we're back... again

 We're up and running again... well not "running" as in a sheepdog trail but up and training! 

It all thanks to this little guy, Quinn. My new youngster. I was on the fence on if I would go back to training. Things just got well, complicated. Life. And all that. 

Back to Quinn. He's something else! I love this pup, he's everything I wanted when I spoke to his Canadian breeder. Those who know me know I've had several dogs from Canada in the past. I'm excited and hope to trail again when he's ready.

Here we have it, my Border Colle Quinn! optimism, resilience! Hope and Happiness! 

According to https://www.songtell.com/bob-dylan/quinn-the-eskimo-the-mighty-quinn

Symbol of positivity: Quinn the Eskimo represents a figure of optimism and resilience. In a world filled with despair and monotony, his arrival brings a sense of hope and happiness. The song suggests that Quinn has the ability to lift people's spirits and make them "jump for joy." He is depicted as a transformative force that can change the atmosphere to one of celebration and enjoyment.

Embracing uniqueness: Quinn is described as "the Eskimo," which implies that he is different or stands out from the crowd. This may symbolize the importance of embracing individuality and celebrating diversity. The lyrics emphasize that there is nothing else like Quinn, indicating the significance of appreciating and accepting unconventional or unique qualities in oneself and others.

As always, if you want or need help with dog behavior or training, let me know! I can help

Physical Maturity in a Herding Puppy, is it important?

I've been in a discussion on "when to start a pup" in his herding training, and in addition to some of the usual "reasons" of when to start or not start, which include maturity, is the pup "serious" or just "playing" (tail up, etc) there's also some other factors I like to consider, such as development. Physical development.

There's really no hard and fast, "this is the time" to start a pup, Border Collie puppies are all different, as are training styles and experience of the trainer. Some pups mature early, serious lil ones they are, and some are just pups, taking longer to grow up.

But as for physical development, I'll toss this out there and see what you think? The growth plates don't close til closer to 7-9 months of age. Is it reasonable to ask a youngster to do a lot of heavy running and pounding on developing legs? Growth plates are at the ends of the long bones, are softer and more prone to injury. (I'm not a veterinarian, check with your veterinarian for details, but this is what has been explained to me)

I liken this to horse racing, or children. I know there are children who run marathons alongside their parents at an early age. I have heard doctors caution about how often, and how long those children run. When my brother played little league baseball, he was a pitcher. These young boys were only allowed to throw "fastballs", no curve balls, as the elbows, and arms were still developing.

I've also heard in horse racing, some refrain from the well known "Kentucky Derby" for the same reasons. The age of the horse.

If this is true, about the children and their development, horses and their growth and stresses put on the body, would it not be the same for canines?

Would it be better to wait to do the heavy more intensive training once the pups growth plates have closed? 

Again, I'm not a Veterinarian, just musing about when to start my new pup, as he is mentally quite mature and serious, but I'll wait, I'd rather wait 2 months now, than have him injured and more problems later on.