The Workaholic of the Dog World – Is the Border Collie Right for You?

So you are thinking of getting a Border Collie. The answer can probably be summed up in one question.

Do you have an endless well of energy?

The Border Collie is definitely a great match for someone who is willing to be as active as they are. Are you interested in putting in the training and willing to get involved in activities including tracking, dog sports, obedience training, flying disc and others that involve agility and co-ordination.

Then the Border Collie might be for you! Read on after the break.

You could sum up a border collie in the following five words:

Energetic, Intelligent, Responsive, Tenacious and Alert.

Lets explore each in a bit more detail:

Energetic

The border collie absolutely loves to work. No couch potato dog this one, he wants to get outside and he wants an activity. Initially bred for herding it becomes apparent very quickly that its in their very DNA.

They will try to herd absolutely anything. Small children, other pets, sheep, livestock, even bicycles and cars. So you will need to be extra careful in the busier city environments.

Intelligent

Border Collie’s are considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds of all dogs. Extremely easy to train they remember commands like ‘sit’ or ‘lay down’ with ease and are suited to advanced training courses if you wish to go down that route.

In fact a border collie called Chaser has the largest tested memory of any animal. Chaser can identify 1022 toys by their name and retrieve them! Another Border Collie called Betsy in Austria has a vocabulary of 340 words!

Responsive

Want something done quickly, the Border Collie will react instantaneously to your commands.

They are also very responsive to training, picking up commands & words much quicker then a lot of other breeds of dogs.

The border collie Betsy mentioned above was able to decipher a sound after hearing the word only twice. She was believed to learn the same way as human toddlers do, if not faster!

Tenacious

If you have seen a Border Collie stare down a sheep or whatever animal they are herding you will know they are an extremely tenacious animal. Extremely determined they will not relinquish a position easily.

Have a look at this video of 4 border collie’s directing a flock of ducks to do exactly what they want.

Alert

It is said Border Collies have an uncanny knack of knowing what you want before you even make a move or sound. While it is stretching the truth a little they are a very alert dog breed.

A favoured sheep & cattle dog  something that makes them so appealing is how alert the Border Collie is to the movement’s and reactions of the animals they are herding.

Also great companions for entering into dog sports & playing high agility games like flying disc with.

Negatives

In saying all the great things about Border Collies it’s worth noting a few things to be careful of if considering them as your future companion.

When we mention they have boundless energy this means that a daily walk to the park with some stick chasing will just not cut the mustard. They really need more then just exercise to keep them interested.

A board Border Collie can become quite destructive if not mentally stimulated enough as well as becoming boredom barkers or develop quirky or obsessive behaviours.

They are more suited to rural areas and there need to herd everything and anything can get them into troubles with cars if you aren’t careful.

Some dogs of this breed with exceptionally strong prey drives will compulsively chase after cats. Therefore, adult collies which have proven themselves cat-friendly are a safer option than puppies for prospective owners that already have felines in their homes.

Conclusion

So if you are someone who enjoys getting out and about a lot then a Border Collie might be the dog breed for you. They make extremely intelligent pets and if you put in the energy you will be rewarded with a loving and faithful companion.

If you would like more information have a read of our Border Collie Guide.