Picture taken from www.dailypuppy.com
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with another Border Collie newsletter!
It is always an exciting event to finally get to choose your Border Collie dog or Collie puppies.
In order to have the best possible start to the relationship, it is important to know what to look for in a healthy animal, and what signs may indicate that there is a health condition with the dog. You must know how a healthy border collie dog and puppies look like.
Since there are some differences between Border Collie dogs and Collie puppies, it is a good idea to be aware of the traits of a healthy Border Collie of any age.
So, let’s start shall we?
MATURE COLLIE DOGS
A mature, healthy Border Collie will have the following characteristics:
- Intense, inquisitive look about the face and eyes
- Immediate attention to any changes in the environment
- Mobile ears and eyes that turn towards sounds or movements very quickly
- A healthy, gleaming coat that shines
- A longer, rougher outer coat and soft and silky undercoat. There may be shedding depending on the time of year and the temperature. Shedding that is natural will be uniform across the body and will not just occur in one or two patches.
- Skin that is clean and healthy looking with dead skin cells or dry or irritated looking areas
- A soft, moist and supple nose and nostril area
- Clear bright eyes with no visible discharge
- Alert ears that are free from waxy deposits or bad odours
- Clean teeth that are not yellowed from tarter build-up
- A scissor bite that allows the teeth to be tightly matched to each other with the top jaw slightly overlapping the bottom
- No visible limping or favouring of either the front or back legs or paws
- Well developed and muscular legs
- Not over or underweight
- Overall positive and attentive demeanour and temperament without any signs of aggression or excessive shyness.
Remember that a working Border Collie dog may have some teeth that are chipped or missing, depending on their age and how much they have been used for herding.
In addition, the Border Collie breed is a bit reserved when meeting new people, so be prepared for the Border Collie to “check you out” before they decide to be friendly.
This is not a fault of the dog; rather it is a way for the dog to determine that you are a safe person before getting too close.
Be sure to inquire about the feeding habits and any possible history of health concerns. A mature Border Collie dog should have a vet check and vaccination record and this should be available to you upon request.
COLLIE PUPPIES
To choose healthy Border Collie pups look for the following traits and behaviours:
- Friendly and willing to be handled, especially by the breeder or owner
- Good relationship with littermates and the female, not hanging back all by itself or being overly aggressive towards the other Collie puppies.
- Eyes should be clear and bright looking with no discharge
- Ears should be free from wax or build up
- Teeth should be very white and not jagged or damaged but may be missing depending on the age of the puppy
- Collie Pups should not appear overly “pot-bellied” as this can be a sign of worm infections that usually mean poor living conditions and care
- Coat should be soft and somewhat wooly, not harsh or rough to the touch
- Nose should be moist but free from any kind of clear or mucous discharge.
Be sure to check the conditions of the kennel or whelping area, and ensure that the puppies have access to clean water and food, depending on their age.
The Collie puppies should have time to be outdoors or exercised in larger areas, and should not be confined continually to small areas.
One of the most important things to consider is the puppy’s temperament.
A healthy Border Collie puppy is naturally curious, but will react quickly by running away to loud or sudden noises.
This is perfectly normal, and Collie puppies that do not respond may have an ear infection or other hearing problem.
Healthy Collie puppies will already be started on a premium puppy kibble prior to being sold.
Be sure that you start the puppy on the same type of food at your home, and then gradually switch to the brand of your choice if you so desire.
Even healthy Collie puppies should be checked by your own vet within 72 hours of coming to your house, unless the breeder has done this for you.
If you currently have other pets, it is a wise decision to keep the puppy separate from your other Border Collie dogs until a full health check can be completed.
Be sure to have a guarantee of health from the Collie breeder, as well as certification that the puppy has been checked for hip problems, as well as the other genetic conditions that can be problematic.
That’s it for today!
I hope that you learned a lot from today’s Border Collie dog newsletter.
All the best and take care.
Warmly,
Sharda Baker