???Color or standard???

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Hey,
I was out today with my dog Chewy,she is a fullblood Border Collie Black and white....a standard right???Well she was standing in the sunlight when i noticed that some of her hair was redish brown!!! Is this normal Maybe some where along the line in her family there was a red if anyone knows anything about this please write......
thank you,
Kayla

[kobieeli]

Hi Kayla--
Is the reddish color sort of underneath Chewy's topcoat, like there's the black and then below it some red-black? If so, she's got a coat similar to my Australian Shepherd's. Eli is a purebred black tri Aussie with a jet black topcoat, but there's areas underneath that are a little reddish. His breeder said that in sunny climates the black undercoat turns a bit red, that it's totally normal. (She has a champion black Aussie who's quite red during summer!) No big deal, and nothing that would make Chewy any less of a purebred Border Collie, I'm sure!

[mugsy]

I believe that there are red borders out there that are pure, I would suggest going to the AKC's website and checking out the standards if it's important to you. Let us know what you find out if you look it up. Good luck. Also, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're planning on showing her, I personally prefer the mutts to the full breeds being that they are so much healthier.

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Hey,
I will check out the AKC site thanks......the redish color is on the top...chewy has papers that says she is AKC registerd and full blood....... and i am going to show her in agility......CHewy also has some other things about her that i havent really seen on any other Border Collies...Her left ear is always bent down and only comes up when somethings outside or she becomes alert..other than that its always down....i dont know if all border collies are like this but her hair is thinner than some border collies that i have seen most have thicker coats..i dont think it has any thing to do with the seasons because we got her during the winter and her coat was still thin could it be possable that some where aloong the line there was a thin haired red???during the winter when the sun would shine on her coat it was almost blue and still does this some time well i better go check out the site bye bye,
thanks,
Kayla

[mugsy]

Hmmm...interesting. No one else on here has ever heard of this, but someone who knows about dogs told me that you have to take AKC registry with a grain of salt and should know the breeder because there was an investigation some time ago (now mind you it's been awhile and they may have cleaned up their act) that people sent in information about their 2 legged kids, not furkids and the AKC did no investigating and registered human kids. Again, it's been awhile since I read and heard this so please don't panic, but I wanted to make you aware of what CAN happen, not necessarily what WILL happen. I don't know anything about the UKC so I can't speak for them.

I'd be interested to see what you find out so please let us know.

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Thank yall 4 the help Smart me had the AKC web site on favorites but its not there ne more.....does anyone have the site add???if sooo please send it to me...knowing me i deleted it the other day when i was takin stuff of my favorites well if any one has it please send it to me
Thanks again,
Kayla

[Karen]

http://www.akc.org/

[Dixieland Dancer]

I train with a lady who owns several (4) boarder collies and one of hers is reddish brown. Two of hers also have bent ears. From what she says you don't know if the ears will be up or down until the dog is about 8 months old. In my own dog, Dixie is very think in coat. Most Goldens have lots of undercoat where Dixie doesn't have any. That doesn't mean she is not purebred. It just means she is thin in coat. Some humans have thick hair while some have thin hair. It is all genetics related. I wanted thicker coat in my puppies so I bred her with a dog who had a lot of coat and I got a litter of puppies who all have nice thick hair (unlike their momma).

AKC registrations does not imply that your dog will be breed standard. In fact the majority of pure breds are NOT. In a good quality breeding, you are lucky if one makes the cut for the perfect breed standard for conformation. I kept Dusty from our litter because he showed the most promise. I will start to show him for Conformation when he is 18 months old. I did not want to get involved in the puppy classes since he is my conformation dog and I need to learn more about this aspect of showing first. Although I think he is very handsome, there is no guarentee that a judge will agree.

Most show people pray for that one that will be able to make it to breed champion. It is no different for humans. We all pray that our child will be something special to break the mold. The next Einstien or perhaps something out of the ordinary mold. Not too many humans are 100% breed perfect. In fact, just like dogs, most of us are not.

I personally know a guy who has 5 dogs and claims all of them as dependants on his federal tax return. He even has Social Security Numbers for them all. I guess we will all hear stories of inproprieties in different areas of life. While I do not agree with falsifying AKC registrations or dependants for tax purposes, I do realize that in a unperfect world, these things do and will occur. I do not think that makes the entire system corrupt. Only the people who cheat and lie are corrupt. To imply the entire AKC process is corrupt because of what some unethical person chooses to do is like saying the whole class cheats because someone in a classroom cheats for a better grade.

The bottom line is have fun in agility and enjoy your dog. Don't worry about her color or her thin coat. If she gets cold in the winter put a coat on her. Don't look at her short comings, rather look at her strengths. Love her and let her love you back unconditionally! She is yours and you are hers.

Please forgive me for getting on my soap box! I sometimes get carried away.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

So far we have not found that pure bred dogs are any unhealthier than mutts. We have had and loved both, but I think it's the lifestyle that makes a difference. What you feed them, regular visits to the Vet, making sure they get their shots, good grooming habits etc. etc.
I agree with Dixie, even though a dog is AKC does not mean they are automatically ready for the show ring. Most breeders check their litters and decide which puppy has potential for showing and which puppies are for people wanting a particular breed, but does not have the standard to be shown.
I think AKC does the best job they can and dishonest people are always around thinking up ways to get around the registration of pure bred dogs. AKC is the only way one can feel they are getting the dog that they feel is pure bred, I don't know any other alternative and it has been around for years.
Jackie

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Hey,
I tried replying yesterday and my comp froze up....i couldnt get into AKC site..o well ill try to find a BC site that might say something about the red BC,i always thought that there where only Black&White Border COllies...nope, but the red BC's are beautiful along with the Black&whites.....does any1 have a pic of a red??my dad has never seen 1 and i would like a pic of one to show him or a site that has a pic of one....thanks every1 for all of the help

Kayla

[kobieeli]

Hi Kayla--

I didn't know this, but BC's can be brown or even red in color! I was looking at the website www.bordercollie.org and followed the links to a page where the various colors are explained. No pictures, but I'm sure you could find one someplace. Read about the colors here: http://www.bordercollie.org/bcchar.html

Enjoy life with Chewy--BC's are way cool dogs!

[ChewmonkeyBC]

thanks for the sites i will check them out ttul tt4n

Kayla

[Rottie]

Directly from the AKC Border Collie breed standard:

"The Border Collie appears in many colors, with various combinations of patterns and markings. The most common color is black with or without the traditional white blaze, collar, stockings and tail tip, with or without tan points. However, a variety of primary body colors is permissible. The sole exception being all white. Solid color, bi-color, tri-color, merle and sable dogs are judged equally with dogs having traditional markings. Color and markings are always secondary to physical evaluation and gait. "

Even if they aren't supposed to be Red/White, it doesn't matter as long as you're not planning on showing her in conformation. It doesn't matter what they look like for them to compete in Obedience, Agility, Tracking, etc.

[ChewmonkeyBC]

hey,
thanks i am going to show Chewy in agility so this souldnt affect her....well i g2g ttul tt4n

Kayla