Hi all,

My name's Kate and I have a Coolie x Border Collie named Ocean. She's going to be 2 in February.

She is the MOST amazing dog and mostly, my best friend.

We were hoping to get to meet other people with Coolies and would also love to take her to some herding workshops as I think she would LOVE it.

Anyway, just wanted to pop my head in and say hi. Glad I found this place and look forward to getting to know you all.

Kate & Ocean

This is Ocean...

Hi Oceans mum and for joining the friendliest forum on the Internet, I know your just going get on so well.

Love your photo of Ocean, If you live in Vic there is sheep training this Saturday in Elmore, or Sydney are having Sheep Dog Training on Sunday in Hawksberry.
Qld commence their regular trianing in April 2008

Have a look at the board and you will locate all the sheep training and workshops that the Koolie club cover, you should be able to find training hopefully near you.
Good luck, enjoy and I look forward to hearing more about you both as we get to know each other better.

Hi Kate & Ocean, welcome to the forum I hope you enjoy yourself. Love the photo, what a gorgeous girl. If you are in Victoria we have our Christmas meeting on Sunday at Neilborough near Bendigo and you are most welcome to join us and meet some other koolies and members.

Welcome Kate & Ocean,

Hope you enjoy your time with us and that we get to meet you and your beautiful dog.

jtkoolie

to the forum!!

Hi again,

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

We are in Victoria and would've loved to have gone to the events that are on this weekend however, we've spent the day out visiting Ocean's puppies who are now 1 year old. We found them the most loving, caring homes and still all keep in touch. So it's been a pretty exhausting day! Funnily (not) Ocean still wants to play. Never out of energy, are they! :)

Anyway, I have a few days off so hope to have some more time to have a look around this site and do some more research on my gorgeous girl.

Thanks again,

Kate & Ocean

ps. Ocean accidentally ended up having puppies with a purebred Curly Retriever after going into season just as we were about to get her de-sexed. So, young mum! I'll have to post some photos of the pups - they're gorgeous!

Welcome Kate and Ocean

Ocean looks absolutely beautiful and I just love her colour.

Welcome Kate and Ocean

Hope you enjoy the Koolie Forum and love the beautiful picky of Ocean!!

We hope you find all the info you need!!!

Welcome to the group Kate. Ocean looks quite stunning.

Libby

Hi everyone, just me again!

I've been popping in to see what's happening but haven't had much time to myself. My baby is due this coming Wednesday so things have been a little hectic!

I have a couple of questions though, and was wondering if you guys could help. I did try to post this in the general assistance part of the board but it wouldn't let me... :(

Ocean and I have been staying with family recently after moving back to Melbourne from Torquay. Anyway, she's been getting spoilt and been given raw meat nearly every day! Before that, I had her eating Eukanuba each day then sometimes leftovers and big bones in the yard etc. Now, I'm trying to get her back into eating a variety (including the dry food) and she has cracked it! I've given her the Euk mixed with 'roo meat over the past two days and all she does is eat the meat and spit the dry stuff out on the floor! It's driving me insane. A few people have told me to just put the dry food down, if she doesn't eat it, take it away and try again later. She's giving me these "looks" though, like I'm trying to starve her to death. I feel TERRIBLE! What to do? Ignore her and persist? HELP!!!

Also, she full on has OCD when it comes to balls and sticks and will run and run and run until she seems completely exhausted and lays down panting. Even then, if you said "walk" she'd go. Is it possible for them to over exercise themselves or should I just assume that she would know when to stop and not keep going 'til she has a heart attack?!

I can't wait to get her out into the herding workshops. I think she's going to love it. Just have to wait until things settle a little here first! :)

Anyway, sorry to post this in the wrong bit. Not sure why the other part wouldn't work for me. I hope you all had an awesome Chrissy and New Year and hope to meet up with some of you later this year.

Cheers,

Kate, Ocean and Bump!
:)

You will love this forum it is one of the friendly ones.

With the dry bikkies just keep persevering she will get the gist that she won't be getting anything else, and when she is hungry she will eat them. Just give it time.

With the OCD with balls, my Koolie Ceejay is the same. I have a command for her "enough" and that is with play, barking and the balls. I also have a water trough for the dogs when they get heated so they have a quick cool down and they are off and playing again. I have a koolie and Kelpie X cattle dog, more kelpie than cattle dog, so they play all the time. Both Ceejay the coolie and Izzy the kelpie x usually cool down in the trough and start up again.

Hope this helps.

Oh and congratulations with the new up and coming bub.

Hi Kate Ocean and Bump(love that)

I'd go with the leave the dry food down and she will eat eventual when it suits her,but leave it down don't pick it up.
The constant availablity of raw meat will not be helping her OCD either,(it promotes energy) so will be making her worse not better.

In a lot of cases where you get an over focusing koolie you have to be their break, they'll go till they drop, no kidding, many a stockman has lost a good droving, or shed dog because they didn't know enough to stop the dog and insure it drink and rest.

I have even known a couple of Koolies who have had heart attacks while chasing the ball or swimming.

The majority of Koolies do know enough to stop when their tired, these few are exceptions to the rule.

such a pretty girl
try putting a raw egg on her dry food that works with one of mine. your girl is just training you to her likes now its time train her to what you would like to feed her. if she won't eat it then she is not that hungry put her tea up for the night and try her again the next morning. well any way thats just a couple of things that i do with my little fluffy and it works with her so maybe it will work for your girl good luck and don't give up

Thanks SO much!

I thought if I persevered with her food, I'd eventually get there but you know when they look at you like you're a bad parent and make you feel bad!!!

Ceejay, I'm trying to use "enough" and it seems to be getting through to her. She's unreal, she'd just play and play and play!

Tjukurpa, thanks, I'm glad I found that out. She just seems to run until she drops and I'd NEVER forgive myself if anything happened to her. Sometimes I think she just doesn't know any better - even though she's as smart as! I didn't think of the raw meat and her energy levels either - just what she needs - MORE ENERGY!!! (glad you like bub's nickname too... ha ha)

Royalla, might try the raw egg and see how she goes. I did try it when she was younger and she wasn't into it but tastes change so we'll see how she likes it.

As I said, I can't wait 'til things settle here and Ocean and I can get more involved with doggy activities. From what I've read on here, this is a great forum and I look forward to hanging out here more often... hopefully this baby sleeps sometimes so I can!

Many thanks to you all for your feedback, it is GREATLY appreciated!

:)

Welcome! What a pretty Dog she is, and I bet you do have your hands full with the border koolie combo. I hope she makes up for it by being as cuddly as she looks.