Border Collies....

[SunnyNJazzy]

So I am thinking about getting a puppy in the next few years, and am trying to decide what breed I want to do. I have always had herding breeds, 2 sheltie mixes, and 3 mini aussies. I have really fallen in love with the mini aussies, but have always wanted a border collie. I do agility and obedience and am a very active person. I know border collies take alot of activity and things to keep their minds going but I would love input from those that have owned them as far as what you did with them to keep them happy dogs.

I am currently a college student working part time. is it a feasible option to have a border collie happily in my kind of situation?

Thanks!

 

[Lizmo]

I think if you put effort into the situation, and have a true heart for the BC, you can do it.

I will recommend you NOT getting a puppy. Blaze was *the best* BC puppy. But he's 8 months old now, and you could say, "going through the teenage phase". He's into everything. He's chewed up my tenni shoes, I can't leave him alone and be upstairs, he runs around the back yard like a crazy person, he will jump on the outside table. I'm actually scared he would jump the fence if he wanted to.

I've also had to start crating him again because he won't settle down at night anymore.

I'm expecting him to be out of this phase in a few months (I' say 11mths to 1.5YO), but still it's a big thing to deal with.

I would recommend either getting a serior BC from a BC rescue. There are many wonderful Border Collie rescues. Or wait till your out of college.

Border Collies are wonderful. Now that I have one, I know I won't be without one. . .ever. They are my heart breed.

They are driven, lovable, loyal, fun, and they teach you so much.

If you have your heart set on a breeder, though, let me know and I'll put you in contact with a few good ones I know of

 

[bubbatd]

Wait until you're out of College , settled and then decide . Meanwhile do a lot of reading on breeds and dream !

 

[PAWZ]

I have 3 border collies, ranging in ages 2yr -15yr each one owned since puppyhood. The first was very laid back as a mature dog but as a pup was a hellion, the second a rescue at 3 mos, she was bouncy and drivey turning into my daughters 2nd agility partner, The third also a rescue at 3 mos is very high drive and had to be taught an off button. Personally I would not introduce a bc to college life, too much interferes...friends, study, and life in general a baby is not ready for it and I think would be overwhelming the average student with an average class schedule and load. Wait until you are out, there will always be rescues a plenty thanks to byb's.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Hmmm...

like the other posters, I am unsure if it's feasible to raise a Border Collie puppy (or any high energy/high intelligence/working breed puppy for that matter) as a working college student. My friend is a working college student, and she has a BC puppy, but she lives with her Mom and her brother. If she did not live with her Mom and her brother, and I wasn't willing to drop by to take her on a run or puppysit her here and there, it would literally be IMPOSSIBLE... well, it might be possible, but the effect that it would have on the puppy would not be pretty.

Do you live alone? Do you live in an apartment? Do you have access to areas where you could exercise your pup off-leash on a daily basis? How many hours per day are you home - honestly - and how many of those are you truly willing to dedicate to your puppy? Do your Mini Aussies live with you? There are lots of questions that you need to truthfully ask yourself.

 

[Laurelin]

I have mixed feelings...

I'm a college student and a dog owner and plan on getting a BC for my next dog- I *may* still be in some form of school at the time as I plan on going to art school once I graduate here. It definitely won't be while I'm here though.

I think with a college student with a decent schedule and the right border collie, it could work. A lot of students are like me and are actually home a lot more than people who work full time. The only problem with this is I spend almost all my free time taking care of my dog, which most college students don't want to do. My schedule revolves around the dog- classes, breaks to let the dog out, walking the dog at set times, studying places the dog can come with me, etc. I don't know if you have a dog of your own away from home or not, but I just got my pap last spring. It's a lot more work than you realize. Especially since she's pretty high strung and needs quite a bit of exercise daily. She's also very very clingy.

I work in a shelter and we get in border collies and border collie mixes a lot (Texas is full of herding dogs in the shelters it seems). Some of them I think would be fine for the apartment situation if your landlord allows dogs of that size (Mine only allows 20 lbs and under). Some of the older bcs are really pretty calm and we do get in quite a few BC mixes that aren't quite so energetic and intense. Of course all of them will require lots of time still but may be a better option than a bc puppy.

I am pretty sure if my apartment allowed me to have another dog I could deal with an adult border collie (not a puppy) while I'm in college, but then again as I've said, I'm weird.

 

[puppydog]

I know one this is for sure. My BC would NEVER cope unless she had someone around for the majority of the day. She is a very high strung and highly intelligent dog. She litereally suffers if she does not have her people around.

I would hold off until you are out of college, borders are, in general, a high maintenance breed.

 

[Laurelin]

I know one this is for sure. My BC would NEVER cope unless she had someone around for the majority of the day. She is a very high strung and highly intelligent dog. She litereally suffers if she does not have her people around.

Summer's like that too. She has really bad separation problems and isn't happy unless someone's there. I can't wait until I can get a second dog because she seems to do a lot better when she's left alone with other dogs. Luckily my roomies and I all have opposite schedules so she's only left alone really a few hours a week.

ETA: Another really good reason to go through rescue. That way you can know of what you're dealing with before you adopt. A good rescue will warn you about things that could be problematic and can also set you up with a calmer dog that is more suited to your lifestyle.

 

[SunnyNJazzy]

Thanks for all your input guys... looks like I'm gonna be waiting... I was really just dreaming to get a BC... it's my dream to have one someday and my current agility dog ("MY" mini aussie of the three) recently got injured and most likely wont be competing in agility any more so I was thinking maybe Ill start up that BC pup now. But you guys are right, it won't be fair to the pup to get one now, my hope is to enter a nursing program next fall which will put me away from home more than I already am. (and I live on my own in a small house with a big back yard with a roomie that has a mini aussie also but we have identical school schedules going for the same nursing programs) Lizmo I would love any websites you have for breeders to keep in mind for eventual BC pups... I have been keeping an eye on BC rescues around tho as I plan to adopt at some point as well.
Now i raise the question, is it feasible for me to EVER consider having a BC? I am working towards a nursing degree, which will most likely mean 12 hr shifts 3-4 days a week... granted I could do night shifts and maybe have my roomie at home on opposite schedule but is that an insane situation for a BC?

Thanks again!

 

[Lizmo]

I have mixed feelings on the 12 hour shift thing. My aunt is a nurse and works 12 hour shifts. She wants a dog, too. But I don't see how that would work, since if you live alone there is no possible way to properly care for a dog - of any breed!

But I hate saying that since alot of nurses work 12 hour shifts and would like dogs (I have yet to meet a nurse that has dogs. . .wait I take that back, my trainer/trialer/breeder friend is a nurse and has a farm with BCs but her parents live with her, so that doesn't count).

I have mixed emotions about that. But I think if you have a friend living with you it might be dable, but then the question that begs to be asked is - If you work 12 hours, then go to sleep when you come home, how does that leave time for a dog?

I don't know. I guess that's just something each person has to answer for themselves.

PMing you the breeder list

 

[TheGoldenRetriever]

Now i raise the question, is it feasible for me to EVER consider having a BC? I am working towards a nursing degree, which will most likely mean 12 hr shifts 3-4 days a week... granted I could do night shifts and maybe have my roomie at home on opposite schedule but is that an insane situation for a BC?

My sister-in-law is a nurse, 3 12-hr shifts is full-time at her hospital with full benefits. She has 2 dogs and hired a pet sitter to walk/feed/exercise the dogs on her work days. The other 4 days of the week she tends to her own dogs. Works out well for her and pet sitters are not as expensive as you might think. Another option is doggy day care, but she didn't like the one in her area and it was more expensive than the pet sitter anyway.

You sure don't want to get a dog while attending nursing school though! Nursing programs are very intense, she barely had time to take care of herself then, never mind a dog. Also a good idea to wait until your first year of working (possibly second depending on area) is already completed. That's a very stressful time for new nurses. Also by the time it's completed you will have more say in scheduling preferences, because the new crop out of nursing school has to then take the less desirable shifts.