Border collie for first time dog owner?

[zippyswife]

I have never owned a dog and don’t know much about them.
Dh has owned a dog but works so the training and excercise etc will be down to me.

I’d love to get a dog. I have the time (work part time one day a week which is usually from home). I excercise daily- either walk run or both- generally in woodlands or fields. I have 3 children; 6,9,11.

I love the physical appearance of the border collie, and from what I read tends to be easier to train than some. I see that it requires a lot of exercise, but I believe I can commit to that.

Is a border collie too full on for someone like me- an inexperienced owner/with children?

Ideally I’d like a dog that makes a great pet- good and gentle with children/easy to train/enjoys activity and excercise. Is this a border collie or am I seriously off the mark here?

I’m not someone that usually goes on appearances but I just can’t help being drawn to these! I know I sound superficial- and normally I’m not.

Hello, I have a border collie who is absolutely fantastic.. my partner done a great job of training him.
I'd recommend the breed.
We both work full time but he comes to work with either one of us
He is a clever boy 😃

I have Vizslas, I would say they’re manageable for motivated first time owners without kids, harder for first time owners with kids. Mine have an hour a day mostly off lead with plenty of training mixed in. They are not at all destructive and can be left easily.

I know MANY vizsla owners who would say otherwise, lol. My cousin had one and it's destroyed so many items of furniture including a sofa and a bed (frame and mattress included ) it's a bit calmer now it's six!

They are Velcro dogs and typically struggle to be left - it's one of their breed traits so I think you must have been quite lucky.

I have a Border collie and she’s lovely. I got her as a puppy and she’s been brought up with two kids and three cats, and she learned very quickly that she’s not allowed to touch the cats, and that she’s not allowed to nip the kids (or us!). All puppies need to learn that, so she was no different to any other breed in that respect. She’s also learned from a young age not to herd the children - it was very good training for her, to have her on the lead while the kids raced around the park etc! She’s very good in the house - quiet, cuddly, likes watching the world go by from the front window and wagging her tail at all the kids going past, doesn’t bark at the postie. She does bark to be let into the garden if she sees next door’s cat, though. She knows perfectly well that our cats are allowed but strange cats aren’t. She does police the cats slightly - we have a baby gate on the kitchen door so the cats can get in but she can’t, and she will come and tell me when they’re eg getting something out of the bin. She does Couch 2 5k with me, but my running pace is so much slower than hers - she’ll stop and sniff until I’m 15m away, and then tear after me at full speed, and then stop and sniff again. Her recall is brilliant and she loves children. Her one fault is jumping up at people to get cuddles - we’re working on that!

Aw tooextraimmaturechedder that sounds pretty much like my collie. Lovely to hear. She is one now and has settled quite well. She doesn’t jump up on us at all. But would with visitors especially people she loves it’s really hard to contain her excitement.

Nah, get a goldie or a lab 🐶

@Turquoisesol

Aw tooextraimmaturechedder that sounds pretty much like my collie. Lovely to hear. She is one now and has settled quite well. She doesn’t jump up on us at all. But would with visitors especially people she loves it’s really hard to contain her excitement.

Thanks Turquoise! I know some people think collies are aloof - all I can say is that mine missed that memo!