Border Collies

[ponyfarm]

Originally Posted by wildo

It takes them a while to approve you, that's for sure. I tried sending the admin emails and that didn't really work either. I think it ended up taking about 1.5 to 2 weeks to get approved.



Ohhhh! Is she hot?

lol!!!

[Rangers-mom]

Has she thought about an Australian Shepherd? We had a black bi and it looked and acted just like a border collie (still not sure it wasn't a border collie). She looked like the dog in Babe and ran as fast. The thing that makes me think it wasn't a Border Collie was that she did not seem as intense and driven as what I have heard about border collies. Still she was the fastest and most agile dog I have ever seen. NO other dog could catch her. She would run forward looking over her shoulder and the minute another dog got close she would "put it in warp speed" and just take off. And her job was to watch my kids. She was great. Maybe a black bi Aussie would be a better choice?

[Rangers-mom]

https://www.google.com/search?q=blac...jrbBGKIb77M%3A

Here is a link to images of black bi Aussies. Aw, now I am feeling like I really want one. Our little girl was the best dog ever - don't tell our GSD or our blue merle Aussie.

[angelas]

Originally Posted by Franksmom

Your sister really needs to read up on all the herding behaviors that come with the border collie breed and have a plan for training before bringing the pup home.

Oh, how could I have forgotten the herding. If you scuffed your feet while walking (especially in gravel) Lucky would be lazer focused on your feet and she would try to herd. Circling, whining, darting in, nipping all while focused on your feet and there was NOTHING you could do to stop is short of sitting down on them or covering them with a blanket and breaking her eye line and being absolutely perfectly still. There is no distraction, no redirection, no physical correction that would break that focus.

Border Collies are the definition of INTENSITY.

[Marnie]

I had a working stock dog bred BC for 15 years and my uncle raises them. Here is something to think about, a BC burned down my friends house. Yes that is an absolutely true story. The fire inspector and the owners put together this scenario from evidence and the scene. The BC jumped on the stove to get to an upper cabinet where donuts were hidden. She knocked a bag of chips onto the stove and when she jumped down, somehow her foot hit the dial that turns on the stove burner. Chips ignited, cabinet above caught fire, house burned. The family Lab died in the fire but the border collie got out without a problem.

Thunderstorms were the only problem I ever had with my dog. If I was home, she would cower under my chair but remain under control. If I was not home, she might do anything. She cost me thousands in damages and broke almost every tooth in her head due to storms. Until she was very advanced in age, I never made the mistake of leaving her shut up in the house.

She never had a job and never needed one. She ran free on the farm and never left the immediate area of the house. She was told not to touch the cat's food and she never did. She was free fed and never over ate. When she was with me, she watched me for signals all the time. When she was alone, if a storm blew up, that problem solving instinct kicked in and she would jump thru windows, tear down doors, break fence welds, and on and on. I would never, never recommend anyone get a border collie unless you have livestock (not horses). If you are with them 24/7 they will probably be fine. Leave them alone for an hour and come home to a crate or kennel with broken welds, bent wires and a broken screen in the house where the dog jumped in or out. Or maybe come home to a smoldering ruin that once was a house. They are the most intense creatures on the planet and they are always looking for problems to solve.

[readmeli]

New here... mostly been lurking so this is my first official post. :-)

Having owned a border collie, and being active in agility and other people with BC's... I dont recommend them unless you plan on being active with them. This means herding, doing agility, disc dog, flyball, running, walking, games. LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

These dogs do not sit back and enjoy the day. They GO GO GO and need jobs like everybody says. I do not believe they are for everyone... you have to be smart and one step ahead of them forever. If your sister can fit that bill, then go for it. But if she is a person who just wants a couch potato, or a dog that will go on walks here and there, toss the ball once or twice... Look for something else.

(I LOVED MY BC!!!!!!! Now I have a Duck Toller.... Sorry no Shep here, but this is an awesome forum)

[gagsd]

As others have said.... there are Border Collies (working), Beauty Collies (show), and Flyball Collies (cuckoo?).
They are very, very active dogs, lots of drive, and some that I have met can be shy and/or neurotic.
Very cool dogs.... but nothing like a sheltie in my experience.

[Konotashi]

Being in flyball, I'm around a few border collies. Would DEFINITELY not recommend them for the average dog owner, unless they're willing to alter their entire lifestyle for the dog. Either that, or they will go insane (or the dog will likely end up somewhere else).

If they're not given an outlet for their drive, energy, and intelligence, they'll find one.
They have a lot of spunk and personality, so it's VERY important that the owner is matched to the right dog to make sure they mesh well.

Someone mentioned Aussies - I think that would be a better place to start. They're still pretty high drive/high energy dogs, but nowhere near a border collie. I'm sure there are some breeders who don't dock the tails, also. It's hard to tell a BC apart from an Aussie with a full tail.

[gagsd]

I don't know about Aussies..... My experience is all the drive and energy of BCs.... With more attitude.

[hunterisgreat]

border collie