘out for a run’ it’s not really their thing. They might run around chasing each other in a game, or chasing prey, but it’s not really necessary for our dogs. Let them be active in their own space, at their own pace.

Doing the same walk every day is useless – dogs need variety. And of course Let. Them. Off. Lead. You wouldn’t go for a walk with a blindfold on. Don’t torture your dog – here’s a lovely place you can’t experience, because I am holding onto you! Here are dogs to say hello to, or be frightened of, but I am hanging on to you so you can’t deal with that yourself. Teach your dog how to behave when they are out and about and they can enjoy a relaxing walk. Which brings me on to..

6: Train your dog!

Teach your dog to come when you call it. Stand in a different room from your dog and call it. Does it come? If it’s barking at a squirrel in the garden and you call it, does it come? If you open the fridge door, does it suddenly appear? Hmm, maybe a bit more work on recall is required… It is absolutely NOT difficult, nor is it rocket science. It just takes effort. And lots of practice. With cheese.

You don’t have to teach tricks to your dog, but it’s fun to engage your brain and theirs. Going to classes can be about focusing on your dog and sharing your experiences with others. Teaching your dog manners will save you both a lot of heartache. Basically, the more effort you make, the more you will enjoy your dog.

7: Say goodbye with dignity

Don’t put your dog through complex or invasive treatments, especially if they are a reasonable age and have had a good life. Let them go, with love. And be there to hold them as they do. It’s hard to part with your best friend and constant companion, but don’t make them suffer because you don’t want to say goodbye?

They make us laugh, they are there for us, bringing so much joy. Don’t they deserve a good life? These points should all have been so obvious they don’t need saying, but can you tick them all? Are you ready to be the best dog owner?

Weekly Focus Challenge

Think about why you chose the dog you chose? What was it you liked about their breed?
Why did you choose the breeder you bought your puppy from? What criteria did you have?
What did you think of the puppy’s mum? Was she what you were expecting?
Now think about your plans for your dog? What are you going to do with it? Will you go to puppy classes? Are you hoping to do a dog activity in the future?
How often will you walk your dog? Whereabouts will you go?
What behaviour issues do you anticipate? What do you think will be the biggest problems with your dog?
What will be the best thing about having your dog?
What arrangements do you have in place for when you are away? When you are at work?
What are you worried about?

Please share your thoughts and a photo? You can do this in the AYWYP Facebook group, or buy the workbook to keep your own record. Details below.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. It was written and designed to be a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely!

BUY NOW!

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs? And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

A Year With Your Puppy

My Breeding Journey Ends – No More Puppies

November 17, 2024 Dentbros 3 Comments

The end of my breeding journey

I’m feeling sad today – it’s the end of a breeding journey that has lasted for 14 years. My ultimate goal, to breed both parents of a litter, has not been realised. I have tried to have puppies from Quin and Murmur, but although Quin is definitely fertile, for whatever reason, Murmur is not having puppies. No more puppies for me. Of course there are other possibilities, so I may have more puppies in my lifetime. But for now, my options have ended.

Why I LOVE breeding dogs

First of all, I LOVE my dogs! Not as much as I love my husband, family and friends, but I certainly do love them. They are the centre of my life and inform the choices I make in the way I spend my time (and money!) I am proud every day I walk my 5 dogs, seeing them all running together and behaving beautifully as we pass other people (don’t mention Quin, he’s fine).

I started breeding because I had a fantastic dog, Sunny, and I wanted to produce beautiful Border Collies, bred for better temperament and health. I’ve had 67 puppies altogether, and on the whole they have made fantastic pets for all sorts of families. Most of them have lived their best lives, taking part in all sorts of activities and generally being a valued family member. That’s what makes it worthwhile for me.

The start of my breeding journey

My first experience of breeding came when I was 18 years old. My mum Julia had a litter from her beautiful Border Collie Afton. I was there when they were born and it was a thrilling experience. Julia went on to have another dozen litters and I watched these dogs grow up and be part of our family. One of these, Rue, came to live with me when I stopped work after having my second son. Then three years later I had a puppy, Buzz from her.

Julia made breeding seem pretty effortless. She always had lots of pets and is a very practical, down-to-earth person. The puppies were born, cared for and went off without a backward glance. Apart from the ones she kept, we rarely saw them again. Easy!

Doing it differently

When I started, the owner of the stud dog I used showed me there was a bit more to it. She showed her dogs and really cared about what she was producing. I started off by making sure I had all the relevant health tests done: hip score, eye tests and so on. These days there are LOTS of health tests available for Border Collies. Not that there are lots of health issues, just that we make sure we have really fit, athletic dogs.

Temperament is also crucial – ideally a breeder should be critically examining their dog and recognising whether there are traits that are desirable or ones that might make for problems later on. My dogs are calm, cuddly, people-loving and biddable. Perfect!

Heartache and Mistakes

My breeding journey has held plenty of heartache and more than a few mistakes. Choosing a suitable stud dog is extremely difficult and sometimes the dog you want to use is not available, or things don’t work out. That has sometimes led to litters I was not entirely happy with.

The biggest heartache came from losing Luna’s third litter – she carried to term but they were all dead. That was a very sad day.

The hardest part of breeding dogs is finding the ‘right’ homes for the puppies. The more puppies you breed the harder it gets. I have made mistakes in the homes I have let my puppies go to for sure. Fortunately for me, only two have been re-homed, one due to the health of the owner deteriorating – he went to a friend’s son and is living his best life.

The other one went to a young family initially, who just didn’t manage him very well. They gave up on him at 13 months, which I know is a classic sticking point for many dog owners. He went to live with a very good friend and her young family. My hero dog! He has been a successful therapy dog in a primary school and has done very well in agility.

A proud breeder

I love to know what happens to my dogs. Many have gone to friends – my best friend had a pup from Julia and then 5 from me! We are still such good friends. When the pups go on to do great things, it makes me very proud. But equally, when they go on to be great dogs and valued members of the family, that makes me equally proud.

It’s truly magical to have a reunion of the Dentbros Dogs and see them all gathered together. I get stressed organising it and I never get the chance to catch up with everyone properly. The owners get to talk to each other though and that is far more important – they can provide each other with so much support and that is invaluable.

Hopefully in the future I will have bred an Agility Champion – not something I will achieve personally, but there are some Dentbros Dogs doing fabulously well in agility.

Where now for me?

For now then, as my breeding journey ends, or is at least paused, I must enjoy my dogs. They are the best they can be, living their best life. It is likely that Quin will sire more litters and who knows? One of his daughters may find their forever home with me. For the time being though, I am done.

Border Collie stud dog — Quin – my stud dog

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Puppy Reunion 2024!

October 6, 2024 Dentbros 2 Comments

Dentbros Dogs get together for puppy reunion!

It’s so lovely to see my puppies once they are grown up. It brings me so much joy, seeing my puppies with their families and hearing about all their adventures together. I have managed to arranged a few get togethers in the past and today we had a puppy reunion once again. 25 dogs bred by me, plus a few extras, gathered today in Heath and Reach.

Dentbros Dogs puppy reunion 2024 — What’s the collective noun for a group of Border Collies?

I’m astounded that so many owners are prepared to travel such long distances for a puppy reunion! Cornwall, East Sussex and Birmingham to name a few places they came from. Of course quite a few do live nearby too.

Getting to know you

My owners know each other, because each litter has its own WhatsApp group, where they can talk about all the problems you have with your puppies. They can share their experiences and let us know how they are doing.

It’s incredibly helpful, and has enabled some of the owners to become friends, even arranging their own meetups.

The next generations

It was very special today to see two of Quin’s puppies at the reuion. Lenny and Cassie are from Nala’s litter, sired by Quin. I am so pleased to be able to continue my lines in different ways and to support and mentor other breeders. Although both Nala’s and Winter’s owners have said they’re not doing it again – it’s very hard work!

The Punk Litter

The Punk Litter were the only complete litter at the puppy reunion today. They are two years old and looking gorgeous. Murmur absolutely LOVES having her photo taken and is looking very pretty, even though I do say so myself. That’s why she features so heavily on the calendar for next year.

It’s always so interesting to hear about how their characters are developing and what problems the owners have had. I can usually relate to the issues and have seen similar traits in my dogs. Murmur is a quiet girl, who can be demanding, especially for food. She can be reluctant to come back, if she thinks she knows the way.

Murmur looks extremely like her sister Vespa, from the Sunshine litter, (didn’t get a pic of them together) but Vespa is much smaller (didn’t get a pic of them together). Buzz and Murmur are also very alike.

Agility Dogs

I love all my puppies of course, but some are just a bit more special than others. Charlie, from the A to Z litter, is such a wonderful dog, thanks to Pippa’s loving care. He’s done really well in agility, just like his mum, Aura.

These next two pictures show Hollie and Amber with their agility wonder dogs – Pixie, Ounce’s sister and Mowgli, from the Sweetie Litter. They have both qualified to run at Crufts next year in the YKC ring, which will be amazing. Makes me so proud!

I should also mention Pixie no 1, Busy’s sister, who is also in grade 7, thanks to Helen’s efforts, unlike her sister, who has barely ever gone clear! Finn and Miri are also doing brilliantly, from the Lovely litter.

Chatting and mingling at the puppy reunion

It’s hard to know how best to organise an event like this. The dogs all find it pretty intense, so it’s quite likely some disagreements will happen! Actually, at this puppy reunion they were all pretty well behaved – I don’t think any blood was spilled on this occasion.

I did supply a few cakes, and of course I had my charity calendars and Charity Advent Jigsaws, selling to raise money for Canine Concern.

Lots of people did go for a walk and spent time catching up with each other.

Group photos?

Inevitably, we have to try and get a group photo and inevitably, it is almost impossible to do. Particularly since one family left before the last family arrived!

Border Collies are pretty easy to get photos with though as they do pay attention and will at least usually stay with their owners. Unfortunately, my five knew that I was the one taking the picture! Hilarious.

Overally though, it really makes my heart sing, seeing so many beautiful, healthy, happy dogs, as a result of my efforts. Big thanks as always to Chris, for his neverending support.

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Training or managing dog behaviour

July 21, 2024 Dentbros Leave a comment

Should you be training or managing your dog?

Elsewhere on this website I have talked about the fact that Quin barks at other dogs. I find it really annoying and difficult to manage. So what do I do about it? Do I settle for that behaviour? Let’s think about training or managing these problem behaviours.

Border Collie training or managing — reactive dog

Barking at other dogs is described as reactivity. People are very scared if they have a reactive dog. They panic about meeting a reactive dog. No-one wants their dog to become reactive. Oh no! What should we do?

What does managing look like?

If you choose to ‘manage’ your dog’s reactivity, you might start by getting a yellow lead, or a jacket that says ‘Nervous dog‘. You will of course keep your dog on lead for all walks, unless you have hired a private field that is completely secure.

All your walks will be spent nervously watching out for other dogs. You prepare to grab your dog, step away from the path, glare at the other dog owner. If the other dog approaches you, you might get ready to shout at it, putting your dog behind you, or picking it up.

Quality walks

It doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? Some people think that is part and parcel of dog ownership. It isn’t. Honestly, it doesn’t have to be like that. Dogs should be able to run around, sniffing and wandering at their own pace. You should be able to walk calmly and at your own pace, enjoying the countryside, watching the seasons changing and listening to the birdsong.

Doing this might take a bit of work though. You’ll have to start by paying attention to your dog. Secure your recall. Motivate him to come back quickly and often.

Training takes time

As I’ve been saying from the start, training is an ongoing process. Does Luna no longer get treats because she’s 12 years old? No of course not! She gets treats for being my best, beautiful Boo. Always. Well not quite always, she’s diabetic after all.

You need patience and persistence to train a dog. It is not always straightforward, but it is worth it.

With Quin’s problem, I know that part of the reason he reacts to other dogs is because he is a bit worried by them. So I call him back to me and reward him for staying calm and not fussing at the other dog. I keep going, he keeps getting better. Equally, I know to pay attention to the other dogs and look out for those who have been really frightened in the past and may therefor react more aggressively towards him.

Generally though, when dogs meet other dogs they want to keep it simple and not react. Ideally, they want to say hello nicely.

The rewards of training or managing

One of the rewards of training for me is walking past people who said ‘What beautifully behaved dogs’. People do notice when your dogs are good. They appreciate not being knocked over by a rabble when they come in the house (I haven’t stopped Aura squeaking though!) Overall, when thinking about training or managing, training wins for me (and my dogs).

Eventually, you can take nice family photos of your dogs. When your puppy owners come around you can show off your waits and individual recall by name. Most of all though, you can relax and enjoy your dogs!

Whatever you do, keep practising, keep rewarding and keep engaging with your puppy!

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A Year With Your Puppy

2 Years With My Puppy

June 26, 2023 Dentbros Leave a comment

The first 2 years – my puppy is grown up!

It’s been 2 years since I realised I had to keep Quin – one of my better decisions, I must say. He has been a dream dog in so many ways, such a cuddle monster. Quin recently went to stay with a friend and they absolutely adored him! The grandchildren LOVED playing with him and he was generally the perfect house guest.

One of my puppy owners asked me a while ago when their puppy would stop being such hard work? When they’re two, I said. Well I was right with Quin. His biggest challenge over the past year has been his reactivity to other dogs. He has been so fearful! He barks at the TV when there are suspicious things on screen, such as dogs, or horses, or birds, or men in dark clothing (acting suspiciously)! So it’s not that surprising that if we come round a corner and he sees a dog, that he barks in surprise.

Perfect recall

Luckily for me, Quin has perfect recall. Well I say ‘luckily’ but of course it’s not luck. It’s down to the countless hours of practice we have put in, since the start of his journey with us. If you look through the Contents of the ‘A Year With Your Puppy’ book I’ve written, you will see two separate chapters on recall and it is discussed in the very first chapter. That’s because it is SO important to get it right.

Unlike Fenton, Quin comes back to me straight away, even when he is down a hill and across a field, chasing a deer! This means that he also comes straight back when he is barking at a dog. I can’t always stop him running up to a strange dog if he ‘gets his eye’ on them. But he will then turn around and come back to me.

Reaching maturity

After 2 years of living with us, Quin is now a fully mature dog. That means that he is pretty settled in his temperament and behaviour. It doesn’t mean he is SET in his behaviour though! He is still able to keep on learning and changing. He still has the capacity to learn new activities.

It does mean that he is generally calmer and more settled though. Less inclined to over-react. When we see other dogs, I pop him on lead and he walks calmly past them, without even bothering to look. On the whole. A cuckoo on the telly might still freak him out though!

Stud dog

I am very proud to announce that Quin has already sired two litters. These are two Kennel club registered, pedigree Border Collies. Having a stud dog is a big responsibility, one which I take very seriously. Of course he has had every health test available to us, so that we can minimise the health risks he might pass on. I also check the details of the bitch he is covering, to make sure they are who they say they are.

When someone comes to me to use him for stud, they are trusting me to provide the best dog I can. I make sure they have copies of all his paperwork, so that they can give this to their puppy owners.

Mentoring

New breeders have so much to learn! When I started my breeding journey I was lucky enough to have watched my mum and learnt from her. I was also mentored by the owner of the first stud dog I used. I have learnt more from all the other breeders I have ‘worked’ with subsequently. When you love your dogs, you are happy to share your experiences with others.

I hope that Quin will go on to sire more litters in the future. For now I am so happy with the first 2 years of this boy’s life. He is a joy to live with and we love him to bits. Our boy.

Be realistic?

2 years might sound like a long time, and in a dog’s life, it can be. Dogs only live for 12 years altogether after all. But it flies by and of course there are big chunks of time when your dog is lovely – just how you imagined he would be. Try to be patient about the other stuff? Be realistic about managing it? Keep working on it and practising? Talk to people around you and enlist their support?

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A Year With Your Puppy, Dog Breeding

6 Dogs? Surely not!

May 4, 2023 Dentbros 3 Comments

Living with 6 dogs – the challenge and the joy

I didn’t plan to have six dogs, but I did plan to keep the puppies I kept, so then I found myself with six dogs, in April 2022. I kept Murmur, from the Punk litter, planning to breed from her in the future. Well why wouldn’t I, she is pretty special. I had found myself keeping Quin the year before, because I have wanted to have my own stud dog and having one live with a friend had not gone according to plan.

Normally, you would expect to reduce your number before adding to it, but Luna far outlived my expectations, reaching over 13 years old. She became diabetic at the age of eight, complicated by gestational diabetes during her third litter’s pregnancy. She lost that litter, which was very hard. Luna then became ill and needed insulin injections, twice a day, plus a special diet and additional care.

Breeding plans

When I started breeding, in January 2010, I imagined I would keep one puppy from each generation. It makes me laugh to think back to that plan, because I kept two from Sunny’s litters (Luna and Busy), then Aura as the next generation. Then I couldn’t carry on breeding from Aura, so I kept Ounce. Then I needed a boy, so kept Quin. Finally, (for now!) I’ve kept Murmur, from my third generation of puppies.

What I hadn’t really thought about, was that keeping dogs from your litters means you end up with lots of dogs! And once they’ve had up to four litters (no more than 3 in my case), they are ‘retired’ from breeding, but still have up to ten years of life left in them! Responsible breeding is a lifelong commitment, with a huge cost.

Old dogs, young dogs

The biggest problem with having six dogs is that they need a lot of individual care. They have different needs, as some are old, some are young and some are more demanding than others (Ounce!) So you are constantly thinking about them individually.

Different aged dogs need different food. They have different levels of activity, so although you might take them all on the same walk, the older dogs need careful watching and going at their own pace. The puppies need training and work on their recall. And in Quin’s case, management of his fear around other dogs. He barks and runs at other dogs, so needs to be recalled and popped back on lead.

Individual time

Ideally, I would spend some time with each dog, albeit only an hour or two a week. I take Busy into school for her fabulous work with the children, supported by the wonderful charity Canine Concern. Quin and Murmur have both been assessed and are able to go into school as well. We sometimes have a Double Dog Day! The pups are both wonderful with the children, but Busy is the best – so calm and gentle.

I also take the dogs to training, primarily because it is a brilliant way to really focus on that particular dog. Aura has been my number 1 agility dog, closely followed by Busy. They both really love it and I have enjoyed doing it with them. Sadly though, I have chronic arthritis in my knee, meaning I am currently not mobile enough to continue with this. Fingers crossed for a new knee this year!

Scentwork

I chose to take Ounce away from agility in October 2021 and start my scentwork journey with her. I thought it would give us a different focus, but I have been amazed with how much I have enjoyed it! Largely thanks to a great trainer – Emma at Beancroft has made it a positive experience and we are already preparing to compete at Level 6 with Scentwork UK.

I started Murmur at scentwork last October and although she is very different from her mum, Ounce, she is started to get going. Hopefully we will be competing in trials shortly.

The boy’s training

Ah Quin, my gorgeous boy. He has done some hoopers with Chris, which he was really good at, but we found a bit boring. I have taken him to a number of tricks workshops, which were great fun. And we have had a few agility lessons, where he was fantastic, mostly down to having done the foundation work in hoopers. Unfortunately that’s now on hold, as above.

I have considered trying my hand at showing him, with his wonky ear. I’m not sure I can stand the judgement though, or the excessive grooming required. He is still so wary of other dogs, so I’m not sure if it would ‘kill or cure’ him. Maybe some formal obedience…

Time needed with 6 dogs

It all takes time. Training six dogs is no mean task. Not to mention the cost of it all. I accidentally took on a very large responsibility last year, which together with a change in personal circumstances has sucked up so much of my time.

Time is needed for their care though. 6 dogs make lots of mess. They have lots of hair and poo! And muddy footprints. Lots of beds to wash and toys to buy and throw away. Sacks of food to buy. Vet visits to go to.

Would I recommend having 6 dogs?

Honestly? Not really. I knew it would be a lot of work and it was. Now, I’m back down to five, because we lost our beautiful Luna on 17th April. I had said to Chris that we should enjoy her while we could, because it wouldn’t be forever. We really did. And we really miss her.

Sometimes you just have to do it. No regrets, because after all, life is always better with dogs.