# Border Collie/German Shepherd Mix?



## JustMeLeslie

I am wondering if anyone on this board has any experience w/ this type of mix of dog. I don't have any experience with a collie. Is this a good mix of dog? Are they incredibly energetic you know having both the GSD and collie in them? 

I know I shouldn't be looking at her, but I just stumbled across her on petfinder so that's why I am asking first. I know I should wait until Jamie is older, but nothing is definate. I am just inquiring about her. She is in a kill shelter is what scares me. She might have recently been spayed the worker wasn't for sure when she emailed me. I would imagine if she was recently spayed then she certainly isn't in any danger of be EU'd right?
I read the kill statistics on their site and it disturbed me deeply. 

So any opinions on this? Any experience with this mix of dog? Any help would be appreciated! I didn't know where to put this so I hope it is ok here. Thanks.


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## Emoore

That's gonna be a smart, drivey, high energy dog.


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## JustMeLeslie

Emoore said:


> That's gonna be a smart, drivey, high energy dog.


 
That's what I am afraid of. I don't want to get in over my head. Victor was a high energy type and no matter how much I walked, played or exercised him it was never enough. Jamie is nothing like he was as far as the energy goes and believe me I am not complaining.


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## liv

I believe KZoppa's Riley is a BC/GSD mix...


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## JustMeLeslie

liv said:


> I believe KZoppa's Riley is a BC/GSD mix...


Yes, I know Riley is BC/GSD mix, but she wasn't on tonight so I thought I would run it by everyone else. I will email her about it tonight as well. Thanks.


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## DCluver33

I don't have experience with a BC/GSD mix, but I did have a pure bred BC and I currently have a BC/Aussie mix.


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## KZoppa

Leslie, i JUST saw this thread. Riley is GSD/BC mix. He's 6 years old now and still bouncy and wants to play and have a good time. he's smart though he doesnt want anyone to know that. He was a pretty easy puppy considering the breeds he's mixed with, except he took a liking to destroying very expensive shoes. He is pretty mellow in the house though he'll run around with his tennis ball acting like a nutcase sometimes. Even when he was younger he was pretty good and calm. He would start getting twitchy if we hadnt been to the dog park in a couple days because he just wanted to run. he always had pretty good recall which we never trained him on though we need to work on it now. He did have a desire to chase the cats which he still does every now and then though he's cranky about it. we adopted him with no real knowledge of energy and drives and such and he's turned into a pretty great dog. he's just reactive with certain breeds from a bad experience when he was younger. before that he never had an issue though. Riley can go until he drops (and he's tried a few times) but he's also perfectly fine (even when we brought him home at 5 months old) to just lounge around. He isnt a really high maintance dog like you might expect. He definitely has that intense focus of a border collie when he zeroes in on something and his stance is often that of a border collie and he is FAST. Give him the room and something to chase and he is like lightning. He personally is accident prone but he's more drama queen. his build is all GSD though. He's about 70 lbs. I know i'm leaving out more so let me know if you want to know anything further. He's an alert dog. He ALWAYS lets me know when someone is at the door or pulling into the driveway. He does sometimes bark at random things. he's a good dog. I think the GSD kinda mellows out the BC.

BTW, he is perfectly fine with the cats inside. Outside they're fair game. He knows what he's allowed to do and whats not allowed. he just gets cranky when Shasta has been bugging him or faith wont stop rubbing on his nose.


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## JustMeLeslie

KZoppa said:


> Leslie, i JUST saw this thread. Riley is GSD/BC mix. He's 6 years old now and still bouncy and wants to play and have a good time. he's smart though he doesnt want anyone to know that. He was a pretty easy puppy considering the breeds he's mixed with, except he took a liking to destroying very expensive shoes. He is pretty mellow in the house though he'll run around with his tennis ball acting like a nutcase sometimes. Even when he was younger he was pretty good and calm. He would start getting twitchy if we hadnt been to the dog park in a couple days because he just wanted to run. he always had pretty good recall which we never trained him on though we need to work on it now. He did have a desire to chase the cats which he still does every now and then though he's cranky about it. we adopted him with no real knowledge of energy and drives and such and he's turned into a pretty great dog. he's just reactive with certain breeds from a bad experience when he was younger. before that he never had an issue though. Riley can go until he drops (and he's tried a few times) but he's also perfectly fine (even when we brought him home at 5 months old) to just lounge around. He isnt a really high maintance dog like you might expect. He definitely has that intense focus of a border collie when he zeroes in on something and his stance is often that of a border collie and he is FAST. Give him the room and something to chase and he is like lightning. He personally is accident prone but he's more drama queen. his build is all GSD though. He's about 70 lbs. I know i'm leaving out more so let me know if you want to know anything further. He's an alert dog. He ALWAYS lets me know when someone is at the door or pulling into the driveway. He does sometimes bark at random things. he's a good dog. I think the GSD kinda mellows out the BC.


 
Thanks Krystal. I was just going to email you. 
I am just so worried b/c of the energy drive. Victor was so demanding and extremely high energy nothing I ever did was enough for him. I would exercise him heavily and it would not matter. With her being BC and GSD that is what I am so worried about. I emailed the shelter back and asked some more questions about her. 

Also she is bobtailed. When I looked up BCs all the ones I found where tailed. Is it possible she is an Aussie then? Do BCs come with no tails?


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## JustMeLeslie

DCluver33 said:


> I don't have experience with a BC/GSD mix, but I did have a pure bred BC and I currently have a BC/Aussie mix.


 
extremely energetic? I mean Victor was of Czech/American&German showlines and nothing I ever did as far as exercise was ever enough so that is what I worry about. I could exhaust him out and 10 mins. later he was ready for more and he was extremely needy. I am just trying to find out some general characteristics of the BC. 

Thanks, Steph. I appreciate it.


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> Thanks Krystal. I was just going to email you.
> I am just so worried b/c of the energy drive. Victor was so demanding and extremely high energy nothing I ever did was enough for him. I would exercise him heavily and it would not matter. With her being BC and GSD that is what I am so worried about. I emailed the shelter back and asked some more questions about her.
> 
> Also she is bobtailed. When I looked up BCs all the ones I found where tailed. Is it possible she is an Aussie then? Do BCs come with no tails?


 
Borders are usually born with tails buts its been known to happen that they're born with bobbed. The same with aussies. There is also the possibility previous owners had her tail bobbed or she injured it and it needed to be bobbed. My uncle has a BC named Gracie. She's just over a year old now and has all the classic traits of a BC. My uncle is handicapped and he is able to satisfy her exercise needs. I think you could handle it. All the BC/GSD mixes i've been around have been great dogs. Smart and fun and love their people. Geramy got home from Iraq after a 10 month deployment in 2009 and Riley was SO excited to see him, his dinner came back up twice and he ate it each time before we could stop him. Riley was glued to Geramy's side for weeks after he got home. They're good dogs. Its worth a shot IMO. You're already used to the physical and mental needs for exercise. Same thing. Riley is a big boy, like i said with the GSD build. My uncles BC Gracie at last weight i knew of was about 45lbs and she's not getting any bigger.


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## angelas

I had Lucky for almost 11 years, and while I love her and think she was an awesome dog she had issues. Add in that BCXGSD seems to be the indigenous designer breed of this area.

Drivey - yes, Lucky would retrieve a frisbee from anywhere, any time, for HOURS!! (record was 8 hrs with a 15 min lunch break for the kid throwing it)
Energetic - YES - see above
Problem Solvers- YES!!! - mine figured out what the SHADOW of her frisbee was from the inside the tent trailer when we had hidden it on top of one of the canvas sections; she figured out a way to the top of the fridge by the time she was 6 months old
Eager to Please - it depends.... I could teach Lucky almost anything, others have no interest in working with people

Temperament varies greatly, but I the majority I have met are nervy, snap first questions later dogs of this mix. Not dogs I would allow around children or strangers. 

Overall, I would not consider getting another one.

As for tails, some BC are naturally bob tailed, and around here some farmers dock them (along with Aussie Cattle Dogs).


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## KZoppa

angelas said:


> I had Lucky for almost 11 years, and while I love her and think she was an awesome dog she had issues. Add in that BCXGSD seems to be the indigenous designer breed of this area.
> 
> Drivey - yes, Lucky would retrieve a frisbee from anywhere, any time, for HOURS!! (record was 8 hrs with a 15 min lunch break for the kid throwing it)
> Energetic - YES - see above
> Problem Solvers- YES!!! - mine figured out what the SHADOW of her frisbee was from the inside the tent trailer when we had hidden it on top of one of the canvas sections; she figured out a way to the top of the fridge by the time she was 6 months old
> Eager to Please - it depends.... I could teach Lucky almost anything, others have no interest in working with people
> 
> Temperament varies greatly, but I the majority I have met are nervy, snap first questions later dogs of this mix. Not dogs I would allow around children or strangers.
> 
> Overall, I would not consider getting another one.


 
wow i'm sorry you had such an experience. Riley is great around kids. he adores my kids and gets all body wiggles happy with the kids down the street. He's a barker at strangers who come to the house but he just wants to meet them and once he does, he's fine and wants attention. he's never bitten anyone, though i wouldnt put it past him of course because he is an animal. he loves people. I've not met any mixes like the one your describing behaviorally. He's very social.


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## JustMeLeslie

Thanks Krystal. Nothing is certain right now. I am just inquiring about at this point. I am just scared b/c I know I should wait until Jamie's older, but this shelter has on its homepage some very scary kill tolls. 

I don't know if this is just to scare people into spaying/neutering, but I am worried about her. The worker thinks she was spayed today, but isn't sure. I would think that if she were that this means she has more of a chance to make it out of the shelter alive.

Here is what they have for statistics: I hope it is ok to post this.




In the month of January 2011 the animal shelter took in 171 dogs, 
172 puppies, 77 cats, 20 kittens, that is 440 dogs and cats.

A total of 93 of these animals were adopted out.

24 pets were reclaimed and 24 pets went to rescue.
The unwanted 89 dogs, 110 puppies, 55 cats, and 8 kittens were euthanized.

In the year 2010 the animal shelter took in 2,031 dogs, 
2,048 puppies, 1,177 cats, 1,399 kittens, that is 6,655 dogs and cats.

A total of 768 of these animals were adopted out.
498 dogs, cats and livestock went to rescue
and 351 animals were reclaimed.
4,934 unwanted animals were euthanized.
Please spay or neuter your pet.


Please come visit often to find the pet you want.






See why I am scared for her. Look at those numbers. SCARY!


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> Thanks Krystal. Nothing is certain right now. I am just inquiring about at this point. I am just scared b/c I know I should wait until Jamie's older, but this shelter has on its homepage some very scary kill tolls.
> 
> I don't know if this is just to scare people into spaying/neutering, but I am worried about her. The worker thinks she was spayed today, but isn't sure. I would think that if she were that this means she has more of a chance to make it out of the shelter alive.
> 
> Here is what they have for statistics: I hope it is ok to post this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In the month of January 2011 the animal shelter took in 171 dogs,
> 172 puppies, 77 cats, 20 kittens, that is 440 dogs and cats.
> 
> A total of 93 of these animals were adopted out.
> 
> 24 pets were reclaimed and 24 pets went to rescue.
> The unwanted 89 dogs, 110 puppies, 55 cats, and 8 kittens were euthanized.
> 
> In the year 2010 the animal shelter took in 2,031 dogs,
> 2,048 puppies, 1,177 cats, 1,399 kittens, that is 6,655 dogs and cats.
> 
> A total of 768 of these animals were adopted out.
> 498 dogs, cats and livestock went to rescue
> and 351 animals were reclaimed.
> 4,934 unwanted animals were euthanized.
> Please spay or neuter your pet.
> 
> 
> Please come visit often to find the pet you want.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> See why I am scared for her. Look at those numbers. SCARY!


 
WOW! those are very scary numbers. I'll see if i can get a video of Riley and Shasta racing around the yard tomorrow and post it. He gets pretty silly sometimes.


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## JustMeLeslie

angelas said:


> I had Lucky for almost 11 years, and while I love her and think she was an awesome dog she had issues. Add in that BCXGSD seems to be the indigenous designer breed of this area.
> 
> Drivey - yes, Lucky would retrieve a frisbee from anywhere, any time, for HOURS!! (record was 8 hrs with a 15 min lunch break for the kid throwing it)
> Energetic - YES - see above
> Problem Solvers- YES!!! - mine figured out what the SHADOW of her frisbee was from the inside the tent trailer when we had hidden it on top of one of the canvas sections; she figured out a way to the top of the fridge by the time she was 6 months old
> Eager to Please - it depends.... I could teach Lucky almost anything, others have no interest in working with people
> 
> Temperament varies greatly, but I the majority I have met are nervy, snap first questions later dogs of this mix. Not dogs I would allow around children or strangers.
> 
> Overall, I would not consider getting another one.
> 
> As for tails, some BC are naturally bob tailed, and around here some farmers dock them (along with Aussie Cattle Dogs).


 
Thank you for your input. Bad or good experience with this breed mix is what I am looking for. Thanks.


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## KZoppa

Theres a BC mix down the street who is awful. he's kid aggressive and just generally a nasty tempered dog who is lucky he keeps his distance. He's animal aggressive. not sure what he's mixed with but he's is a horrible dog. He's actually the dog of that kid i posted about jumping in Shasta's face the other day. I guess it would be safe to say BC mixes vary greatly in temperment as does any mixed breed or BYB dog. BC mixes are the first mixes that have been pretty consistent in the ones i've met if that makes sense.


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## KZoppa

does the shelter do a trial period? like bring the dog back within a certain timeframe and get a refund on your adoption fee? I know some shelters do.


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## JustMeLeslie

KZoppa said:


> does the shelter do a trial period? like bring the dog back within a certain timeframe and get a refund on your adoption fee? I know some shelters do.


 
I am not sure. I will find out. I am certainly not going to rush into anything. Hopefully they do the shelter I got my mastiff mix from does. Granted this is a different shelter so I am not sure at this point. 

Another thing I am worried about is Jamie becoming obsessed w/ her like she was with Victor. I am so scared she will revert back to those same behaviors she had before w/ him so I am really uncertain about the whole situation. Jamie was only obsessed w/ Victor so I don't know how she would be w/ another large active dog. Lola is lazy so Jamie doesn't mess w/ her too much. Samson isn't an issue for Jamie b/c he isn't a real active dog either and he's little.


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> I am not sure. I will find out. I am certainly not going to rush into anything. Hopefully they do the shelter I got my mastiff mix from does. Granted this is a different shelter so I am not sure at this point.
> 
> Another thing I am worried about is Jamie becoming obsessed w/ her like she was with Victor. I am so scared she will revert back to those same behaviors she had before w/ him so I am really uncertain about the whole situation. Jamie was only obsessed w/ Victor so I don't know how she would be w/ another large active dog. Lola is lazy so Jamie doesn't mess w/ her too much. Samson isn't an issue for Jamie b/c he isn't a real active dog either and he's little.


 

hmm..... maybe it would be treated the same way as bringing a new puppy home where there is already an adult dog. keep the two seperated except for short periods during the day so they bond with you more strongly than each other for a few months? I think because of Victor's general attitude that may be why Jamie had an obsession? Jamie has had time with just you guys so its very possible she wouldnt be obsessed again if another larger dog came in. I could also be shooting ideas out at random. Who knows. Do you have the petfinder link you found the mix on?


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## JustMeLeslie

Petfinder Adoptable Dog | Border Collie | Lufkin, TX | Dixie

I hope I did it right. She is gorgeous. There is just something about her. I just stumbled across her and then I saw the shelter's stats.


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## KZoppa

she is beautiful! she looks like a longer coated Riley.... except for that slight flop in her ear and lack of tail lol. She definitely has the BC body type. I'd give it a try with her. You're feeling a connection with her through her pics and profile. Worst that would happen if you meet her is she wouldnt fit. Who knows? She looks like a happy girl for sure and she's young.


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## JustMeLeslie

I am going to call the shelter tommorow and see if I can get more details on her. I hope she isn't heartworm positive b/c she was kept outside and the shelter doesn't test for it until I pay for it. I live over an hour away from there. My hubby and I said we would never take in another dog that was positive, if she is I don't know what will happen. We have been through two dogs in the past dying from heartworms(they were alright heavy positive when we took them in)so they couldn't have the treatments at the time. Since then we vowed never to bring another one in that was positive so we'll see about that one. 

I hope the shelter does have a trial period that would be great. It would give us a chance to see if she is a good fit for us.


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> I am going to call the shelter tommorow and see if I can get more details on her. I hope she isn't heartworm positive b/c she was kept outside and the shelter doesn't test for it until I pay for it. I live over an hour away from there. My hubby and I said we would never take in another dog that was positive, if she is I don't know what will happen. We have been through two dogs in the past dying from heartworms(they were alright heavy positive when we took them in)so they couldn't have the treatments at the time. Since then we vowed never to bring another one in that was positive so we'll see about that one.
> 
> I hope the shelter does have a trial period that would be great. It would give us a chance to see if she is a good fit for us.


 
hope for her she isnt HW pos anyway. wouldnt be any good. I dont know if i could handle a HW Pos dog. I would probably be walking on egg shells until they were clear. And just keeping Shasta from jumping and doing too much on her joints i felt like a meanie. HW Pos dogs have to be kept calm and still for a LONG time. I would feel even more mean! lol. Let us know how it goes! I'd be interested in her if we could.


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## JustMeLeslie

KZoppa said:


> hope for her she isnt HW pos anyway. wouldnt be any good. I dont know if i could handle a HW Pos dog. I would probably be walking on egg shells until they were clear. And just keeping Shasta from jumping and doing too much on her joints i felt like a meanie. HW Pos dogs have to be kept calm and still for a LONG time. I would feel even more mean! lol. Let us know how it goes! I'd be interested in her if we could.


Oh, I know it is no picnic going through those treatments. We have had two in the past that went through them. It is extremely nerve racking b/c you have to keep them very calm and at any moment if a giant cluster breaks away in their heart they could die. You have to keep them on blood thinners too so the chances of a cluster is reduced. It's not an easy process, but both of the girls who went through it lived to be over 10 yrs. old so it was worth it. Otherwise we would have lost them at a way earlier age. 

Well, I am going to bed. I will call about her in the morning. I will update when I find out more.


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## Good_Karma

I have a BC/GSD mix. She's a challenge, very independent and wants to do her own thing. But at the same time she's extremely affectionate!!!! Easily exciteable, very easy to read her moods, a bit shy, a bit fearful, very smart, and settles easily in the house. She still gets the zoomies  outside. She has bad hips and elbows. 

All in all, she's a wonderful dog and fits perfectly into our lives. But I don't think you can take one or two people's experiences with this mix and generalize it to all. You'd have to meet this dog to know anything about her. She's a beauty though.


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## gsdraven

You should also consider the dynamics of having two females that are around the same age and if they will get a long at maturity.


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## DCluver33

JustMeLeslie said:


> extremely energetic? I mean Victor was of Czech/American&German showlines and nothing I ever did as far as exercise was ever enough so that is what I worry about. I could exhaust him out and 10 mins. later he was ready for more and he was extremely needy. I am just trying to find out some general characteristics of the BC.
> 
> Thanks, Steph. I appreciate it.


for my BC he was actually really mellow and calm even when he was younger. he had his moments where he would race around if he hadn't been out in a couple days. he'd herd us kids when we where outside if we were moving. you just have to watch for nipping ( chopper never nipped us, but it can happen that's how they get the sheep to move if the staring doesn't work). we lucked out and had an unusually calm BC. he was smart as a whip though, I never taught him anything and he just did it. if I was older and he was younger I would have gotten him in to herding or agility. BC's will destroy your house if they're bored, so you'll need to drain energy but unlike GSDs they have a limit and will be tired for the rest of the day (generally). if you bike with them even better let's them get energy out, they will chase anything that moves because they like to herd that can be trained, we eventually trained chopper to not herd us anymore when we ran.

as for my BC/Aussie mix she was really fat so I can't tell you how she would have been when she was younger, but now that she's no longer morbidly obese she has energy, but not a lot,she's extremely smart, but doesn't want you to know it so she acts dumb. she has really bad anxiety ( but I'm almost positive this was from my grandma and not her normal personality). you just need to fine them somehing to do get them in to herding or availity or flyball.

a note on Austrailian Shepherds some are actually born with tails and then docked I know a pure bred show Aussie and it has a tail ( he isn't showed but he's from a really well k own show dog but for the life of menu can't remember his sires name) I didn't believe it was a pure Aussie even though it looked like an Aussie I was sure it had BC in it, so I looked it up and boy was I wrong some are born with tails and some aren't.


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## Jax08

According to the people that dumped Jax at the shelter, she is a BC/GSD mix. High energy, low impulse control, sweet, smart, high prey drive.

Personally, if you have a mix of two dogs then you'll just have to wait and see what traits are inherited from each side. There isn't going to be a record of consistency to tell you what should probably be produced.


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## DCluver33

I should mention BC's are supposed to have tails that's how you can elk the difference between a border and an Aussie, well except body size and build and temperament. but as Krystal already stated some are born without tails or are docked ( imo I don't think their tails should be docked then look more like an Aussie and not what they're supposed to look like). BC's can become aggressive, just like any dog, with nothing to do. I lucked out and had an extremely well behaved, kid friendly BC. he was truly my heart dog would follow me around everywhere, like Dodger does now lol.


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## LaRen616

Leslie,

I know your heart is in the right place. I know you want to save this girl. I think that is wonderful of you, but are you sure that you are ready to bring in another dog? You just asked our opinion a little over a week ago if it was the right time for you to get another dog and most of us said you should wait and it seemed like you agreed with us. Now, I know that this is your decision and not mine or anyone elses but I just want you to make the right decision and I want you to be happy and not go through another experience like you did with Victor. You said Jamie Lee was very bonded to Victor, I took that as she wasn't as close to you as she was to Victor and I view that as a problem. It is very important that they are bonded to you and choose you over another dog. If you are having worries that she might do this to you again when you get another dog then I think you should wait to bring in another dog and focus your attention on bonding and training Jamie Lee. She is still a puppy and she still deserves your full attention until she is more mature and perfect in her training. 

I also completely agree with Jamie and think that it could possibly become a bad situation bringing in another female so closely in age with Jamie Lee. Are you prepared to keep them seperated and rotate them for the rest of their lives if a fight breaks out?

I really think you need to slow down, take a step back and make absolute sure that you are ready to bring in another dog and I want you to think about wether or not you think it is fair to Jamie Lee to bring in another dog when she is still a puppy.

This is not meant to be rude or hurtful. I like you and I think you are a good person and I only want what's best for you and Jamie Lee. I do not want to see you hurt again. :hugs:


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## JustMeLeslie

Thank you everyone for your responses. I appreciate it.


Lauren, you are not being rude. I know you are stating the facts. I asked at the beginning of this month about adding another dog, I know. Like I said before I just stumbled upon her. I was actually looking at a small breed dog when I saw her and then I saw the kill stats at that shelter. I know I don't really need to be looking for even a small breed dog either. I just can't help it. I know I need to stay off of petfinder. It is a good thing I do live so far away from the shelter. I was just wondering about this mix of breed. I have emailed back and forth about her. The shelter has been really helpful. The last email stated she would be great for kids and she is very social so I don't think it would be fair to her to bring her into the country all isolated. We do have guests/company, but not often enough. We really live a quiet, country life. I just don't know about that. 

Also, I know it is not fair to Jamie and yes, I am extremely terrified she will become obsessed like she was with Victor. Jamie is now bonded w/ us. I just can't shake this need for another dog especially a small breed. I just stumbled upon this girl when I was on there looking at a rat terrier. No, I am not impulsive I tend to overthink everything I do. I am not one to buy a new puppy b/c it's cute. I like puppies just as much as the next person, but I am actually one of those people that can resist actually bringing one home. The last impulsive thing(extremely rare for me) I did was for my hubby and that was getting Victor. Victor came into our lives for a reason I believe. I am grateful for the knowledge I earned b/c of him.


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## gsdraven

Leslie, Have you considered fostering for an all breed rescue to help satisfy that need? You would get to have another dog temporarily and help them get out of the shelters at the same time. You will also have the option of giving them back or stopping if Jamie isn't responding well to another dog. 

Just something to think about.


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## LaRen616

I am happy that you didn't find my post rude because that was not my intent at all. I'm glad that it didn't upset you. ​


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## LaRen616

gsdraven said:


> Leslie, Have you considered fostering for an all breed rescue to help satisfy that need? You would get to have another dog temporarily and help them get out of the shelters at the same time. You will also have the option of giving them back or stopping if Jamie isn't responding well to another dog.
> 
> Just something to think about.


This is a great idea!

Leslie, I think you would make a wonderful foster mom!


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## JustMeLeslie

gsdraven said:


> Leslie, Have you considered fostering for an all breed rescue to help satisfy that need? You would get to have another dog temporarily and help them get out of the shelters at the same time. You will also have the option of giving them back or stopping if Jamie isn't responding well to another dog.
> 
> Just something to think about.


I sure have thought about it. I am just so unsure about it though. I have a friend that fosters and she has been trying to get us to. I have never fostered before. I am worried I will be a foster failure is my main thing. When I have bonded with an animal and I know they are meant to part of our family I don't know if I can let him/her go. Does a rescue allow you to adopt if you absolutely love and bond w/ that dog?


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## gsdraven

JustMeLeslie said:


> Does a rescue allow you to adopt if you absolutely love and bond w/ that dog?


Most do. A lot of people adopt their fosters (especially the first time). Kaiser was my foster that I adopted but I had several fosters before him. I really wanted to keep my first one but I refused to "fail" my first time out. Foster "failure" is a joke in the rescue community referring to keeping your foster and not adopting them out. There were others that I would have kept but reminded myself that by sending them to a good home, I was able to help another dog. It's tough giving them up the first time but it get easier especially when you remember how many more dogs you can save by letting them go.

It's important to research the rescue you volunteer for to make sure their policies work for you though. Think about it, talk to local rescues and their fosters and then do some soul searching before deciding if it is right for you.


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## LaRen616

JustMeLeslie said:


> I sure have thought about it. I am just so unsure about it though. I have a friend that fosters and she has been trying to get us to. I have never fostered before. I am worried I will be a foster failure is my main thing. When I have bonded with an animal and I know they are meant to part of our family I don't know if I can let him/her go. Does a rescue allow you to adopt if you absolutely love and bond w/ that dog?


Try not to be a foster failure the first time you foster unless you absolutely feel that you love that dog and cannot picture life without it. If you feel that you will regret it later on in life if you dont keep him/her then adopt him/her, but just remember that you are saving lives by fostering and if you keep one you wont be able to foster again for a while.

Jamie is definitly the one you want to talk to. She is a great foster mom and she can give you alot of great advice!


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## JustMeLeslie

Thanks you two. You have been very helpful. 

Jamie thanks for the tips on fostering. It is something I will look into. So the next step would be for me to research the rescues and their policies right?


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## gsdraven

JustMeLeslie said:


> So the next step would be for me to research the rescues and their policies right?


Absolutely!

I would read through this thread too. 
http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...how-distinguish-reputable-rescues-others.html


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## Jake71

My parents have had 5 border collies and they were awesome dogs.

Very high on energy, very high on the need to be laying in your lap and have the belly rubbed.

Super smart too.


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## JustMeLeslie

Jake71 said:


> My parents have had 5 border collies and they were awesome dogs.
> 
> Very high on energy, very high on the need to be laying in your lap and have the belly rubbed.
> 
> Super smart too.


 
Thanks for your input. It is always nice to learn about breeds even if I won't be getting her. I can just imagine the smarts on a mix like this. I think it would be too much for me though. I need to stay off of petfinder gets me in trouble everytime.


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> Thanks for your input. It is always nice to learn about breeds even if I won't be getting her. I can just imagine the smarts on a mix like this. I think it would be too much for me though. I need to stay off of petfinder gets me in trouble everytime.


 
lol petfinder causes trouble for everyone. I have to remind myself to stay off of there!


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## JustMeLeslie

KZoppa said:


> lol petfinder causes trouble for everyone. I have to remind myself to stay off of there!


 
I am not going on there anymore. I want to rescue all of them. 


I was watching Jamie running around today doing her zoomies and it just dawned on me. I need to focus just on her. It isn't fair to her to bring another in whether adopted or fostered. She deserves a puppyhood. My husband and I always said that we wished we could have given Victor a different puppyhood instead of being crated all the time with his previous owners. We believe things would have turned out different for him. Why in the world would I jeopardize Jamie's happiness just because I want a dog? I saw her running so happy and I decided right there she is the #1 priority.


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## KZoppa

JustMeLeslie said:


> I am not going on there anymore. I want to rescue all of them.
> 
> 
> I was watching Jamie running around today doing her zoomies and it just dawned on me. I need to focus just on her. It isn't fair to her to bring another in whether adopted or fostered. She deserves a puppyhood. My husband and I always said that we wished we could have given Victor a different puppyhood instead of being crated all the time with his previous owners. We believe things would have turned out different for him. Why in the world would I jeopardize Jamie's happiness just because I want a dog? I saw her running so happy and I decided right there she is the #1 priority.


 
:thumbup:


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## LaRen616

JustMeLeslie said:


> I am not going on there anymore. I want to rescue all of them.
> 
> 
> I was watching Jamie running around today doing her zoomies and it just dawned on me. I need to focus just on her. It isn't fair to her to bring another in whether adopted or fostered. She deserves a puppyhood. My husband and I always said that we wished we could have given Victor a different puppyhood instead of being crated all the time with his previous owners. We believe things would have turned out different for him. Why in the world would I jeopardize Jamie's happiness just because I want a dog? I saw her running so happy and I decided right there she is the #1 priority.


:thumbup::thumbup:


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## gsdraven

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## MIZZOULAGRIZ

BEAR = The smartest most loyal most challenging dog I ever had the pleasure of knowing. When I was in 4th grade my english bulldog was "dog napped" on christmas eve and needless to say I was destroyed (side note still fresh in a 40 year olds mind). To help me through this my mother took me to a friends home where her pure bred border collie had just had pups from a pure bred border collie pop. Promised a smaller nice dog, I sat down and Bear came over and that was it. 9 months later my parents were back asking about our 80lbs border collie pup and found that 2 other pups had the same issue as it turned out the neighbors German got over the fence unnoticed at least once thank the heavens. We lived in a rural country place and prior to this with lots of dogs had been robbed 7 times, true break into the home and take everything robberies. After Bear never again, he became my best friend and to this day still is the smartest most affectionate and individual dag I have ever known. I can not say enough what a awesome breed this is. I have been blessed to never know life with out a canine, ausstralian shep/border collies, rottie/**** hound awesome dog, pugs, mastiffis, siberian husky, ****zue, chiua uia, ect. all have had wonderful lives and still do with the family but none touched my soul like Bear. He was not a dog but a friend that had that extra ability to understand me and every other person he ever met. So much smarter than the people he was around it wasnt even funny and more loyal and protective than a secret service agent. If you ever have the oppertunity to befriend this breed you will be a better person for having done so.


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