Collie owners, talk to me about your dog?

[Orcagirl]

I’m not a first time dog owner.

Thinking about a new pup, and looking at different breeds. I’ve always loved collies.

Thinking about possibly a show line collie- would be good to hear from other owners?

What they are like with children? How affectionate are they?

Before anyone asks, I’m looking for a responsible breeder that health tests, the dog won’t be left for longer than 2-3 hrs max a week, can commit to walking at least 1-2 hours a day too.

Also- I know they love a job, but do they have an off switch too?

Thankyou

[Beachcomber]

@frostedviolets
You're right of course about all the beautiful colours border collies come in. My DC would love it if she turned out to be pure bred as they are both a bit collie obsessed. They love training her to do things.

We'll never know I suppose. But she certainly has a border collie character and she's a good gentle beast. Her main aim in life is to please and follow instructions. I reckon she would have made a cracking working dog if she had been trained young.

[PollyPolson]

Sorry wrong thread this was meant to be on the toilet bells thread!

[PollyPolson]

I am not in the kitchen table!

[PollyPolson]

Ok thanks guys

I have put a bell outside of the kitchen door and treated the dogs for pressing it with their feet. Now I have collies outside, door shut and they are pushing each other out of the way to ring the bell I open the door and they get treat.

This is great they are tiring themselves out while I drink coffee and eat biscuits in the kitchen table and open the door .

Next to keep one dog inside and teach them to open the door when they hear the bell ring ..........this is going to waste my whole morning and I should be wfh.

[Nifflerbowtruckle]

My housemate has a border collie and I wouldn't recommend them. He is beautiful and very affectionate with us but he is wary of people, dogs and children and is muzzled when out. He is terrified of random things including shadows. He loses it when the postman comes. He barks at anything and everything. Hes extremely anxious. Once he gets to know you he's all over you for cuddles but random people in the street, nope.

Its also very common behaviour in Border Collies, they are working dogs built to bond with 1-2 people and spend all day with them. A friends border collie suddenly became terrified of the flooring in the dining room and refused to walk on it.

[frostedviolets]

beachcomber Border collies come in that colour!
Obviously without seeing the parents you can’t be sure but she looks like a pure Border to me.

They don’t just come in black and white, they have a huge range of colours - black and white, black tri colour, red and white, red tri colour, lilac and white, EE red and white, Sable and white (what I think yours is), Merle, red Merle, literally loads!

[Beachcomber]

Forgot to say, our dog is also very quiet. She will politely and quietly woof twice at the door if someone has left her outside. If no-one lets her in on the 2nd woof she will let herself in (she can open the door by standing on her back legs to operate the door handle with her front paws and then somehow managing to pull the door towards herself). She is a smart dog and you can often see her observing something and figuring out how to do it.

She is also very sensitive to the weather and will become stressed and a bit trembly the day or so before a storm. We live in a part of the world that has regular thunderstorms and we always know when one is coming. We can have sun and blue skies but if the dog is shivering under the table then we are sure to have a storm in a day or two.

[Beachcomber]

We have a collie cross. Not sure what the cross is as she is a rescue dog. She looks like a collie but she is brown and white not black and white. She's slightly smaller than the average border collie.

She is very submissive (badly treated in the past) and very obedient. She's fantastic to walk off lead as she comes to heel the second you call her and then lies down next to your foot and waits for her next instruction.

She sometimes herds us a little if we are out for a walk and she thinks that we are too far apart from each other.

She's gentle and very sweet but a little nervous around unpredictable children / toddlers so I don't trust her with them. She isn't aggressive at all but if she is scared she would probably snap her teeth together which could be frightening for a child (she isn't bitey at all).

She is very loyal to me - I'm definitely her human but she goes on holiday to my PIL when we go away and is quite happy with them and no bother at all.

We live in the country so she gets loads of off lead exercise but if sometimes we can't get out a lot she is patient and will have a lazy day.

Her main quality which is probably also her main fault is that she is incredibly well mannered. This means that she doesn't like bad manners in others - she will snap at rude boisterous dogs who run up to her and she doesn't like noisy people much either (will go and hide).

We adore her and she adores us.

When I was young we had a very similar dog and I think collie crosses can be fab dogs. Obviously not the same as a pure bred though if that is what you are looking for.

[ginsparkles]

Ours is now 12. She has bags of energy once you get her playing but once it's over or the walk is done she's happy to sleep. (Although now she can't run and play for as long as she used to and she definitely takes a while to recover from lo her walks etc)
She's been fabulous with our daughter but I do keep close watch especially if she has friends over, squealing girls running about can stress her out. Ours is definitely a people dog, she's very wary of other dogs and will lip curl and snap if cornered. She is a farm dog reject who was badly treated.
She's lovely and affectionate at home, will come and curl up pretty much on my lap and sleep there but will move at the slightest sound or movement in the house and basically follows me everywhere!
She is the quietest dog I know. I have heard her bark roughly 5 times in her entire life.

[DanielleHirondelle]

So many beautiful collies!

[MyView2]

Here he is this time!

[MyView2]

Here’s mine 😁 when he was a cute pup, he’s now a cute 18 month old. He’s great with the children, we have three kids aged 6-9 who are typically noisy and he doesn’t bat an eyelid. He loves walks and runs but equally will chill out or is happy to potter around the garden. We have separated him from our hens as I wouldn’t necessarily trust him not to chase them. He loves a ball of course.

He also takes himself off to bed, the kids will lie on the floor with him but generally around the house he’ll check you’re there and then chill out in another room. The only downside is that he’s sometimes a bit unsure of some men e.g if a stranger says hello to him in the street. It’s only a couple of them he’s not too keen on and I’m not too sure why as I found no common trait and he was really well socialised. His recall is fantastic and he gets on really well with other dogs. I’d highly recommend a collie (I also have a golden retriever pup and they adore each other.)

[TaighNamGastaOrt]

I had a fantastic rescue highland collie @fassnk she'd had several owners when I got her and a reputation for aggression towards other dogs. With people she was my heart dog and would comfort anyone upset and could be trusted with even little kids.
She qualified as a PAT dog and was superb.
Other dogs-due to her sad upbringing she hadn't been socialised and would scruff and scuffle with nearly every other dog she met. Sometimes drawing blood. I worked with her with behaviourist and she learned to accept most dogs but remained uncertain.
Most dogs here are collies (semi-rural scotland) and they seem to be either people-friendly or dog-friendly but rarely both.
They can be very neurotic and destructive dogs if not physically and mentally excercised. But a happy collie is a tired collie!
I would really recommend looking at adopting a rescue collie-some are show types, some are working types. Either way they're the funniest, kindest, most intelligent dogs I've ever met. A rescue is just a dog that needs a second chance.
You need to be a step ahead of a collie at all times, but thats the fun of these dogs!

[Marcipex]

@frostedviolets
They need calm activities that work their brain.
Please could you suggest some calm activities. I would be really interested.

[Toastie7]

So many lovely collies. They really are pretty dogs. Ours turns into a pretzel when she is sleeping.

[frostedviolets]

My little girl as we are doing photos ❤️

[PennyInMyPocket]

Border collies! Absolutely the best dogs - ever! 🥰 Provided you have time and patience. They are easily trained and extremely intilligent - more intelligent than you OP 😁 You always have to be one step ahead.

They need plenty of excercise, every day, and won’t leave your side (unless sleeping).

However, if you want a cute puppy, to then leave it to its own devices whilst you work a collie is not for you.

Sadly these two are no longer with us and we have a daft mutt now. I would have another collie in a heartbeat! I have all the time in the world ❤️

[Biancadelrioisback]

Ah I've got 2 bearded collies. Absolutely adore them. My family have had them my whole life so I'm used to the hair

[Waxypotatoes]

Obligatory beardie pup photo. He's pale grey now.

[Waxypotatoes]

@AtopAHighHill

Oh hello beardie! Very similar to ours but much better groomed

[Waxypotatoes]

I'm an experienced dog owner but found our Bearded Collie a bit of a challenge! Just different way of thinking to other dogs I'd been familiar with. His parents were two pet dogs who had done the deed the day before the dad had his bollocks removed
So he came from a family home where they had fussed over him and bathed him and I can't fault his nature.
He was 9 months old when our surprise baby came along.
He is brilliant with other dogs, has adapted so well to the baby and is now very tolerant with him as a toddler, he is incredibly sweet and submissive and very friendly.
He has one big walk a day, usually with another dog so has a good run and then is happy to laze around the rest of the day and takes himself to bed but also happy to do more including endless game of fetch.
We live rurally and he's never chased sheep but we've been very careful.
He has no sense of personal space and leans against us/asks for attention/would sit on your lap if he could.
He truly loves people/other dogs/the world but he is such an independent thinker. He knows all the commands but very much decides whether to obey so he is not 100% trustworthy. His incredibly kind nature makes this less of a problem but he just does not have the devotion and interest in food and willingness to please (if he doesn't see the point) that other dogs do.
We keep his hair clipped pretty short and that makes life a lot easier.
So he's lovely and not an intense 'I must have a job I must be exercising' kind of dog, but he's no soppy Labrador either.
I'd recommend his nature, honestly I can't fault it he is so tolerant and sweet but I've personally found his trainability and independence a challenge. We didn't always get on when he was a teenager and I was wrestling him and a baby but he's gone 2 now and chilling out (slightly).
He's very different to border collies that I know though but I'd choose bearded over border every time.

[Toastie7]

She's very friendly, sweet natured, submissive, easy to train but needs a lot of attention especially at the moment with us having been at home all the time

[CollieDug]

Love all the collies: borders and bearded alike

Just awesome dogs. If you get one OP, collie pup photos essential!

[Smellbellina]

Here’s our girl, the one thing I would say about her is she can be quite talkative, especially at the TV!

[DanielleHirondelle]

@AtopAHighHill
Your beardie is beautiful!