In July of 2001 I purchased my first Border Collie. Cruz came to me with only agility as our planned future. We had an immediate and intense bond. He was instantly my dog. I absolutely adored him, and from the get-go all Cruz wanted was to make me happy. He was as perfect as one could hope for as a first time Border Collie owner. He was full of drive, with an endless work ethic, yet had a very natural "on/off" switch. He was quick to learn, and because of his biddability, it was not in his typical nature to try and run the show. I was thrilled to have such an incredible dog, and we quickly became a solid agility team. Cruz is a perfectionist. He wants to be right, so he thinks during training. He is not reckless or unsensible. He was accurate, then a speed demon. He was never slow, rather sensibly cautious until he knew the skill 100%. He was a tough dog to run against during our short agility career. I have one short video clip of his weave poles. http://www.youtube.com/alinbcs In the summer of 2002 we sold our little place in Hampton and moved to 3 acres in rural Virginia. Like the move to Hampton, we were so happy with the increased freedom and privacy. Although still here, we're planning on moving back to the mid-west in approx. 7-9 years. Ben has 7 years left to military retirement, and our youngest son will graduate in 8 years. We plan to have 50-80 acres with sheep and cattle in northern WI or MN. When we moved out here I was so excited to have my full 100x100' agility space and enough equpiment to run full courses. I also loved having the space for the dogs to just hang out and be dogs! Of course knowing the boys were going to be raised in the country and go to small schools where the student body doesn't walk thru a metal detector each morning, was one of the biggest reasons for the move. We live on just 3 acres, but all of Southampton and surrounding counties are rural. We have neighbors on 2 sides, and the other 2 sides are 50+ acre fields. The same day we moved out here, I went to the airport to pick up my second Border Collie, Edge.
In 2003, when Cruz was 2 1/2 years old I decided to buy some runner ducks and try herding. I had never done any herding, and Cruz had only been to see stock once prior. When he was approx. 10 months old I took him one time. We never went back. Just like with agility and as a family companion, he was a star all on his own. It took him a few times in the round pen to notice the ducks. Mostly because all he was familiar with was me telling him when and where to go. Leaving my side to go do something his gut and brain were telling him to do, was completely foreign to him. He was incredibly talented, and even more patient. I did so many things wrong with him in the beginning, that it's simply a miracle he is what he is 5 years later!
For a couple years I attempted to do both agility and herding. For herding I had ducks and goats. Bottle fed, dairy wethers. Although not a complete disaster, it wasn't the best. I also did a lot of muttling alone before finding help. I learned quite a lot thru trial and error, but for Cruz's sake I wish I would have got help sooner. In Jan. 2004 I bought Toss and a pup named Ripple that I planned to do both agility and herding with. Ripple was replaced by the breeder with Deal after Ripple became unsound due to HD at only 8 months old. Both Deal and Toss were well started in agility, while Cruz and Edge continued to competively compete at the top level in 2005. During this time, herding and all that goes with it became my passion. I was training agility with the new dogs less and less and by the 2006 trial season, was about done running Cruz and Edge. Ben was on a short deployment during the summer in 2006. I sold all of my agility things and bought Ben and the boys a small boat. It was a step that I painfully pondered for a very long time. I really did enjoy agility, but it was just too hard to try and train properly for both, and affording two sports with multiple dogs was just not in the cards. In thinking of which I could be without, it surely wasn't herding!
With the help from good friends, wonderful mentors, generous instructors, a willing fence and barn building husband, and talented dogs, (and good sheep) Black Water Border Collies was born. I now own 7 adult Border Collies whom I've raised since puppyhood. All 7 are at various levels of stockwork, and only Edge is not a trial dog and doesn't have much training. I have 4 puppies from my own 2007 breedings. They were born in Nov. and Dec. 2007. I have 2 puppies from one cross. One female from another cross (I also have a near 2 yr old from the same cross) and a male from a 3rd cross.
Although this blog will probably be mostly about the dogs, it will also include things about the kids and just simply life.
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