Dog for sons birthday

[Roberts25]

So i'm getting my son a rough collie. Hes only turning three, so obviously it'll be me that'll be taking care of the dog with his help of making a mess trying to feed him. Hes been around dogs, cats and lambs a lot recently, hes very gentle, regardless, I will obviously not leave them alone together, probably wouldn't be able to anyway, since i cant even pee alone.

Anyway so i asked my son what he wanted to call him, and have asked a few times hoping hed change his mind. But no marshall is what he wants to call the dog. Hes paw patrol and fireman mad. Will it be silly to have a rough collie named afer a dalmation character?
Would it then be even more silly then to paint the kennel like a paw patrol kennel?
I know thats what he would like, but im just thinking am i just being OTT as I always tend to go with his birthdays and would it just sound and look silly considering its not a dalmation.

I rehomed a rough collie when my first DC was 3 weeks old. She was lovely and settled really well. I even changed her name. I had another 3 DC plus cats rabbits, chickens and hamsters over the next 10 years - oh and another 2 dogs.
My rough collie was no trouble whatsoever and a great family pet.
Dogs and children can be really good together, I’ve got two rescue staffies now and they are great with DGC but I’m sure lots would disagree with me.
Your life, your family, your choice.

I like the name Marshall ! I'd just worry with a toddler (never known for being calm) and a teething puppy their teeth are like razors!

OP, you just don't sound very measured or sensible. So much so, that I think this is a wind-up and you're just trying to be contentious. I would stop wasting everyone's time.

I think you're getting this reaction as you've stated the dog is for your son, what three year old needs to have a dog. If you'd said that you were getting a dog (which you are as in reality your son won't be involved with the dog at all) and your son wanted to name it x I think the response would be slightly different. Fwiw I don't really like the name marshall as it's a bit of a mouthful to call out. Also not sure what the fuss with the kennel is about as working dogs tend to live outside.

I have a working dog had it for 2 years before baby so slightly different. Marshall is a good name, my DS would say Chase was a better name though. Anyway, I thought the same about the kennel as previous posters, but seeing you are on a farm it makes sense for the dog to have some outside shelter. Not sure what a paw patrol kernel looks like though?

One thing I'd say is my DS hates our dog sadly. Dog gets two walks a day but not much other attention. My Dog is barky, but very good with DS. One walk with DS, which DS enjoys but hates the dog going faster than him. Hates the dog knocking over his games or sitting on them when he wants attention. I've seen a few neighbours with small children get and return dogs. I have even said not to do it, it's a massive commitment and you spread yourself thin when they are so young.

Life on a farm is different to suburbia. I have have a working dog because I had a previous one of the same breed and he worked. This one doesn't work, so it's a different situation, you may have more space from it

Ps dog follows me to the toilet more than the child.

Rough collies are not generally used much around livestock.

Depending on which kennel you are getting your pup from, OP, it is not unheard of. Would be interested to know the breeder, by PM if you prefer.

You certainly wouldn’t want one of the more heavily coated lines, but certainly don’t assume all instinct in the breed is gone! The Rough I have seen working sheep is a very full on worker, amazing to see.

He will also be trained by my partner to be a sheepdog

I haven’t read the full thread yet but you can’t be serious..?

The vast majority of rough collies don’t have the necessary instinct anymore to be working sheepdogs..

They, like so many other working breeds have been largely destroyed by the Kennel Club and are now admittedly very pretty dogs but usually incapable of work.

The only rough collies I've known have been the sort of dogs that their owners would describe as 'challenging'. Certainly not sheep dog material.

Why would anyone buy a 2/3 year old child a dog as a birthday present, especially one that is going to spend its day herding sheep. What's he supposed to do with it? Maybe buy him something he can get some use out of like some duplo, as pp suggested.

As to whether it's silly to name a rough collie after a dalmation cartoon character on a children's tv programme or paint it kennel in the manner of the same programme? What the hell does it matter, it's a dog's name.

The whole thing sounds pretty silly tbh.

The only rough collies I've known have been the sort of dogs that their owners would describe as 'challenging'.

I don't think you can have known too many then, @pigsDOfly? I've lived with lots, and known hundreds (not an exaggeration), and they are a very easy breed on the whole, biddable and to be honest often not with enough 'spark' for hard work.

However, even the easiest that I've had have still definitely had the instincts to herd that could have been harnessed in the right circumstances. To work effectively, you need the larger and lighter coated type though.

I'm not in any way saying that the breed as a whole could replace the working sheepdogs of the more usual Border Collie type - even the least coated have so much more potential for mud LOL - but there are certainly Roughs that could be taught to herd by someone who lives on a farm and is used to working sheep! It's sad to see them written off as 'pretty faces' and nothing more. They are a very adaptable breed.

(I wish I could find the particular video I want that amazed me to see a Rough instinctively holding sheep down for his owner to treat them, amazed me. Anyway, look up Jess Faulkner and Tully on Facebook for some impressive videos of what this large, strong dog can do!)

I think it's fine to call the dog Marshall, and you can paint the kennel however you want. BUT I wouldn't get it under the guise of a present for your 3 yr old. If you want a dog, get one. But it will ultimately end up being yours. Get your son some Paw Patrol toys, and have the dog as a family pet.

often not with enough 'spark' for hard work
Agree with this

However, even the easiest that I've had have still definitely had the instincts to herd that could have been harnessed in the right circumstances

but there are certainly Roughs that could be taught to herd by someone who lives on a farm and is used to working sheep!

But herding is largely instinctive.
It isn’t something that any old dog can learn, the instinct has to be there already.
Even in working border collies there are often ones who don’t have it. Not in the right quantity to be a good worker anyway.

A mild herding instinct doesn’t necessarily translate into a good working dog.

Rather like that pathetic outrun test that the Kennel Club used to do for border collies, maybe still do? I don’t know.
But the idea was/is that is if the show border collie can do an outrun then it is still ‘fit for function’ or some other nonsense.

But most of these show collies who had enough instinct to be trained to pass this silly test, wouldn’t be able to succeed at being a real life working sheepdog.

The only working ‘rough’ litters/dogs I’ve ever seen advertised have always looked to me as if they have something else in there.
Border, Welsh, kelpie or huntaway I imagine.

There is a reason why you virtually never see Rough collies and Shetland Sheepdogs as working farm dogs.
They may retain a mild instinct to herd still but in my opinion at least, the vast majority will not be able to be working sheepdogs, irrespective of training, because the raw genetic instinct needed has been bred out.

But herding is largely instinctive

Agree, and I have seen that instinct very strongly in SOME of the many Rough Collies I have lived with. I've also seen a good number of Roughs on their first introduction to sheep and seen that SOME of them instinctively know immediately what to do and could no doubt be channelled to work effectively.

As I said above, I don't think that Roughs are in any way going to take over from working sheepdogs. I don't suppose this family think they're going to be swapping to using Roughs to the exclusion of anything else.

I do, however, think that someone who lives on a farm and is used to training dogs to sheep could be very pleasantly surprised by what the right Rough Collie is capable of as a supplement to their usual working dogs.

The only working ‘rough’ litters/dogs I’ve ever seen advertised have always looked to me as if they have something else in there.

Oh, and I am very definitely talking about pure bred Roughs (and of course Smooths) here.

@Roberts25

Sorry for the reactions you're getting here. Asking innocently for advice here tends to met with a lot of hostility and aggressive responses.

With the correct supervision children and dogs are great together. Ours is an an only child and is best friends with our dog and have a beautiful relationship. But it's important to train children around pets as much as the dog.

Blimey there are a lot of rough collies experts on here

I live on a farm and have working cockers, border collies and the most amazing rough collie who is excellent with the sheep, he is also way better on the cows than the collies.

All my dogs are working dogs and also pets (POlka you are just so wrong here)

It is quite common for working dogs to have kennels outside as they do spend a lot of time outside with their owners.

Roberts25 one of our collies kennels is painted as Buckingham Palace as my DC had been to visit London and asked for the dogs to have a palace, it is a bit faded now though .

Marshall is a fab name.

I have photographs of me with "my" dog that I was given aged 3 it is very common for farmers children to have their "own" animals at an early age. I was encouraged to do what I could (although my mother obviously did the bulk of the work) however this is how I have learnt most of my animal management

@P0lka but are largely motivated by work and rest, not human companionship

Load of rubbish. Working dogs can and have been fantastic family pets alongside their work. It all depends how you bring them up. From the sounds of it you've brought them up to just work and not inside the house with family love and warmth. If you strike the balance right then they become amazing working and family pets

I have to say that I know a lot of working dogs that are also pets and kip on the hearth rug/ sofa/ bed. Some of them are kennelled some of the time, which doesn't stop them being pets.

I can't see why OP can't do what she plans, so long as she bears in mind that roughs aren't famous for their herding capacities.

I think Marshall is a terrific name. I like two syllables and I like a long vowel for bellowing. It will work just fine.

OP do you know what a rough collie is? You know that they are not border collies? That they look like Lassie?

I am aghast at your op and then at your subsequent posts. I assume that you are on a wind up though. Just for the entertainment value maybe? Bored?

It will be totally fine given that all 3 of your sisters have hunting or sheep dogs
Might be dodgy if only one of your sisters did though