Shy...

[TreyRust]

... Homesick too?

I've been doing a bit of border collie research the past two days and still haven't had the courage to join a forum...

I've had one scoped out for months now, just been waiting to join. I'm nervous! I hate being new on a forum, people are so judgmental, they smell funny until you get used to them and, gah... I don't know these peoples!

You guys probably remember my first post, I can't exactly go back and read it but... I was very, how would you say... defensive? before I had even talked to anyone. I'm a no nonesense kind of person when it comes down to issues like what I was dealing with. So I didn't want to have to deal with the "usual" re-homing sermon...

I think its safe to say I didn't make a very good first impression here, it was until a couple of pages after that I cleared some things up.

I just don't like being new, not knowing who anyone is, not differentiating anyone. Still getting to know people, learn who's my friend and hopefully that nobody is my enemy.

Mommmyyyy what do I say? I like it here, I'm worried that this new forum won't be as fun and carefree as this one, and I'm also concerned about their smiley collection. You guys have a bunch of good smilies

idk, I guess I'm just being rediculus. But it feels like a lot of work, breaking 100 posts so you don't seem like a loaner. It takes time, but its got to happen some time. These two breeds are on opposite sides of the spectrum, so I really need to be doing my research with them. Sure, I'm not going to be leaving here (perhaps what @Sparks / @valkyries spilled the beans on is to blame for that...), you guys are amazing! and thats the whole thing... it's like getting a new dog, you try not to want that dog to replace your old one, because they never will... but deep down you want the same thing. Your some of the most amazing people I've met, I don't want to have to hang out with people less awesome.

But in the end, I will never know how great they are until I've joined... and perhaps its just because I've never been on a dog forum before this one that I'm so amazed at you people, and what you will do for these dogs.

Fingers crossed this site will be half as good as husky-owners!

Trey.

[valkyries]

just join and be your self also remember it's just a screen any messin ad you can just turn off xxxxxxx

[sutsibe]

Trey, you are great and very likable guy - any forum would be lucky to have you on it! Go in, introduce yourself, and tell them you're plans for getting a border collie. This is the only forum I've ever been on, so I have no way to compare it to any other, but find it hard to believe there could be any better, so keep coming back to chat with your friends here! The other forum might well be just as nice, albeit different. As with any group of people, there will be some who are great, and some who aren't so great (amazingly, this is one of the few exceptions to that rule I've ever found!), but if you show the person you have shown yourself to be here, they'll have no trouble accepting you! (If they do, let us know and we'll go after 'em for ya!)

Part of growing - no matter the age you are - is trying new things and meeting new people. Growth is usually not easy, and sometimes it can be rough, but the rewards are well worth it! Look at all the friends you've made on here! (BTW, don't tell anyone, but the smileys here are so great that I sometimes use them elsewhere, as well!)

[Laine]

Trey - I know how you feel. I was so scared/apprehensive about joining here. But I took the plunge anyway. I'm so glad that I did as this is probably one of the best dog sites I've come across and everyone is super friendly.

That said, what BC forum are you looking at; maybe I'll join with - since I'm crazy enough to want one too eventually - and that way you'll know someone there?

Seriously, be yourself like Gigi said. Yeah a lot of forums can be bad - Working Dog Forum is... well it's just bad for new people to it and I'll leave it at that - But there are other places like HO out there, I'm sure of it. You can do this.

[Tan J P]

@TreyRust

why not join but then just lurk about for a while see what you think

imagine,you could be stalking everyone.......and they wont know!

i remember joining here.......''Hi my names.................'' and thinking i'd just pop on now and again,obviously that didnt go to plan

i cant log off now!!!!

but,importantly

i was welcomed here and accepted for who i am,not for what i do or dont know.

good luck but hope you dont desert us!!!

[Sarah]

Do you need a push lol

Nahhh go for it - jump right in there forums are there for people like you - just make sure you don't forget to share your pics here as well as there

[Rosemary]

Trey, you will be an asset to any forum. I am sure there will be a lot of good people there who will be more than willing to help you with your research. They will respect the fact that you are joining a forum before going out and getting a puppy. I am sure they are as passionate about their breed as we are about our Huskies - well maybe not AS passionate as Husky Owners, but if it doesn't work out, you have a home here, no matter what breed you have - we LOVE all dogs

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

go for it mate and if its well you know rubbish, then you know where we are!!!

[Cathy]

You'll be fine on the other forum. You write intelligently and thoughtfully and wittily, I'm sure people will enjoy your participation.

That being said, please be honest with yourself about whether you can properly care for a dog at this juncture in your life. Do you know where you'll be, what your schedule will be in the next 2 years? 5 years? I know from experience it's tough to find apartments that will take dogs. Will you be willing to get up at 6 a.m. every day to make sure your dog gets exercise before the hot sun rises, or will you be too tempted to blow it off? Are you going to use flea and tick baths, brushes, etc., or are you going to succumb to excuses to put it off? Even healthy dogs require hundreds of dollars in annual medical care just to fill the prescriptions for thr Frontline (flea and tick preventative) and Interceptor (heartworm and whipworm preventative). Add to it the occasional bout off illness, and it adds up quick.

I know I'm being blunt, but I think you need to ask yourself, realistically, how a border collie would be any different that Eponine at this point in your life and what would make that situation so different that that dog wouldn't end up in her condition. You're a smart young man. Think it through, and I wish you luck.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

good luck trey - im sure u will be fine tho!

[Andy]

Forums can be funny things.

This one Husky-Owners in my opinion is exceptional in it's

speed of reply and welcoming atmosphere.

The only other forum I joined that comes close is a Citroen Xsara (my piece of crap car) forum

and they are great and so helpful, just like us.

I joined a GSD forum. They took 4 days just to say hello, and then when they realised I had

a "WHITE" GSD I got a bunch of

"Oh, White. . . you DO realise they are NOT KC breed standard

and you'll NEVER be able to register or show her." replies.

Never went back.

As others have suggested Lurk for a bit get a feel for the type of replies.

See if there is any joking between members (indicates a relaxed atmosphere)

look at the times of the posts see how quickly they respond.

This'll give you a FEEL if it's a nice and welcoming site.

[TreyRust]

You'll be fine on the other forum. You write intelligently and thoughtfully and wittily, I'm sure people will enjoy your participation.

That being said, please be honest with yourself about whether you can properly care for a dog at this juncture in your life. Do you know where you'll be, what your schedule will be in the next 2 years? 5 years? I know from experience it's tough to find apartments that will take dogs. Will you be willing to get up at 6 a.m. every day to make sure your dog gets exercise before the hot sun rises, or will you be too tempted to blow it off? Are you going to use flea and tick baths, brushes, etc., or are you going to succumb to excuses to put it off? Even healthy dogs require hundreds of dollars in annual medical care just to fill the prescriptions for thr Frontline (flea and tick preventative) and Interceptor (heartworm and whipworm preventative). Add to it the occasional bout off illness, and it adds up quick.

I know I'm being blunt, but I think you need to ask yourself, realistically, how a border collie would be any different that Eponine at this point in your life and what would make that situation so different that that dog wouldn't end up in her condition. You're a smart young man. Think it through, and I wish you luck.

Don't think I'm not taking any of that into account. I don't want to get a dog until I have a job of some sort, and I have no idea when that will happen. It'll probably be a couple of years before I get a BC, because of the circumstances. Right now a border collie would be horrible, I'm far from ready from a... well, physical standpoint.

Heck, I may luck out and start making some sooner than I anticipate, but I figure if I don't crawl up under a rock, I should be able to get a job with the geek squad or something in a year and a half. Which, do to extenuating circumstances will be when I get a drivers license.

Eponine was in a different boat, my parents care about dogs that our "their problem". She was a stray, so that made it all better for them... Either way, I don't want to get a Dog until I have a solid income because I only have a few more years until I'm 18.

My worst case scenario plan is that, I'll manage to find an apartment that takes dogs. And I'll be able to come to the airstrip or a dog park for daily exercise. But thats worst case, as you know I live on a large property, so I will hopefully be able to convince dad to let me have/rent one of the houses. I've never liked the idea of an apartment, and until recently I've never considered that an option.

Back when we had beagles, I would wake up at 7:30 to feed them, not a fan of any earlier and I'm sure the dog could adjust, but I'll wake up when I have to. Thats part of the reason why I'm up right now!

Believe me, I'm going to make darn well sure I can take care and provide for the pups future, even if something should happen to me. Before I get one. That's why I got my deposit back on my GSD, I wasn't at all ready.

Trey.

[TreyRust]

Joined, and decided I didn't like their restrictive use of the off topic section

They say use restrain because "It's a dog forum" Gah, less than half the posts on here are about huskies and theres a reason its so great here

So, I found another one that allows much more liberal use of the off topic section... made my first post and... we'll see how it goes

Trey.

[Removed #5]

I've looked a and joined, I'm guessing. a half dozen other "Husky Forums" this is the only one in which I post! Why should I put up with temperamental perfectionists when I can enjoy myself among friends.

[TreyRust]

I've looked a and joined, I'm guessing. a half dozen other "Husky Forums" this is the only one in which I post! Why should I put up with temperamental perfectionists when I can enjoy myself among friends.

No reason at all!

[Franklin Phil]

It's so funny Trey, I've been a forum junky since the mid 90's. It doesn't matter what hobby horse I'm riding in any given year, I'm fully involved in forums on the subject.

Forums I'm currently active on:

Husky owners (this is one of two I registered on. I never really got involved with the other)

FiveseveN forum. (this a hand gun forum. One of two weapons forums I'm active on)

Iphone4 forum

Former forums I was active on:

Hummer networks (one of two hummer H1 forums I was active on back when I owned one)

Some tropical fish forums

I'm sure there were others. Point I was going to make, in the same way each person has a different personality, so also does each forum. A Forum's personality is made up of the sum of it's members. Even though one of my weapons forums may have friendly people just like Husky Owners, since they are completely different people (except for me) the forum has it's own accumulated personality with it's hangups, just like HO (yes we are not perfect people). Example: My FsN forum I'm a member of, while being very friendly people, they tend to always quickly mention when a topic has already been discussed and to encourage you to use the search feature. A hangup.

Here on husky owners we have at times become very judgemental. It's one of our hangups. We don't mean it badly, it's just our collective personality. I love husky owners forum and it's people. I LIKE the FsN forum and it's people. I used to LOVE the Hummer Networks forum and it's members (yes, they too had their issues)

Bottom line, a forum will only be perfect until it gets it's first member. They can still be wonderful people. You just got to jump in and say hello.

[BlueWolf]

All the forums I've joined so far - except for this one and a very few others - have now either died, or are on the edge of dieing

[Andy]

I've looked a and joined, I'm guessing. a half dozen other "Husky Forums" this is the only one in which I post! Why should I put up with temperamental perfectionists when I can enjoy myself among friends.

LMAO Al, I don't know whether give you a hug or call you a "kiss ass"

But I know how you feel, that's why I left the GSD forum. Their heads were stuck sooooooo far up their

"Oh, you'll never be KC registered" bung holes.

[mydiamond]

once joined another forum and the forum is really quiet =.= almost like being in a graveyard O_O I agree, Trey, this is the BEST forum ^0^ but you should go and join that Border Collie forum, remember that you have a place to rant if things don't go smoothly

[jules dief taz tor]

go for it , hope they reply soon, and if they dont you can come on here and tell us all about it , i think of this place more of a famil than a forum, maybe thats why sometimes a few of us disagree but its usually all sorted out quickly

[BlueWolf]

once joined another forum and the forum is really quiet =.= almost like being in a graveyard O_O I agree, Trey, this is the BEST forum ^0^ but you should go and join that Border Collie forum, remember that you have a place to rant if things don't go smoothly

I would be very careful about that. Even though the steam room can only be read when logged in, I wouldn't rant about people who might read it is as well and can recognise you. If you have a (serious) problem with a website it's better keep the issue on there instead of bringing it to here as well.

[sutsibe]

Agreed - always better to watch what you say in print so very publicly!

Years ago, I had friends involved in several different forums dedicated to Siberians, and I kept hearing about all sorts of cattiness and sniping at each other - mostly she said-she said! It put me off so much that I wouldn't have come here on Becky's (Austinville's) recommendation if she hadn't really talked HO up!

[TreyRust]

Agreed - always better to watch what you say in print so very publicly!

Years ago, I had friends involved in several different forums dedicated to Siberians, and I kept hearing about all sorts of cattiness and sniping at each other - mostly she said-she said! It put me off so much that I wouldn't have come here on Becky's (Austinville's) recommendation if she hadn't really talked HO up!

Glad you made it though!

All the forums I've joined so far - except for this one and a very few others - have now either died, or are on the edge of dieing

Gosh, don't tell @Sarah !

The replies started coming in at 1AM, one person said they saw me on here, small world! :eek: Hi if your reading this, lol.

Trey.

[AttilaVikingsDemon]

Agreed - always better to watch what you say in print so very publicly!

Years ago, I had friends involved in several different forums dedicated to Siberians, and I kept hearing about all sorts of cattiness and sniping at each other - mostly she said-she said! It put me off so much that I wouldn't have come here on Becky's (Austinville's) recommendation if she hadn't really talked HO up!

Well glad you joined, Gigi!

[TreyRust]

The one I'm on now is really nice, its a smaller community, a bit more laid back and slow. But I like the people there and I guess thats all that matters.

Trey.