Can someone please clear this up for me? Border Collies. . . .

[SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud]

Are they really bred straight from the wolf? My grandma used to own one and she is adamant that they are, which is why they are good at herding and so clever. This was just after I'd been telling her about positive training and dominance/pack theory was absolute bullshit, then she told me that about BCs. She was saying their dog would never touch her food until they had left the room and she would always stay on the floor and never walk through a door before GPs.

Can anyone clarify this or is my grandma wrong?

Sorry your Grandma is wrong

I think she is right about her particular hound, but not in general

My BC will eat anything that is within reach, whether anyone is looking or not, likes to lie in the doorways and follow you around the house. And when the sofa is free he much prefers to lie there than in his own bed.

He is gorgeous though.

Bred straight from the wolf? What does that mean? All dogs are bred from wolves or wild dogs originally but BCs aren't even the most 'wolf like' of breeds.

Border collies have OCD! Every one i have known has oddities. Mine for example will only walk widdershins around you to get in the door (any door) - and pushes you into place if you're in the way. Also, he has to have the dishwasher completely closed or he won't go past it to get outside - if it's the tiniest bit open he thinks he can't get by it.

They are very very clever but also slightly neurotic....(perhaps because they're not bred to be cooped up in a house)....they are fab though!

oh and heaven is a border collie puppy - no argument

I have no idea fuzzy. All she says is that they're bred straight from the wolf

I think they are a very old breed - along with 'hounds' - but i'm not sure how pure their blood is back to wolfdom.

Are wolves scared of dishwashers?

Tis Bollocks. Some breeds are more primitive than others. Generally speaking, the Northern breeds (Alaskan Malamute, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Greenland Dog etc) would be considered to be closer to the wolf/wild dog than most other breeds but definitely not the BC.

Petplan seem to think my greyhound is an Alaskan Malamute.

So BC are definitely not bred 'straight from the wolf' then?

Definitely not. It's a bit of a nonsense expression to be honest as even the breeds that are considered to be more primitive still very far removed from their wolf/wild dog ancestors.

National Geographic created a chart recently, showing how much wolf is in different dog breeds. It's a bit fuzzy, but readable. Collies... Not so much! www.shibamac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/chart.jpg

Thanks for that Peri, that's really interesting! But especially difficult to read on a phone screen :o

In Defence of Dogs by John Bradshaw has whole chapters devoted to explaining the evolution of dogs and wolves (and why the modern domestic dog is nothing like a wolf ).

There are such things as 'primitive' breeds, the northern spitz types, asian pariah dogs etc., by comparison the BC is a fairly modern breed.

Interesting chart, Peri. Thanks for posting it.

Pleasure! It's fascinating, isn't it?

My dog is top of the list

Thanks for the chart, Peri. It's fascinating!