collies - good pets?

right, ive been reading quite alot of behaviour books... and they all keep saying that collies dont make good pets cos of their strong herding instincts and will be a nuisance in the home showing typical herding behaviours such as ankle biting cos they cant channel their energy.
Now is this all collies or is there such a thing as a working type and a pet type?
it seems that at least 50% of the dogs in the 2 training classes i help out at are collies and alot of the owners seem to have problems with them being hyperactive, ankle biting, herding the cats, clingyness etc.

if anyone cud clear this up for me it wud be great as its popular belief that they are a good family pet, yet some sources say they are the most likely to be human aggressive???

This also made me wonder cos in indies class when she was little there were 3 collie x kelpies from same litter and the only one that wasnt a problem was the one owned by the breeder who was using her dog for herding sheep, whereas the others were just pets and had all sorts of problems and had to be removed from the class

rofl, this has nothing to do with the dog only with the people. most people forget that this is a WORKING breed meant to be out there in the fells all day and night with the sheep!!!

the Border Collie is not meant to be a pet, they are primary working dogs and should be kept as such. the Normal Rough/Smooth Collie is a littl bit better having been "humanized".

I can only think about how much a handful a Kelpie/Collie cross would be for the average pet owner, and it reflects on what you say. The only sane one was the one who was being worked. A cross like that shouldn't be in a city without a dedicated owner.

Border Collies can make fantastic family dogs!! But they need constant stimulation, and a job to do. If you want a BC then you will need to get into some sport (or live on a farm with lots of land). The same goes for all herding breeds. As for being human aggressive its a load of tosh, any dog can be human aggressive!

ah ok,glad u cleared that up.it jus seems constant from the people who own collies at the training class are gettin constant problems.. obv cos they arent getting any other stimulation other than walks!

does this theory also apply to other working groups? ie guarding breeds, terriers and hounds? sorry im crap at group naming, but are there specific problems related to other types as well like the collie being a working dog?

as you know i have two border collies and they are great family pets
i would trust them 101% with my family
yes they are bouncy but they are so clever
i,d never be withour a collie in our family

so is it jus a rise in popularity causing a problem with people who havent researched the breed properly b4 buying one?

I have had two Border Collies in the past and they were no problem at all, of course you get little hickups with all dogs. one of my dogs was from working stock, and as long as you are with them most of the time and give them jobs to do i.e I trained ours to round each other up when I wanted them in the house, fetch items out of the garden, get the post, control the cats etc. The main thing is they have plenty of space with a large garden, plus plenty of walks - 1-2 hours daily and even more if you can.

I now have another BC, Blackie he is also from working stock - beast, he is quite happy to lounge around most of the time although he does get 1-2 hours exercise a day now he didn't get it last year, he was lucky to get taken around the block (I was in hospital 22 weeks last year and neighbour had to take him out) I have had no problems at all with him. You just have to keep them mentally stimulated, with plenty of toys and attention, even if you don't want to they will demand it.

My only advice I would give is - if you intend to have a BC don't leave it alone for hours on end, they will destroy your home if they get bored, I have the exception with Blackie.

I hope I haven't upset anyone saying this, it is just my opinion.

Ian


Edited to say - The nippping problem etc. can be controlled, but IMHO is always expected. You just learn how to control it!

I was brought up with Rough Collies, they're very gentle and clever dogs, great for a cuddle too

Ok, with hounds you have the basic problem of them wanting to hunt. In some breeds its less dominant, in others more so. It is a problem though, and you'll see that in your behaviour books, with Hounds more likely to be excessive barkers, and won't listen to you and run off in persuit of prey, ect, ect.

Terriers it's exactly the same, very hunting driven dogs. So you can get exactly the same problems.

Guarding breeds not so, as they are usually quite happy to sit on the couch and sleep. Though you get the breeds like the Belgain Shepherds and GSD who are actually herding breeds and will need stimulation.

Gundogs I'm reluctant to say as usually there are 2 different types within each breed, one for field and one for show. It just stands to reason that you'd be driven nuts by a unstimulated field Gordon Setter but a show Gordon would be quite calm and happy in the same situation (though still be bonkers mind you calm and happy is bouncy and energetic for Gordons ).

Hope this helped.

Hi Dreamon I was bought up with a rough and my S/I/L breeds and shows them, they are great dogs arn't they?
Jenny Some of my family always have borders, they do make great pets in the right hands but as the others say they should not be left alone for long periods and do best with lots of exercise and mental stimulus

Hi, I thought this web site might give you an insight into the Border Collie.

http://www.laughingdogpress.com/bree...rcollie01.html