Border collies

[Farfalle88]

I have always wanted a BC. I know they are a lot of work and can be very demanding and have behavioural issues. How do I choose the right dog? Are failed sheepdogs a better bet because less hyper? Less liable to chase traffic etc?
We live near lots of open spaces and great walks. Have a medium sized garden. We also have a cat. There is someone home all day most days.

Please tell me your highs and lows of owning a BC. I don’t really want a puppy but rescues are hopeless as most dogs have a lot of behavioural issues and we don’t have six foot fences.

I had a JR terrier as a child but no recent dog experience.

If you went for a rescue you can sometimes look after them for a bit to see if they are the right dog for you. That would give you an idea. We have a BC mix and she needs a good two hour walk a day not in the same.place, is very bright and needs lots of things to learn. If you can't provide lots of entertainment and walks don't get a BC. She hates being left alone for long periods and as I wfh it's not an issue but could be.

I would not touch a failed sheepdog -they are often nervous flighty and have many issues which is why they do not herd.

Do search there are lots of threads on here about BC.

They will find a job to do if you do not give them one and that may or more likely not be compatible with what you want them to do.

They can be aloof and antisocial dogs when mixing with other dogs, they may not be the dog you can take to the pub with you or meeting friends.

They do need good exercise, safe free running exercise not a trot arouind the block but they also need brain work every day and this can sometimes be more of a challenge for owners. They also need enforced rest which can at times be hard to encourage unless you are an experienced owner.

I think you will need 6 foot fences tbh - what is on the other side of your fences and how tall are they at the minute?

Your cats life could be about to change - a lot depending on the dog.

Why do you want a collie?

Just seen that you have not had recent dog experience. I really would not recommend a collie to an inexperinced dog owner.

They will come with basic behaviours that are ok if you know what you are doing but can be extremely challenging for a beginner dog owner.

They are extremely intelligent which means they will learn things they want to learn very quickly but also work out many ways to not learn what they do not want to learn.

My beautiful Maggie
She’s full of energy and isn’t one to laze around....you do need to put the work in. But she’s loyal, affectionate and excellent with kids. I love her so much it hurts.

She’s well behaved with little training as she’s just so child. I can taker anywhere.

Don't get a failed sheepdog. They are not like pets at all and the herding drive is pretty much all they have.

There is a 'sofa collie' and a working collie. Sofa collies still have loads of the issues that make it hard to own them but are a lot easier to be around.

My advice is to look at the show dog sort rather than the farm sort. I've had both. I had to euthanase the farm sort as I had no choice but to inherit him but he went completely crazy not being able to work and I had an offer of work for him but loud noises would have him bolting so it was all hopeless. He was booted off his farm after F & M disease. The show/sofa sort was a pleasure to own but still a lot of work. He was fine with the cat - eventually and scarily intelligent.

We have a failed sheepdog, she’s great, really obedient and affectionate. I do some fun agility with her. Not keen on children, though that’s not a problem for us. There are good border collie rescues well worth contacting them for advice.

Weve got a 5 month old Collie, so far hes happy with a couple of 30 minute walks a day and we do about an hour at the weekend, plus some indoor brain games and clicker training. Hes picked the basic training up easily and we are taking him to puppy/obedience classes. However, hes like valcro, isnt happy to be left and has picked DH as 'his' and tries to follow him everywhere. He doesnt really like other dogs and is starting to become reactive to them but he loves people and will happily drop at peoples feet for a cuddle..but not kids hes wary of kids.
I wouldnt be without him but its hard work - think we are also hitting adolescent age so i expect him to be a git for the next few months but thats puppyhood for you.
If you get one just expect to have a shadow following you 24/7 and invest in some good waterproof clothes because you'll be out in all weathers.
Oh and I wouldnt get a failed sheepdog either.

What about a Bearded Collie? Less ‘driven’ but equally bright and engaged. The coat is a fair bit of work however.

We have a Border collie husky mix. We live on a farm so have plenty of space (veg not livestock but she's happy herding the kids and cats and would do anything for the DC she's completely a children's dog). We got her at 2 because she was in a tiny house with 4 kids under 4 and a bit "hyper" around the house. That was her second home as her first owner from pup to 20months left and went back to Poland. We found out the real issue wasn't being hyper it was she had clearly been kicked and abused by men in workboots as she was terrified and nearly ate DH when he went to put his on. It's taken a lot of time and love to reassure her but now she's much better with almost all men if I'm there with her and she can see Dh with boots (although not the workers they have to wear lace up boots). She's high energy but very responsive although was trained in Polish so it's funny if you have to call her back or tell her to be quiet sometimes the next farms workers answer! She is still more responsive to me though when it comes to commands although it's Dhs lap she sits on when the DC are in bed.

Sorry wrote my entry on the train as I was about to get off. Child=chilled and taker=take her.

@Ilikewinter I totally get the ''velcro'' comment. She follows us EVERYWHERE. Even to the loo, usually bringing her toys with her.

When the pair of us take her out together, we have to stay together or she gets upset and looks for the other person so hates it if, for instance, one of us is taking her for a walk and the other says 'oh i'll walk with you as far as the station''....once we've got to the station, she's upset that one of us has left her and keeps stopping and looking round for the other person!!!

Despite her high energy, she's incredibly gentle. We dont have kids but many of the local kids know her and she loves it when children make a fuss of her. I wouldn't leave her alone with one, especially a baby who can't understand instructions, but she is so calm and gentle it's unbelievable.

Oh despite her loving company, she's fine to be left for about 3-4 hours. We've even left her in hotel rooms to go for something to eat though go back a regular intervals eg every hour, to find her just chilled out watching the telly.

I echo what every else says. Do not get a failed sheepdog. We have one on our farm, excellent breeding,but no herding ability whatsoever.She is territorial,hates other dogs,people and is incredibly destructive. We cannot leave anything around that humans have touched as she will shred it. She once ripped the light switches from the wall in one of our outbuildings and lived to tell the tale.She is so 'well bred' from working lines that she is neurotic, obsessive,she hates loud noises,and is very vocal. If we put her in the house, there'd be no house left.If not allowed to run the fields all day,she's a nightmare.
Although she can't do the job we bought her for,she'll be with us for life,because she would never be suitable for rehoming anywhere. We can't have another sheepdog until she goes,as she'd probably kill it.
On the plus side, she's incredibly affectionate to family members,and a fantastic guard dog. No one would get in the yard unscathed while she's around.
I would never have a collie as a pet,but that's probably because we've always had workers. Not one of them has been straightforward in the 50+ years of having them.

I think if you want a border collie the best way to find a good breeder is to join the local Facebook page for border collies in your area (if there is one) and ask there for recommendations. You will get good advice for which local breeders provide good pet border collies. There is one near us and the also provide a lifetime of support afterwards.

My dog is BC mix. Quite damaged by neglect from first owner. Sweet dog but still traumatized. Friend of mine is BC fan has two and I sometimes dog sit one of them. I love his dogs, they are fabulous - but as you know, high energy, very intelligent, quite moody and needy. I'm not sure I could have one myself all the time. I'm tired at the end of the weekend. It's not just the exercise it's the constant awareness. They're very smart and aware.
All the dogs I know have been from working strains but not worked. The working ones I know I wouldn't have as pets.

In my opinion they're just not a family pet. We had one when I was growing up. It was extremely intelligent and charming, until it wasn't. We chose a confident one from the litter, he was a fun dog who needed slot of walking, I'm talking miles and miles a day.

Over the years he started to try to become alpha, no amount of training would control it, essentially he was bored as a pet, he needed mental stimulation as well as physical.

Ended in tears when he attacked my father. Had to be put to sleep.

Try another breed.

I have a working bred ‘farm’ border collie.
She isn’t a rescue, I’ve had her since she was a puppy.

She is generally a wonderful dog and nothing like as horrendous as people make out.
She does have strong herding instinct, she can’t be walked near busy roads or she will try and herd the cars.

The main negative thing I would say about collies is they are all, without exception in my experience, unfriendly with other dogs.

They are friendly as pups/young dogs but in my experience once they hit about 2 they become selective and suddenly don’t want to socialise with dogs they don’t know.
They range from politely disinterested to outright aggressive.

We’ve just brought home a puppy and surprisingly our collie is actually great with him, but I think this is due to the fact he is really shy and is very happy to play with his toys near her and doesn’t dare (yet anyway 😉) jump on her.

I don’t think she would have been so welcoming had he been what she she was like as a puppy!

The BC I sometimes look after is lovely towards me (owner thinks he might even like me more than him) but he's always been quite cool with other dogs but not generally unfriendly. He's getting quite grumpy in his dotage though and will go and lie in the garden under the hedge and sulk for no apparent reason... they can get quite cranky as oldies!

Ours is a rescue, ex farm dog, dont know if hes one of these failed sheep dogs spoken about. Hes an absolute joy in the right environment. he needs at least 3 hours walking/running a day. hes actually really good with children but generally definitely not a family pet. He does do a lot of herding and circling and is pretty bonkers, he absolutely loves to work and will do any training activity you want. He does this snapping thing which is a collie trait to get everyone hurrying up, and he is a clutz, barges around. he is awful in a busy public place, doesnt cope with crowds, is all skittish and in panic mode, needs nice huge empty spaces to run beautiful circles in but dolally on a lead in town.if walked and run enough is very low maintence, doesnt expect to be spoilt and does as hes told mostly.Loves cuddles. Hes 6, I imagine when younger they need more exercise, they are definitely built to be working 8 hours on a field rather than sitting around at home. i wouldnt leave him alone for more than 2 hours he needs things going on as his brain is busy. I think he would chase a cat, always chases squirrels but is fine with the chickens. Does roll in poo a lot thats a major downside. Is terrified of thunder and fireworks etc.
Mines extremely friendly with all dogs and all people, super friendly and all over them.
Is an absolute food stealer, food is definitely his first love but I feel thats due to his previous experience rather than a collie thing!

The idea that a show border collie or a sofa border collie is different to a farm breed working border collie is not correct. Although temprement wise show collies can be pretty highly strung as breed for appearance rather than brains.

Border collies' predatory motor pattern will be there regardless of descriptions of the collie.

I have a client now who told me her dog comes from a house so will not be herdy but has already spent a large sum of money on behaviourists to stop the lunging at cars and people......

The intrinsic behaviour will be in most collies - you may get a "dud" but then you may as well have got another breed.

Ancedotally people will tell you their collie is fab with kids loves ther dogs, really sociable , does not mind loud noises, loves watching f1 and calm all the time! Many aren't and you need to allow that the collie traits are what you can work with.

They are amazing dogs and deserve to get a life that enhances their fantastic brains and ability.

I think one of the biggest difference between working/show strains is coat rather than temperament?

The dogs inner characteristics remain the same!

Id agree with Polly, the idea of a sofa collie?? Mine likes the sofa but only after many many hours of exercise! Collies are bred to work and not happy if not working/lots of exercise & brain work. That non happyness manifests as 'behavioural problems' if not able to do their 'job'. So only get one if you have the time for lots of exercise & brain work, then they are great.

I would also argue that behaviours that people label as behavioural problems in collies are not. They are just natural instincts that do not fit into their owners life style (so that is why think carefully if you want a collie!).

Collies stop movement that is what they do, so when they chase cars it is a natural behaviour for them that need is not being met by their owner.

When they herd and nip children this is the same natural behaviour.

When collies are reactive to other dogs, again could be movement led but also collies do not disengage - it is in their dna to stay focussed and concentrate all the time so they will find it hard to move away from situations they find scary. "I am on duty until I drop"

The obsessive behaviour of the collie, to chase a ball again and again and again, to stare at it when it is not moving, which can also then be transferred onto children or shadows etc. All normal behaviour for the collie but being given the wrong outlet.

Collies think fast and act immediately - the sheep moving off from the flock and the shepherd does not have to direct the dog - the collie will have bought the sheep back in a second. So this will be transerred to herding the cat out of the room or ensuring all family members are together at all times - can be hard to live with though.

However all of the above is the natural behaviour of a collie that has had to be redirected due to the dogs in correct environment.

Think of how collies lived for generations on farms.
Working with one man, all day. Herding sheep in the great outdoors where it’s remote and you don’t meet other people/dogs very often. When not working, sleeping in a barn or stable or kennelled (quiet, dark).
This makes them brilliant at tasks requiring focus. They need to work and have a job to do. Exercise alone doesn’t cut it - you just end up with a dog that’s still bored, but super-fit.

It makes them typically antisocial with other dogs (because it wasn’t important historically for them to socialise with other dogs), prone to separation anxiety (because on a farm they’re with the farmer all day) and highly-strung in the house (because they traditionally weren’t house pets).

I would think carefully. There are other breeds that are intelligent and trainable but make better pets.

All very interesting. Much as I love them perhaps better avoided. I love them because they are highly intelligent. However it is a lottery and there are so many in rescue because a normal home cannot meet their needs.