Farm Fresh Blog

Saturday, December 11 2010

This is for all the people who have an uncommon breed of dog, or a Border Collie that isn't black & white:

One of our Homicide Investigators saw a photo of Trace.

"That's my new puppy," I said.

He peeked at the camera phone. "Oh. It's a Springer."

"Actually, he's a Border Collie."

Pulling the photo closer to his face, he verified that Trace WAS a little brown and white dog. "Looks like a Springer cross," he said.

"Yeah, he does, but he's really a Border Collie. We drove all the way to Oklahoma to get him."

Then he gave me the polite, patient look that is usually reserved for little old ladies who have just been duped out of cash by the widow of a Nigerian prince on the internet.

Oh dear! Poor Trace will forever be marked as a mutt because he isn't black & white. It's okay. I've had Belgian Tervuren for 20 years, so I'm used to it. The public thinks they're longhaired German Shepherds, or Afghan-Collie crosses. We had family members who tired of trying to pronounce the breed name and simply called them "Albanian Lavernes." So it stuck.

Meet my first Albanian Laverne:

Perhaps I should come up with some clever herding dog breed name for Trace! Maybe I can call him a:

. . . Celtic Collie!

. . . .A Cheyenne Shepherd!

a Highlands Herding Dog!

Or what he is . . .

a Liver-Coated Sneak-stalking Sheepdog

Posted by: forensicfarmgirl AT 12:20 pm | Permalink | 15 Comments | Email

Comments:

I completely sympathize. My English Shepherds are "Aussie crosses" or "BC crosses". And see, I can't let it go. I have to launch into blah-blah-blah about ES's. And it's embarrassing to be around me if someone, god forbid, calls a horse a wrong color. I've made mortal enemies of people after schooling them on why their "albino" horse is indeed -not- albino. And I had to stop taking my American Cream Draft out in public after I found I couldn't stand all the "palomino" comments. (It's gold champagne, thank you.) *sigh ;-)

Posted by Sharon on 12/11/2010 - 01:49 PM

I was down in the pasture, worming my 3 arabs. A neighbor came along the road, and proceeded to launch into a diatribe about how bad/flighty/airhead/dangerous arabs were, how he had just made his wife return one to a seller. Then he said *Those are nice quiet horses, quarter horses, aren't they???* You have no idea the vast amount of satisfaction it gave me to tell him *Nope, they are all 3 registered arabs.* He hasn't spoken to me since.....LOL.....

Posted by Diane I. on 12/11/2010 - 02:25 PM

It seems that I'm in good company then! From time to time I climb on my soap box too. I am passionate about my dogs and my horses. Over the years though, I'm learning to "pick my battles." Like Diane, I'm a big fan of Arabians. I expect to be able to worm and innoculate my horses without twitches. Many times, with my "crazy" Arabians, I didn't even have to use halters.

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 12/11/2010 - 03:07 PM

LOL!! I can relate. I had my smooth coat BC at the vet one day, and a woman said "Oh you have a Greyhound." I explained that no, this is a smooth coat BC. "Are you sure?" says she. "I'm sure" I replied. Her response was " You had better check again. He looks like a Greyhound to me". (and he's BLACK AND WHITE)

Posted by Janet on 12/11/2010 - 03:44 PM

I like Liver and White Sneak-stalking Sheepdog best. Has he stole Lily's spot in bed with OH yet?

Posted by CeeCee on 12/11/2010 - 04:18 PM

My blue brindle whippet was called a Weimaraner several times. The white and red Ibizan hound was actually identified as a Guernsey calf, loved that one ("Don't her hooves hurt your floors?"). I picked my present Border collie Beans from a litter that also had a solid black, smooth female. The mother is a beautiful smooth tri with only a little white, daddy is a traditional rough B&W. Nice pup but I couldn't face her being called a Lab cross her whole life, and picked the one with a little white and a little more coat than a smooth. I always wonder what happened to the black one. People are funny.

Posted by Peg H. on 12/11/2010 - 04:46 PM

Oh MY! I never would have thought to consider that a smooth-coated BC was actually a Greyhound! And a CALF! WOW! That takes the cake! I must say, that's a FIRST!

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 12/11/2010 - 06:09 PM

Other Half is incorrigible! He IS moving Trace into the bed! I planned to keep the little booger in a kennel beside the bed, but now when he comes home from work, he takes Trace out of the kennel and lets him sleep with us until I wake up in the morning. That means a LOT less room for me and Lily!

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 12/11/2010 - 06:13 PM

Having Tervs, I'm used to the collie X, shepherdX, "what kind of mix" comments. The long-haired greyhound comment still makes me chuckle (Brice was wet). I think Trace is very handsome especially since he is not the common B&W. Speaking of Tervs :-) how is Stone doing?

Posted by Vicky on 12/11/2010 - 10:31 PM

I can relate. Jake is red and white. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard 'oh, I didn't know they came in that colour'.... Even border collie owners have said that. Or they think he is a duck toller. I even had a duck toller owner try to convince me that is what he is. Granted, the colour is similar, but put them side by side, ummm, no...

Posted by Karen on 12/12/2010 - 12:14 AM

I have a rescue mutt puppy, smooth coat, black and white, curling tail. I'm waiting for more adult growth and behavior to try and guess what he is. First vet who saw him evidently thought he was a Pointer cross, second one said Border Collie cross. I have a lot of people try to tell me what breed he is based strictly on color. BTW, I loved the Guernsey Calf comment! Some days all you can do is smile.

Posted by CarolG. on 12/12/2010 - 08:36 AM

We were walking in our neighborhood when we saw a young girl walking a big dog. My hubby thought it was a German Shepherd, but I think it was a Tervuran. I should have asked! Whatever it was, he/she was beautiful! :) Could you do me a favor and pass my email along to Sharon with the English Shepherds? That happens to be my favorite breed and I'd like to ask her just a couple of questions. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Posted by Lynn (in Katy, TX) on 12/12/2010 - 09:21 AM

I'm pretty sure I have the all time winner in misnaming Tervs. At a dog show, seversl of the owners of pups from the same litter put them all in one exercise pen. A couple came by and asked if they were: BOXERS I also had a GSD/Husky cross that a kid called a bear. Border Collies are hard to identify. They come is several colors, coat and body types. I have a smooth who's ears hang down like a hound. A really big(23" at the shoulder)rough coated Tri. A small thin bodied blk/wht. rough female. Most ask if the roughs are Aussies.

Posted by Jan on 12/12/2010 - 11:47 AM

Our pound puppy was billed as 'black lab/German shepherd mom and dad who got over the fence'. We referred to her as 'devil dog' for the first two years, when asked her breed(s). Turns out she's got Border collie in there - that explains it all.

Posted by clairesmum on 12/13/2010 - 11:07 AM

Ohmygosh! These stories are hysterical! I love it! Lynn, I will look up Sharon's email addy and get you guys in touch with each other regarding English Shepherds! Vicky, I need to run next door with the camera and do a blog on Stone's New World!

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 12/13/2010 - 11:25 AM