Border Collies

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. where does one start. I treat a lot of these dogs and the majority are in unsuitable homes, with unsuitable owners, and unsuitable if any stimulation. This is the dog I treat the most of all dogs for aggression against humans.

I believe that aggression stems from frustration. I get calls from owners who believe ther dog has behavioural problems because it stares at walls or shadows and moving light, this starts at about 6/8 months. I explain that this is eye or "clapping" as it is known in dog circles and is the origin of the saying to "clap eyes on"

I think they are a marvelous dog in the environment they were bred for, I think someone with a lot of time on their hands can give these dogs a great home. For the city dweller and the person who is at work all day they are a unmitigated disaster for both the dog and the owner. IMHO

Stan

My M-i-l has a border collie and she is fantastic. She will 'herd' anythig, the kids, the chickens, the cats. She is a 'working' collie and does her job brilliantly. So long as u keep her both physically and mentally stimulated she's as happy as a pig in mud

My 2 BC's are great family dogs
But i do agree that they shouldn't be left for a long time as they do destroy stuff
We're lucky...we have a massive garden and fields alll around so they get lots of space, I do agree that a collie is not for all, they have boundless energy that needs to be focased (although mine are 7 and 10 now and have become quite lazy in their later years )
I agree with Doglistener that city dwellers and people who work away all day shouldn't consider a collie as it is a reciepe for disaster.

i was jus asking cos b4 i got indie numerous people would suggest getting a collie... a breed i knew nothing about and by the sounds of it would have been a bit of a distaster living in one room! My bf's parents had a collie previously who was snappy, but they are the type of irresponsible owners i wouldnt trust with a goldfish!

it jus seems like they are the number one breed recommended by people when u want a dog, yet they dont know anything about the breed to even begin recommending it! There is a puppy in one of the dog classes, about 6 months old, which the owner thinks its a collie x spaniel... and oh my god, this dog is the most hyper dog ive ever met and apparently is always like that!! scary!

now i say 50% of the class are collies, well the other 40% are labradors and the 10% are other breeds. strange! it saddens me to say that the labs are overweight such a shame they are also another breed thats always recommended, tho i cant see any problems with them??

the only thing indie seems to have is this drive to chase everything, if we throw something for her, even if shes not in the mood she will go chase it and not necessarily pick it up either. she tries to chase cars, or attack them not sure which,lol. and chases bikes! doesnt bother me too much as we are overcoming it

Im soon to be getting a border collie and believe me its not a decision ive taken lightly, luckily i have all my time and effort to devote to a collies need. I will be doing obeidience/HWTM, agility/flyball the lot!! I agree a collie in a purely 'pet' home 90% of the time will NOT work, but give a collie 'work' a chance to think and use that mind of theirs and they can be fantastic pets!

To answer your question jenny, yes i think they CAN be good pets, with plenty of understanding and time! they are a working breed!

well max's gundog bit is coming out strong he is obsessive about squirrels and rabbits and birds and forgets he is with me over the woods if he sees one!! he has also taken to chasing the cat eek! which i will be posting about later! I love collies but get tired loking at them so dont think its the breed for me

If you get a working breed and do not substitute it's work with some similiar exercise, I think you destroy their souls, most workers live to work, whatever their choosen field.

LOL Max I love the look in a collie's eyes, the intense anticipation of there next command, the connection and loyalty between a collie and the owner, wow!

You've hit the nail on the head there!!
Couldnt have said it better!

problems arise when a workman is deprieved!

Hi I own 2 working sheepdogs 3 Border Collies and a Rough Collie who are all house pets first,some get shown and others I do obedience with but not at a competative level. The problem with them as pets is more often than not due to the new owners lack of understanding of the breed .Yes they are intelligent and yes they are trainable but yes it also takes alot of work and stimulation. You hear people frequently say Collies need a lot of exercise. Do they? Well they may need a fair amount but to me more important is the mental stimulation. You will find it hard to run the legs of a collie and all that will achieve is a very very fit mischief maker, work their brain and you can gain a companion that can't be beaten.JMHO