CollieMan
Experienced Member
The Border Collie is a breed that is universally renowned for its intelligence, its stamina, and its ability to herd sheep. While once maintained predominantly as farm working dogs, the Border Collie has seen a recent boost in popularity as a family pet, thanks, in no small part I suggest, to the sheer number of agility titles that this breed takes home.
Many Border Collie 'purists' still frown heavily on owning a Border Collie as a family dog, citing the old phrase, 'no sheep, no Border Collie', referring to the unsuitability of people who are just looking for an intelligent dog.
Make no mistake, the Border Collie is a high energy and high stamina breed. It is not for the couch-potato dog owner. In order to successfully own a trouble-free Border Collie as a pet, you MUST be prepared to help the dog spend its mental and physical energy each and every day. Ideally, you will exercise your Border Collie in such a way that it spends both mental and physical energy at the same time. Whereas a walk might burn off some physical energy, far better is to practise trick training, obedience training, Frisbee, or other activity where the dog is allowed to use its intelligence as well as its energy.
Please note that the Border Collie is not particularly good at moderating its own energy levels, and will often spend more energy than is healthy when engaged in activity, unless moderated by the handler. You must be able to recognise when the dog is tired and encourage rest, as the dog may not do so on its own.
I can't emphasise enough, if you are not an active type of person, do not get a Border Collie. You would both drive each other to despair.
Because of the supreme intelligence and energy of the breed, the real problems start when it is allowed to become bored. At which point, it will use that intelligence in ways which you couldn't have even begun to imagine, and it might not be in a positive way. You let the Border Collie become bored, at your peril!
The Border Collie has a biddable nature which responds very well to consistent and fair training. It is not a breed which I would recommend for the classic approach to training, where a more coercive and physical approach is often taken. This is because the breed can be quite weak of nerve, particularly the bitch. Trying to 'break' such a trait will simply serve to force the Border Collie to shut-down.
With a fair and patient approach to training however, the Border Collie is a quick learner and has a long memory for the skills learned. It has been recorded, for example, that Rico, a Border Collie.
Many Border Collie owners have noted that it is best not to take a harsh tone on the breed when it fails, as they can be prone to 'sulking' and really do seem to get quite miserable when they detect that they have failed. (No, stop your laughing please, it does seem to happen.) Your best bet is to just forget the failures and move on to something else very quickly, where the dog might be more successful. Wait until it 'cheers up' a little and then return to the previous exercise.
The Border Collie is a very affectionate breed which loves to receive physical praise and cuddles on the couch. Though it is not overly 'clingy' to the point where it needs to follow you from room to room.
It is not an overly vocal dog, unless excited, such as when spectating at agility shows. It is this combination of excitement and frustration which seems to bring out the worst of the Border Collie, in terms of vocalisation. Around the home, however, it is happy to issue a bark at strange noises, and be happy with that.
Any potential Border Collie owner must be prepared to either accept or work with the natural traits of the breed. Being a natural herding dog, it can be quite prone to nipping at moving objects, and this can include the ankles of your young children. It is for this sole reason that I would not recommend a Border Collie to families with young children. It is also quite common to hear of Border Collies which like to chase the tyres on moving cars. Again, if you take the time to work with your dog regularly, you will find that it is more focused on you, and so much of these potential problem behaviours can be avoided.
One rather unique trait of the Border Collie is the intense stare. This is used when herding and to us humans, it can be very expressive indeed. Like no other breed I know, whenever I look into the eyes of a Border Collie, I feel something that, to this day, I've not managed to describe adequately. This stare can however, if not diverted, lead to problem habits, such as chasing houseflies around the home, or birds around the garden. I find it better just to interrupt the behaviour as soon as it's noticed, with a short game of tug.
Overall, I am not as alarmist about people owning the Border Collie as a family pet, as others might be. For the right type of family, with the right type of lifestyle, I think they make perfect pets that will never be too tired to join you on that morning run, will always be ready for some affection, will more than reward any work that you put into them ten-fold, and will always be ready to learn a new skill or trick. You just can't help but feel eternally young and exceptionally fit when you own a Border Collie.
Important Reminders
- Requires frequent attention and energy expenditure
- Will cause problems quickly if allowed to get bored
- Likely to be unsuitable for coercive training methods
- Can be prone to nipping moving targets unless controlled
Many Border Collie 'purists' still frown heavily on owning a Border Collie as a family dog, citing the old phrase, 'no sheep, no Border Collie', referring to the unsuitability of people who are just looking for an intelligent dog.
Make no mistake, the Border Collie is a high energy and high stamina breed. It is not for the couch-potato dog owner. In order to successfully own a trouble-free Border Collie as a pet, you MUST be prepared to help the dog spend its mental and physical energy each and every day. Ideally, you will exercise your Border Collie in such a way that it spends both mental and physical energy at the same time. Whereas a walk might burn off some physical energy, far better is to practise trick training, obedience training, Frisbee, or other activity where the dog is allowed to use its intelligence as well as its energy.
Please note that the Border Collie is not particularly good at moderating its own energy levels, and will often spend more energy than is healthy when engaged in activity, unless moderated by the handler. You must be able to recognise when the dog is tired and encourage rest, as the dog may not do so on its own.
I can't emphasise enough, if you are not an active type of person, do not get a Border Collie. You would both drive each other to despair.
Because of the supreme intelligence and energy of the breed, the real problems start when it is allowed to become bored. At which point, it will use that intelligence in ways which you couldn't have even begun to imagine, and it might not be in a positive way. You let the Border Collie become bored, at your peril!
The Border Collie has a biddable nature which responds very well to consistent and fair training. It is not a breed which I would recommend for the classic approach to training, where a more coercive and physical approach is often taken. This is because the breed can be quite weak of nerve, particularly the bitch. Trying to 'break' such a trait will simply serve to force the Border Collie to shut-down.
With a fair and patient approach to training however, the Border Collie is a quick learner and has a long memory for the skills learned. It has been recorded, for example, that Rico, a Border Collie.
Many Border Collie owners have noted that it is best not to take a harsh tone on the breed when it fails, as they can be prone to 'sulking' and really do seem to get quite miserable when they detect that they have failed. (No, stop your laughing please, it does seem to happen.) Your best bet is to just forget the failures and move on to something else very quickly, where the dog might be more successful. Wait until it 'cheers up' a little and then return to the previous exercise.
The Border Collie is a very affectionate breed which loves to receive physical praise and cuddles on the couch. Though it is not overly 'clingy' to the point where it needs to follow you from room to room.
It is not an overly vocal dog, unless excited, such as when spectating at agility shows. It is this combination of excitement and frustration which seems to bring out the worst of the Border Collie, in terms of vocalisation. Around the home, however, it is happy to issue a bark at strange noises, and be happy with that.
Any potential Border Collie owner must be prepared to either accept or work with the natural traits of the breed. Being a natural herding dog, it can be quite prone to nipping at moving objects, and this can include the ankles of your young children. It is for this sole reason that I would not recommend a Border Collie to families with young children. It is also quite common to hear of Border Collies which like to chase the tyres on moving cars. Again, if you take the time to work with your dog regularly, you will find that it is more focused on you, and so much of these potential problem behaviours can be avoided.
One rather unique trait of the Border Collie is the intense stare. This is used when herding and to us humans, it can be very expressive indeed. Like no other breed I know, whenever I look into the eyes of a Border Collie, I feel something that, to this day, I've not managed to describe adequately. This stare can however, if not diverted, lead to problem habits, such as chasing houseflies around the home, or birds around the garden. I find it better just to interrupt the behaviour as soon as it's noticed, with a short game of tug.
Overall, I am not as alarmist about people owning the Border Collie as a family pet, as others might be. For the right type of family, with the right type of lifestyle, I think they make perfect pets that will never be too tired to join you on that morning run, will always be ready for some affection, will more than reward any work that you put into them ten-fold, and will always be ready to learn a new skill or trick. You just can't help but feel eternally young and exceptionally fit when you own a Border Collie.
Important Reminders
- Requires frequent attention and energy expenditure
- Will cause problems quickly if allowed to get bored
- Likely to be unsuitable for coercive training methods
- Can be prone to nipping moving targets unless controlled