Q & A

I’ve let you ask us some questions a week ago! Here’s all my answer to all of your curiosity!

What training methods do you use for both tricks and obedience?
Clicker training, positive reinforcement, lots of treats and playing.

Where you stand using what training tools (e.g. E-collars, spray, prong, choke etc).
Always always all positive with lots of praising and rewarding.

How old your crew is?
Very different. Most of them (us) around 20 years old.

How did you get into training?
Hard to say but most likely the biggest reason was my family who owned dogs since ever. My dad used to run agility and dogs have always been a part of my life. With Luna, who is our family dog, I started with the basics of clicker training and agility. Later on, Vicky was the one who took me deeper into dog training world.

A little bit about yourself.
I am the basic overthinker. I always create 1001 situations that could happen but never do and while I just finished making up those, I already begin thinking of all the possible ways to solve those nonexistent situations. Comes handy when you try to blog, though! I am passionate about a lot of things but mainly dogs, nature and photography/film. I always want to be surrounded by crazy people with crazy ideas and big plans and I live for the travels, road trips and laughing to the point I am hysterically crying. But, just generally I am very emotionally rich which is bringing me down a lot! My weakest point is Vicky, she’s my chubby girl with such entirely enormous personality and I can’t get over how much I adore her in all of her existence and beyond. There’s more about me on my website, but these are just the basics I thought of right now.

Do you have any plans to come to the UK?
I’ve honestly been thinking about it, but no real plans for now.

What do you enjoy most – training or photography?
Training. If called so. Anything with my dogs, generally.

Are you planning to continue breeding of your kennel?
I wish to.

Where have you learned this much about editing videos? Where did you get the most inspiration from in the beginning?
Can’t really say where I learned apart from just doing what I thought looked good and how I imagined it in my head. My view of creating videos has been changing through the years and so did my editing and filming. I’ve never taken any special courses. If there was a thing I didn’t know how to do, I’d google. Or ask friends with same passion if maybe they knew. But generally, about editing, I’d simply do what I felt would look nice.
I’ve always been gathering inspiration from Vicky. All I’ve ever created was about her or started off because of her. For the rest, I easily get inspired by lots of artists and video content creators online, but these are mainly not dog people or create anything related to dogs.

Do you plan getting one more dog soon?
I wish I could answer this question as I am curious to know, too. I honestly don’t know, there’s a lot of things that need to fall in place before that. All I can say is –  yes, I wish to.

What motivated you to start photographing and what motivated you to get better? And how did you get better?
I am not sure what motivated me to start, but it was long ago. It was in times when I got my very first, my very own pet, guinea pig Friga. I’d start using my dad’s old old old Olympus, one of the film ones and I’d keep putting all my photographs in one big album. Then I got my own, it was a tiny little Canon, can’t remember what it was again, but the quality was crap! It didn’t stop me from loving all of the images I’ve taken and I am still keeping them all on my computer! I might share them some other time! I wanted to learn more and get better was when I held my first DSLR and recognized its magic. There’s no such thing quite like motivation. When you love doing something, you just have that crazy crazy wish to keep doing it for the rest of your life and keep soaking in the knowledge in all the different aspects of it. So I did. Not sure when or how I got better but definitely from getting more knowledge. On techniques, on editing. On storytelling. Only when you come to realize, photos are stories, you might get better. Try not to get ”a nice looking portrait”. Try to capture all that’s behind it, in one shot.

Why did you buy a dog from Doggone Borders? I mean why exactly this kennel?
I was 14, I had a wish, things happened all so fast and not expected. But if there was one thing I knew back then (Apart from my little knowledge that a BC needs to have parents health checked, by which I mean the hips), I knew I wanted a breeder I could stay in touch with, learn from and update him about the life of my puppy. And honestly, I have been gathering the knowledge of Border Collies before, but only after I received the email back from Ann, I wanted a puppy. Then. And right then. If it wasn’t for the kindness and honesty of Vicky’s breeder and her in and out lovely reply about all her dogs and kennel in general, I’d probably not be having a puppy for a long while after. But generally, I did contact her because I liked the dogs and what she told me about them. And loved them, even more, when I met them in person.  I’d take Vicky over and over and over again. She was well brought up, well socialised and never had a single problem in her puppyhood. Or ever.

Has it ever happened to you that the stranger stopped you on the street because he recognised you?
Yep! But more of the times it was because of Vicky. It happened even that I’d be on a walk and hear ”Vicky!! Vicky!!” behind me. And as I didn’t bother, they’d say it again, so I did turn around and they’d whisper to each other; See, I told you it was her!

How many tricks does Vicky know and whats her favourite?
I’ve lost counting but quite a couple! And huh, she loves bouncing in the air, barking and covering her nose with a paw (”shy”).

What food did Vicky eat as a puppy?
She was such a picky eater it’s crazy to compare to now! She was on Royal Canin when I got her so we didn’t change, but we changed plenty of foods as she’d stop eating them. We’ve tried Platinum, Orijen, Taste of the wild… He appetite got better after she grew and she is currently raw fed for exactly two years now and she is a hole with no bottom and would everything and anything for a whole day long if possible.

What camera do you think is better to take our dogs’ photos?
I’d go for a DSLR, with a few lens choices. However, a good picture can be taken even with a low budget camera.

Are you planning to breed a second litter with Vicky? And if, do you want to keep one of the puppies then?
I wish! It’s not so simple! There are a few more things that need to fall into place. And I need to see what’s meant to be. But if yes, then I am definitely not missing up on keeping a Vicky pup! I’ve done it once and I am not repeating my mistake, ever again.

Will you come to Luxembourg one day?
I’ve been there once. The goal was getting some cheap gasoline. *giggles* We might come next summer when traveling through Europe.

Are you planning to come to Hungary someday?
You guys seriously want me everywhere! I’ve been there once, or twice. Absolutely would go again, but not in my travel plans for now.

How did you and Vicky become Ruffwear ambassadors?
I’ve been a huge fan of their gear forever before I gave it a go and wrote a little email presenting myself and what Vicky and I get up to. We didn’t start off as ambassadors, at least I think so, but progressed with time.

How much is Vicky activated? Everyone says that Border Collies are very demanding dogs, what do you have experience of it?
Vicky follows me mostly everywhere, she gets a lot of mental and physical activity. However, she doesn’t have a single problem sleeping all day long, especially if she gets some tummy strokes every now and then. It’s true Border Collies are an active breed, but here comes bringing up and basic puppy education. They should learn using their on/off switch. Vicky has always been a very easy dog but she was also taught to relax and sleep when there’s nothing to do.

Do you want a Border Collie as your next dog? What kind of other breeds do you like? Is a new litter planned?
Yes, absolutely. I think I will stay with a BC forever. Otherwise I like Vizslas more and more! No actual plans for next litter though. Only a big big big big wish.

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