Is your sheepdog smart? Are they athletic?
 The other day my sister and I were hanging out at her house. Lily and her Saint Bernard were playing, running in and out of the house. The front door closed and all the sudden my sister is like is someone here? someones breaking into the laundry room! All the sudden Lily jumps over a gate to the livingroom. (My sis has a 4ft gate that seperates the kitchen and living room. Her saint has a, I am at eye level to the counters, issue. lol) Lily had realized the front door was closed, didn't like being seperated from me, jumped the back fence, opened the back door, opened the laundry room door and jumped the gate to the kitchen. |
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What a clever girl!!!!  |
Sounds about right  My rescue dog has separation anxiety and has amazing houdini like skills as well.  Kristine |
 WOW!!! what a smartypants!!!!!   |
| What a smart puppy. You're lucky you get those questions. I invariably get these 3 questions about Mady: "Does she shed a lot?", "Is she hot?", "Does she eat a lot?". Funny how so many people think Mady must eat an enormous amount of food and that it must be the pricey bit about owning a sheepdog. Her food is a very modest expense, hardly notice it. (The other expenses like a car, air conditioning, several truckloads of toys were more noticeable...  ) |
Baba wrote: What a smart puppy. You're lucky you get those questions. I invariably get these 3 questions about Mady: "Does she shed a lot?", "Is she hot?", "Does she eat a lot?". Funny how so many people think Mady must eat an enormous amount of food and that it must be the pricey bit about owning a sheepdog. Her food is a very modest expense, hardly notice it. (The other expenses like a car, air conditioning, several truckloads of toys were more noticeable... )I get them real similar to David..... "Does he shed?", "is he hot?" (although not so much lately w/ the newest haircut), and the kicker..."was he expensive?"... really!?  |
| Yeah I get "was she expensive?" a lot too, and I never know what to answer to that question. I don't like advertising her cost willy-nilly. And really, the initial price of the dog ends up being a very small part of the overall expense of the dog (which is why people are SO foolish to go with a BYB/puppymill dog for $800 compared to a well-bred for $2000+ when the former might cost you $10000+ in vet bills not to mention the heartache!). Unless of course, you're this dog |
Baba wrote: (which is why people are SO foolish to go with a BYB/puppymill dog for $800 I don't disagree. Though, honestly? There are backyard bred dogs out there for up to $1500 - no health testing, nada. That also happens to be what most show breeders around here charge for their puppies last I checked . For that matter, there are dogs from show breeders that cost less, especially if they loved the home. So price isn't always a good indicator. I remember speaking about pricing with one localish well respected breeder when I ran into her at a specialty a couple of years ago. I pretty regularly refer people to her; and not because she's won the national specialty with her dogs multiple times - pet owners don't care about that - but as it happens, she has. She said that when she told people she charges $1500, roughly half the people are appalled by the exorbitant price, while the other half inform her that so-and-so is charging $2500 or whatever, and what is wrong with HER dogs???  And sorry for hijacking the thread l  It just happened to make me remember that conversation. It still makes me laugh.  Kristine |
| I avoid telling people what we paid for Mady, as I get tired of the responses I get. I think that Mady is priceless. What I paid for was her health testing, the testing and showing of her parents, the time and expertise of her breeder, and the lifetime of support that I got with her. Worth every penny. |
Mad Dog wrote: I don't disagree. Though, honestly? There are backyard bred dogs out there for up to $1500 - no health testing, nada. That also happens to be what most show breeders around here charge for their puppies last I checked . For that matter, there are dogs from show breeders that cost less, especially if they loved the home. So price isn't always a good indicator. KristineI was going to mention this issue. It seems here in Melb. BYB have figured out that a lot of people trust the old adage of "you get what you pay for", so they are charging as much or more than reputable breeders. And maybe mentioning some blather about taking the puppies to the vet for health testing, which I gather means the vet checked to make sure the puppy was breathing, had a pulse, the correct temperature and all its limbs were intact and in working order. Don't get me wrong this is a useful health screen but it is NOT health testing in breeding terms. The sad thing is, that many if not most of those who buy these puppies think that they are buying a puppy from a breeder who is doing the best they can for the breed. How do I know?? Because many years ago I was one of those people. I knew nothing about what a real breeder does in terms of health testing and selecting breeding stock and the puppy mill information was not out in the public domain. So I too fell for the "I'm a dog breeder" line. I was lucky and my dog was healthy. From assisting at puppy kinder at my obedience club I have met so many people just like I was. And I don't even bother to tell them the facts on puppy mills or BYB. They are not ready to hear it, they have their cute little puppy in their arms and they don't want any criticism of it or them and I can't say I blame them, getting a puppy is such a special time, who wants a Debbie downer ruining it. I wait and then start to dole out info bit by bit if they stay and do some proper dog training. Education by stealth I guess you'd call it. Those who stay on and train their dogs well are more interested in knowing this stuff anyway. |
got sheep wrote: Baba wrote: What a smart puppy. You're lucky you get those questions. I invariably get these 3 questions about Mady: "Does she shed a lot?", "Is she hot?", "Does she eat a lot?". Funny how so many people think Mady must eat an enormous amount of food and that it must be the pricey bit about owning a sheepdog. Her food is a very modest expense, hardly notice it. (The other expenses like a car, air conditioning, several truckloads of toys were more noticeable... )I get them real similar to David..... "Does he shed?", "is he hot?" (although not so much lately w/ the newest haircut), and the kicker..."was he expensive?"... really!? I get those questions too but not as often. The one I can't answer is was she expensive because Lily was a gift (she's priceless to me) but I do educate on the importance of finding a good breeder and all the issues the breed can have. For the most part Lily just lays there or sits at my feet when I take her out. I think it confuses people because she is a sheepdog. (are they athletic) Then they ask how old she is since she's so "obiedent". (they don't see her at home) Then they find out shes 8 months and comes the how smart are they, questions. |
Mady wrote: I avoid telling people what we paid for Mady, as I get tired of the responses I get. I think that Mady is priceless. What I paid for was her health testing, the testing and showing of her parents, the time and expertise of her breeder, and the lifetime of support that I got with her. Worth every penny. That is so true! I'm so happy I got Tedi from a breeder who wants to know how he is doing. And also the owner of his father is very interested in our life. And of course the health testing.. In my opinion no litters should be bred without health testing. But about the questions, many ask me "is it a bear?" or "OH MY GOD what a cutie! that's hard work, right?" espescially elderly women love him.. and I can hear it two blocks away but sheepies are so cute and in here they are so rare that 90% of people haven't seen sheepies before.. |
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