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My basic info
Breed
Border Collie
Color
Black - with White
Age
Young
Size
Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg) (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Good with dogs
Purebred
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
September 25, 2012
Well the young whipper snapper has been here for about three weeks and he has made wonderful progress, bless his little heart. This is the first dog that I've fostered that didn't appear to know anything at all. Not house trained, no manners, no vocabulary, didn't get the whole idea of having a name either. When I saw his shelter picture with that sad and frightened face, I have to say, my heart melted. Cinder block walls and the oily dirt from who knows how many dogs that had sat in that same small space, leaning up against the walls. Sad and frightened dogs, lost hopes, many who probably lost their lives there.
We know that a dog's sense of smell is a million times better than humans, my nose is sensitive, but I cannot imagine what Pablo smelled when he had to enter that kennel space. Did he smell old and sick dogs, frightened ones? Does despair have a smell? Does sadness?
Pablo bounced into my arms with excited expectations of who knows what. He quickly learned that there is order here. And rules. It was obviously confusing to him. I expected things that he didn't understand. I expected him to sleep in a crate at night and I expected him to go potty outside. My own Border Collies had their expectations as well. Behave like a big dog and not a stupid puppy. Don't think you rule the roost because that is NOT going to happen.
During this short period of time that Pablo has been here, he is nearly house trained. He still wears a diaper when he's loose in the house, but he stays dry for two days before he forgets, and then there is one wet diaper. He mostly understands, and will wander about looking a bit anxious. Then I ask him if he needs to go potty, and he runs to the door. See? Almost trained.
He has a short, puppy span of attention, and tends to forget his new name. I call it "Pablo!" as we walk along and tell him "good boy!" when he flips his head back to look at me. However, when he is running about with PLAY on his mind, he forgets. See? Almost got it.
He is learning his dog manners and does very well with the four other Border Collies that are here. He's a little bit pushy because he doesn't know any better, and every once in a while he thinks he is really the Big Boy Pants. No one lets him get away with it. I saw Tai make a quick and spectacular correction in two seconds. Pablo was flat on his back before he knew it, and Tai was gone that quick. Jax has put him in his place several times as well. Georgie has reminded him several times about doggie personal space, and he is beginning to grasp that concept. He has stopped taking the short cut and no longer walks under the other dogs to get where he wants to go.
Pablo had a bad couple of weeks with Giardia, and he is a little too thin right now. But the tummy troubles are gone, and he is now eating 4 cups of dog food a day. I see him very slowly starting to fill out. The ribs are not sticking out in every direction anymore, and his personality is calmer.
What he has learned in the short time that he has been here is: SIT, SHAKE, SIT PRETTY, DOWN, WAIT, STAY, UP, LET'S GO, and LEAVE IT. The words that he knows really really well are "HEY!" AH! AH!" "NO!" and "ACK!"
Pablo has the potential to be a lovely sport dog. He moves fast while looking and he isn't putting any effort into it. This past week he has learned how to play with toys by himself, and he has started to retrieve balls. He needs direction yet, and he's happy to learn.
I suspect that whoever owned him before, thought of him as this adorable little puppy that loved to be held and cuddled. Whoever this person was did not know how to train a Border Collie, and as
Pablo got larger, he didn't fit on a lap anymore. The cute way he would put his paws up against someone's legs was no longer cute when Pablo could reach 3/4s of the way up your body. The cute mouthiness was no longer cute. And Pablo might have wondered why the people he loved stopped caring about him.
He likes to stand with his front feet hanging over my lap and his head resting against my chest. When I run my hands along the sides of his head and over the length of his ears, his gets a happy little smile on his face, and he looks so peaceful. This is the happiest moment in his life. The moment when his human touches him gently, and shows him love. This moment is better than dismembering stuffed toys, squeaking the heck of out squeaky toys, racing about the yard, sticking his head in the garbage can, and even better than the daily 3 mile walks. Love conquers all.
Pablo is being fostered in Wisconsin.
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