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.

Going to suggest a Bearded Collie once again. It’s been so so so long since they were used as working dogs, they are in my experience (we’ve had three, got 2 now) much less needy, both in terms of exercise (although they get 2 x 60mins a day plus ‘brain time’) and attention. I mean, our boys LOVES to be stroked and get nose boffs but they are both very good at settling themselves. Ours are both ‘working beardies’ but that’s more to do with a split in the Beardie community rather than them coming from active ‘Working Stock’ (it’s all about the aesthetic vs intelligence and inbreeding). Lots of Beardie Rescues too (although appreciate you’re not in the UK).

Mine is and has always been bloody lazy. Just wants to sniff, I fetch the ball more than him.
He rarely sits in the room with us, damn unsociable bugger!
Loves swimming a lot!
Not a huge fan of children.
I love him though 😁😁

My collie is an asshole I wouldn’t wish on my enemy.

He’s brilliant with children, but the slightest bang and he runs faster than a bloody grey hound.

We’ve walked him over Munro’s, and found he lies down knackered for a few hours then he’s ready to go again.

We have to pay a dog walker to walk him individually as he gets a bit grumpy with being forced to be with other dogs.

But also we have found it really difficult to find a dog walker that won’t just throw a ball for him. He’ll work himself into exhaustion and exacerbate a shoulder injury.

People who don’t know the breed just don’t seem to understand that he won’t give up when he’s sore or tired, he’ll work until you say stop.

Great on a lead, great in towns, except if he hears a motorbike which we think he thinks is a really large wasp. Quite sensibly he tries to get away from giant wasp. Not helpful for us though.

He’s, and this is the worst thing about him, is loud. Avalanche starting loud.

Not great in a house.

Not a dog for stroking.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to take on a collie.

I often get complemented in parks because I can get him to do some fairly interesting commands and games...but if I didn’t work him every time we were out I’d have to walk for miles.

Next dog I’m getting is a cat.

Rescues are not hopeless. I had a bc from a puppy and she was a gorgeous dog I loved her so much but I would never get another one. She had two long runs a day but it was never enough for her. I always felt I was shortchanging her. As soon as we got back she was ready for more she never seemed content In my opinion they need to be on a farm or in a house with lots of land so they can free roam all day. After her we rescued a lurcher from the kennels and have never looked back. A lovely temperament and more than happy with 2 walks a day He is so contented and very heartwarming to know we saved him from a bad situation.

@Skyla2005 's description .....but I would never get another one. She had two long runs a day but it was never enough for her. I always felt I was shortchanging her. As soon as we got back she was ready for more she never seemed content... is my experience too.

I once had a BC who had many traits I found difficult and which also affected his life and what I could do with him - lunged at cars, couldn't be trusted off lead as he'd see something in a flash and be off 'on an outrun' without warning, barked and aggressive to other dogs, etc. Plus side he was gentle and liked people and was a lovely companion at home, but I ended up thinking he would have been more content as a working dog, which made me sad for him.

I walk several collies.

All are very easily obsessed with things - mostly balls, sticks and tug toys. They know when I have a ball and will not stop fixating on me/it until it's thrown.

They don't like being walked on leads as a general rule.

Very, very intelligent. I can command all of them with my voice - they all know "left, right, stop, come" - it took me probably two walks to train it, if that.

Unfortunately one is very dog reactive - he has excellent recall so I can keep him off less but I need eyes in the back of my head and he has to be on lead around dogs he doesn't know. Luckily I walk him in very very isolated areas!

They get at least 3x hour long walks a day - sometimes even four and yes, they're never tired! They'll come back from a walk with me seeming relatively calm but if you offered them a ball or a toy they'd be 100% full of energy again

Why are people always surprised when collies are never tired? And always complain about it.

Border Collie is a working dog!!

My friend who owns 2 also says the more you walk them the fitter they get and then the longer they keep going for! His dogs get a short walk in the morning, longer one in the day and a wee before bedtime. They take them out more at the weekend but it's hitting a balance between keeping them fit and exercised but not too much.

@icedcoffees

I walk several collies.

All are very easily obsessed with things - mostly balls, sticks and tug toys. They know when I have a ball and will not stop fixating on me/it until it's thrown.

They don't like being walked on leads as a general rule.

Very, very intelligent. I can command all of them with my voice - they all know "left, right, stop, come" - it took me probably two walks to train it, if that.

Unfortunately one is very dog reactive - he has excellent recall so I can keep him off less but I need eyes in the back of my head and he has to be on lead around dogs he doesn't know. Luckily I walk him in very very isolated areas!

They get at least 3x hour long walks a day - sometimes even four and yes, they're never tired! They'll come back from a walk with me seeming relatively calm but if you offered them a ball or a toy they'd be 100% full of energy again

Haha Maggie certainly has obsessions. Her cutest one is playing bubbles, she just loves chasing them over the park. When she sees you have brought bubbles to the park she pesters for them and is not happy until they're out.

Her weirdest obsession is washing. She loves watching the washing machine and tumble dryer, will try and help you load/unload them and has to be with you putting the washing in and hanging it out. She gets proper excited by the whole process. She's bonkers, I tell you!!!

Oh no, this is a depressing thread. On the collies v cockers thread there were loads of people being v positive about collies.

We are first time dog owners in London and we have a nine-month old collie, I won’t lie that she can be a bit of a handful (DP says it’s like learning to drive in a Ferrari) she is quite full on during the day (but is currently conked out on the floor) but at night can sleep from 6.30pm to 10am if left in the morning!! I am a bit neurotic about letting her off the lead as she can occasionally chase or jump at cyclists but we are working on that. She toilet trained within days and really is a lovely, sweet, clever girl who I’m sure is going to grow into a super dog. I don’t mind the work, though, I’m a shift worker so have lots of time during the day, plus I’m aware she’s a teen at the mo so will probably calm down a bit naturally.

I had a collie when I was a teenager. I loved her to bits and she was ‘pet bred’ so no where near as energetic as her working counterparts (we also had a puppy from a working farm when I was a kid which was a BIG difference and not the best decision my parents ever made).

She was a bit ‘funny’ with other dogs and strangers so I had to keep an eye out but incredibly loyal to me and I adored her and she was fine as a pet. Walked every day but didn’t need extraordinary amounts of exercise like the working bred collie we had.

Mediumred you are in about the same position as us, we have an 8 month old. Honestly I get scared to open any threads on mumsnet about collies as they are always so negative and I get myself all worried about it.

I have a 'failed sheepdog' from a long line of decent working dogs. He loves other dogs (too much, always wants to make friends with everybody), doesn't like a lot of walking but prefers to run round our garden, and loves a cuddle. He has no herding instinct and has never tried to round up people, animals or cars. Our old border collie was a herder but would herd until she knew we were aware of what she was doing, then would walk off as if we were imagining it. She didn't like long walks either and was known to sit down and refuse to go any further if we went too far.

On the more negative side he is very barky when he hasn't got your attention and is on alert until the whole family in the house unless it's school time, he seems to understand that the DC are at school in the day. We think this is a reaction to the end of lockdown as he wasn't so fussed before. He would play catch for hours if we kept going but is happy to stop when we say 'game over'. He's also a thief, socks mostly, and is very proud of himself when he has liberated a sock- should have called him Dobby the Elf!

My parents have always had border collies so we knew what we were potentially getting but he's quite chilled and understands many commands which makes life a lot easier

I spoke to a border collie rescue centre that the lady there seemed to think she can tell the dogs temperament from looks and eye colour. She said long hair, brown eyes and stocky build was most chilled. Shorter hair and Merle are more hard wired. But I expect there will be many people online who disagree with that thinking.

Our Blue merle is a poppet ! A massive softie , Male and yes he has his enemies but he is well trained and when he sees a dog he doesnt like he lies down and waits until we put his collar on. He has his routine and his space and we respect it. We walk miles with him ( and we live in a city so we take him out at least once a week for countryside walks). He doesn't bark at strangers and gets on well with the cat. he has his favourite toys but no balls in the house as he i is obsessed.

Oh goodness I dont know how a collie copes with living in london and being on a lead! I cant imagine mine in a lead based lifestyle atall! and with cars everywhere!

We are lucky we have a lot of local woodland walks where we go off lead

@scully29

Oh goodness I dont know how a collie copes with living in london and being on a lead! I cant imagine mine in a lead based lifestyle atall! and with cars everywhere!

If that was aimed at me you couldn't be further from the truth. Yes I live in a city , Its not London and we don't have any cars at all , not one ! he walks on average 3 hours a day and he has time off the lead. I agree a countryside life would be far better . However , trust me he is a happy dog ! Dare I say we don't have a garden either !!

In my view BCs should only be owned by people whose lives are spent predominately outdoors. As farmers, our dogs are outside all day long. They are constantly active and a walk is just not enough for them. If you want to do some form of dog agility then that might be ok but you need to be doing activities daily as they are intelligent and need to use their brains to avoid boredom and bad habits. Its not just about exercise.

The other thing I have found is that they are extremely territorial and so don't make good family dogs. Any family coming to our house had to be told not to stroke the dogs when they were sleeping or on their beds.

Not stroking the dogs when they are sleeping or on their beds is fairly standard for most dogs surely? I tell my children they aren’t allowed to speak to do when she goes to her bed

The other thing I have found is that they are extremely territorial and so don't make good family dogs. Any family coming to our house had to be told not to stroke the dogs when they were sleeping or on their beds.

Nobody should be doing that to any dog!

One thing mine absolutely isn’t is territorial.
In fact, while she is fairly disinterested in strangers outside and doesn’t like other dogs at all, at best giving a very brief sniff before wanting them to sod off she is extremely warm and welcoming to anyone we bring into the house.

What Polly says: 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!).

This x 100

OTOH if you spend time with collies and get to understand them, they are the easiest dogs in the world as they're really predictable.

There's a really strong tendency amongst inexperienced collie owners to encourage the obsessive behaviour rather than channelling the energy elsewhere. My latest foster collie ( lockdown pup) is a car chaser, but also came with a ball chucker .

Somethinginthewater what games do you suggest other than fetch for chaneljng the herding instinct

Yay! Waves to @Turquoisesol! Haha, don’t know about your rescue lady but Mediumpup is a short-haired skinny collie, she does have brown eyes!

I think @scully29 meant me. It’s not ideal my reluctance to let her off the lead but it’s a work in progress. London’s not so bad, she doesn’t mind the cars on the street, even before she was allowed on walks I would take her out in her bag to watch the traffic.

Now I’ve been taking her to a nearby basketball court and letting her off there as I play with her with a sheepskin tug toy, we run up and down I get her to drop it then follow me as I run about, change direction etc, the idea is her eyes are on me and she will just ignore the few people who walk by which she now does. It is set in a very quiet kind of park by a school so occasionally suppliers for the school drive by but am afraid she will try to run after those cars/vans as I think she thinks they shouldn’t be there, she knows that on the road etc that is for cars, it is seeing them in the park IYSWIM. I also practise her commands/tricks on the court and at home.

Afterwards, she found a ball so I took that on our woody walk but we don’t stick to the path, we tramp through the undergrowth and I throw the ball into the ivy etc so she has to find it, she was on a long lead but like I say I am working on it. I hope we give her a good life, when she is bigger I will do agility and run with her but she’s just nine months still (and is conked out again, exhausted after our playing!)

I do see other collies in London, the old ones are exceptionally well behaved and will walk on the street or sit outside shops without a lead! Where we live has access to woods and fields, it’s not the country but am sure all the collie owners are aware they are very privileged to have these lovely dogs and try to do their best for them.