Getting a Border Collie

[seano47]

Hi there peeps as title says but is there any special advice i need for this breed of dog i have heard there rather intelligent and need to be stimulated if u get me lol

Cheers Sean

[kit]

the only advice i can give you is train it.....and train it well!! .....they can become very aggressive if they have nothing to do and dont make the best breeds to have around kids!!.....things like agility and speedball will calm them down

k

[seano47]

cheers buddy

[KenONeill]

As Kit says (but they're very good natured as long as they are trained, engaged etc), and be prepared to go for long walks. They're bred to be able to do 10 to 20 miles a day.

[seano47]

Originally Posted by KenONeill

As Kit says (but they're very good natured as long as they are trained, engaged etc), and be prepared to go for long walks. They're bred to be able to do 10 to 20 miles a day.

they are am not


av got a big park round the corner from my house so that wont be a issue the walking

[Lady Elanore]

A shepherd once told me that his dogs often did 40+ miles a day. He even calculated that one of his dogs did over 60 miles a day on rare occasions. His paws (the dogs) were bleeding at the end of the day, but he still wanted to keep going. They are nearly impossible to tire out if they are fit and well, lovely dogs though

[KenONeill]

Originally Posted by Lady Elanore

A shepherd once told me that his dogs often did 40+ miles a day. He even calculated that one of his dogs did over 60 miles a day on rare occasions. His paws (the dogs) were bleeding at the end of the day, but he still wanted to keep going. They are nearly impossible to tire out if they are fit and well, lovely dogs though

I fully believe you, although those figures are more than I've been quoted, I suspect they're accurate on occasion for a working dog.

So take note Sean; Border Collies like and even need, to be walked a long way.

What about a Sheltie instead? They have the same intelligence and endurance, but are happy and kept fit with just 3 or 4 miles a day.

[Lady Elanore]

I worked on several ‘One Man and His Dogs’ in the 80/90s and spent a lot of time with working shepherds rather than the specialist Dog trainers. They seemed to think it was nigh on impossible to tire a fit working collie out. Even when the dog is old and no longer working, they are impossible to stop from coming up on the hills with them and trying to do a bit. Sharpest dogs in the world in my eyes.

[Aspman]

They're nuts and quite possibly nuclear powered.

Very very clever i.e. Gin from Britain's got talent.

They have a strong herding instinct and if you don't have them well trained they will herd children, cats anything.

Get some strong toys they like to chew.

[Lady Elanore]

If you are not of the ‘outdoor’ persuasion and enjoy walking for at least an hour a day (2 x an hour a day would be preferable and more at the weekends) then a Border Collie could be a nightmare to live with.

[Lady Elanore]

Originally Posted by Aspman

They're nuts and quite possibly nuclear powered.

[KenONeill]

Originally Posted by Aspman

They're nuts and quite possibly nuclear powered.

I love the breed, but the sheer amount of exercise they need is why I don't have one. The amount of exercise and entertainment I could give one is just not fair on the dog.

[Lance]

Hi Seano

Photo attached of my Border Collie, Zuki........IMO an absolutely brilliant breed of dog to own. We've had him for 8 years (from 12 weeks old) and he was incredibily easy to train and has never shown any aggression to anyone nor any other dogs...never even a growl. He is however very very alert and will bark at knocks on the door etc.

Very true that they need to be entertained and can/will drive you mad if not kept busy, not all the time, but fairly frequently. Ours gets walked 3 times a day, twice over the fields chasing ball/frisbee etc and once locally.....never need a lead as he's so well behaved. He also attends agility once per week and TBH the Border Collies are in a league of their own at this sort of thing. It is also true that they just don't run out off steam!!!

Ours hasn't been without health problems, suffering from epilepsy & diabetes. Both conditions are manage in much the same way as humans, however it does seem that Border Collies are more prone to epilesy than other breeds.

In all though, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one as a pet.....very loyal and a great companion. But if you have little time or effort for a dog, then there are probably better suited breeds.

Any questions, please ask

Lance

[seano47]

Originally Posted by KenONeill

I fully believe you, although those figures are more than I've been quoted, I suspect they're accurate on occasion for a working dog.

So take note Sean; Border Collies like and even need, to be walked a long way.

What about a Sheltie instead? They have the same intelligence and endurance, but are happy and kept fit with just 3 or 4 miles a day.

ye dont mind the walking i enjoy it actually i like going up to the lakes and wales places like thaat for walks

Originally Posted by Aspman

They're nuts and quite possibly nuclear powered.

Very very clever i.e. Gin from Britain's got talent.

They have a strong herding instinct and if you don't have them well trained they will herd children, cats anything.

Get some strong toys they like to chew.

read that today they sometimes will nip the ankles to get to show they mean business

Originally Posted by Lady Elanore

If you are not of the ‘outdoor’ persuasion and enjoy walking for at least an hour a day (2 x an hour a day would be preferable and more at the weekends) then a Border Collie could be a nightmare to live with.

as said above i enjoy the walking

[seano47]

Originally Posted by Lance

Hi Seano

Photo attached of my Border Collie, Zuki........IMO an absolutely brilliant breed of dog to own. We've had him for 8 years (from 12 weeks old) and he was incredibily easy to train and has never shown any aggression to anyone nor any other dogs...never even a growl. He is however very very alert and will bark at knocks on the door etc.

Very true that they need to be entertained and can/will drive you mad if not kept busy, not all the time, but fairly frequently. Ours gets walked 3 times a day, twice over the fields chasing ball/frisbee etc and once locally.....never need a lead as he's so well behaved. He also attends agility once per week and TBH the Border Collies are in a league of their own at this sort of thing. It is also true that they just don't run out off steam!!!

Ours hasn't been without health problems, suffering from epilepsy & diabetes. Both conditions are manage in much the same way as humans, however it does seem that Border Collies are more prone to epilesy than other breeds.

In all though, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one as a pet.....very loyal and a great companion. But if you have little time or effort for a dog, then there are probably better suited breeds.

Any questions, please ask

Lance

great advice cheers mate

few little questions

1. what are they like for malting ino some dogs are worse than others

2. what method did you find best for training it as people have different opinions when it comes to like rewarding for being good that type of thing

3. also do they enjoy being in the car as i would be taking him up the lakes and stuff for days out

[KenONeill]

IME Collies (all varieties) love powered transport. I've seen one that had been trained to ride pillion on a motorbike (yes really), and my godmother's Sheltie positively loved car trips.

[Loz]

Border Collies are my favourite type of dog, I love their intelligence. Mine is half border collie alf springer spaniel and she is the most amazing dog anyone could possibly have. She wouldn't hurt a fly and is great fun on a day out, not an ounce of trouble in the house either

Pure bred collies can be nuts though. They also get obsessive, especially with chasing/rounding things up. I knew one that used to go mad when it's owner was sweeping up or hoovering or anything lol

[Lance]

Originally Posted by seano47

great advice cheers mate

few little questions

1. what are they like for malting ino some dogs are worse than others

2. what method did you find best for training it as people have different opinions when it comes to like rewarding for being good that type of thing

3. also do they enjoy being in the car as i would be taking him up the lakes and stuff for days out

1, Yep he moults, however ours in a smooth-haired so it's really not that bad at all. If you transport a dog in a car, be prepared to be driven mad by hairs in carpets/mats/seats, you just can't get rid of em.....hence my dog only ever goes in the Mrs car, NEVER in mine

2, Training. I really can't emphasise how easy this was. IMO one trainer only!! In our case it was me and when young (him not me) I would always spend the first half hour of a walk, training. Somewhere quiet to start with and preferably somewhere secure if off the lead for the first few times. I use/d the reward method and should point out that the agility trainer advised not to use the clicker method on Border Collies. Patience and persistence is all that's required.

3, Car. No problem whatsoever. He jumps in the back, sits looking out the window for a while and then lies down......no barking or whining.....does like an open window though.

4, Herding. As someone already said, they do love to herd and it must be very deeply rooted in their genes........children, animals, cars (care needed by roads).

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Loz

Pure bred collies can be nuts though. They also get obsessive, especially with chasing/rounding things up. I knew one that used to go mad when it's owner was sweeping up or hoovering or anything lol

Yep, they can be obsessive.....ours has a thing for the washing machine and will just stand there looking in the door even when it's not on

All, and I mean all visitors, are greeted with a game of football. Once in the house he goes off and finds a hoop and ball. He will ONLY play football if he has a hoop to carry around in his mouth You'd be amazed how good he is at football

Oh, aeroplane vapour trails are a no no over our house....if the plane dare leaves one he goes mad (barks).

All little quirks which make our dogs special dontcha think?

[rotodiesel]

I have had Border Collies for the last 20 years. Apart from almost continuous exercise (even on the wettest days) the most important thing for them is mental stimulation - they are very bright and get bored easily.

I work from home and have a stable yard attached to my house. The dog is out with me for about 14 hours per day in the Summer and although she is getting on now, she doesn't get tired.

Unless you can provide working conditions similar to these, my advice would be to get a different breed - a bored Border Collie is a pile of trouble. Mine crashes out at night in her bed indoors and snores - usually upside down. It's also pretty amazing what you can train them to do - mine will shake when I tell her to, which is handy just before you bring her in, wet.

Brilliant dog - knows me better than I do.

rotodiesel.