Do you have a border collie? How long can you leave them when you go out to work?

[Bordersandballs]

Looking for genuine experiences from people who own border collies. My dog is 5. I have previously managed to leave her for 4 hours quite easily. I am out the house for 6 hours and currently use a dog walker but this isnt working. My dog is displaying signs of stress and I think it’s the walker she doesn’t like - not the time at home. So, I am considering maybe just doing long walk either side of the 6 hours. With possibly a 30 min pop in the middle for someone to let her in the garden.

Our collie we couldn't leave that long but that's because he's used to someone being around, however my dad's collie is happy for probably that amount of time. Our previous dog (not a collie) would be on his own for the day with a pop in from MIL at lunch time, so your plan for a lunch time potter break could work.

We try not to leave ours for more than 4 hours - we have a dog walker who comes if needed who he loves.
What were the signs of stress you saw? Is the dog walker taking the dog on a 121 walk or in a group? The more I learn about Collies the more I see how they really bond with a small amount of people. I don't think they like playing in big groups or going to daycare in general. Maybe you could ask around for another walker who has collie experience and can do quiet 121 walks they might get on with better?

It’s not about the breed. It’s about building up the time slowly.

Dog walker owns collies of her own so she knows the breed. But my dog does hide when she comes to collect her. And when we are on walks she is barking at other dogs which she never used to do. It is a group walk she is on just now.

Collies are working dogs and need hours and hours of walking and activity a day! It isn’t fair leaving the poor thing for hours on its own and just with a dog walker who won’t be taking them for 2 hours a day walks! Be kinder to rehome to some one who is home all the time and takes them out for walks 3 times a day

We always know when the neighbour has gone out because her dog barks and howls like a banshee from the minute she leaves until the moment she gets back. It goes on for hours and hours and hours and my goodness it's enough to drive a saint to drink.

She's a nice person and the dog's a nice dog (if you like dogs) but holy crap I think there should be a law against owning dogs in terraced houses.

Ooof if she hides when the dog walker arrives then I'd definitely find someone else. They are so sensitive. Maybe she would do better on a 121 walk or maybe it's just a bad fit personality wise or something has happened on a walk that frightened her.

I’m a dog walker and walk multiple collies - absolutely none of them hide when I come in. In fact, none of the dogs I walk do that. They’re all at the door bouncing all over me or bringing me toys. That’s a huge alarm bell right there, IMO.

In terms of time, I walk collies who are left 8 hours with a walk in the middle but they’re not fully alone, they live with other dogs. In fact, one lives with other dogs because he got anxious on his own he wouldn’t eat and would howl constantly.

I don’t think six hours is too much of an issue but I would perhaps look at switching walkers to one who can do smaller groups or a solo walk. All the adult collies I know are pretty antisocial and don’t want to be around lots of other dogs.

Ages, he ignored us for hours when we were wfh too! Dogwalkers and kennels stressed him but he was fine alone for extended periods. Know your own dog, they are all different though. He wasn’t a “people dog” I swear he had the dog version of autism, fitting in with the rest of the family. He’s no longer with us but he knew what he liked, and hated strangers

Definitely this. The dog walker is not the right person for your dog.

Agreed, ours is definitely happier at home than with the dog walker. Set up an internal camera & see how it goes

I would never leave my colllie regulary for 6 hours on their own. There are other breeds of dogs that might not mind but collies need company stimulation brain work and spending hours on their own they will not be getting that.

Your dog sounds pretty unhappy with the dog walking situation

We don't leave ours longer than 4 hours and he has 4-5 walks a day. Collies don't always cope well with people outside their family or kennels, so your dog may be happier at home. Could you set up an indoor camera to see how she copes with 6 hours and then go from there?

Dogs are pack animals, they might tolerate being left alone for hours on end but they're not going to be happy. Just because they're not howling or destroying the place doesn't mean they're fine with something.

Try a different walker, someone who you can go out with so your dog gets to know them a little bit before they're taken out without you. Also someone who isn't taking out a big group of other dogs, 121 would probably be best so they can build a relationship.

5 walks a day? Why?!