Seeing More Border Collie - Not liking It.
- Thread starter Lizmo
- Start date
I think that their reputation for insanity might save them to an extent. Their reputation for energy (even if ill founded) precedes them, unlike the Dalmatian for example.
The Dals did not have a reputation for that, but then got banned from half the apartments here, for getting bored and tearing them apart when everyone went out and got one. If thing people saw on the internet or knew about was "trotting 25 mi/day with horses" they might have been a bit more selective and not got one.
The Dals did not have a reputation for that, but then got banned from half the apartments here, for getting bored and tearing them apart when everyone went out and got one. If thing people saw on the internet or knew about was "trotting 25 mi/day with horses" they might have been a bit more selective and not got one.
They are gaining popularity in Croatia to.First border was imported some ten years ago and a couple of years back they were almost unknown.I meet them in park since one of two breeders in Croatia live close by,he also works in same club as I.I noticed that recently there is a lot of them in club-most import from Hungary.Thankfully outside of training clubs they are still unknown as pet dogs.Most people will have the same description of borders being hyper,nervous and not suitable as pets.Truth all borders I have met are very active,well socialized with dogs and people,happy but definetly not hyper.Then again all of them are involved in dog sports and have owners who know the breed.they also started to show them in tv and ads.And there is more of ads for puppies in newspaper even do there is only two registred breeders who sell pups only as working dogs and never as pets and they do not put ads in newspaper.Hopefully they will not become popular as labradors,goldens,gsd,pugs or beagles.They are working dogs and should stay working dog breed,they are wonderful but most typical dog owners wouldnt make good owners for BC.
Luckily, they don't seem to have taken off here. There are a lot at my training club & agility, but that's to be expected. I don't see many out on walks, maybe one or two regularly, and there's rarely adds in the paper for them.
One Man and His Dog often causes a small surge in people wanting BCs, if people manage to catch it. Like others have said, it causes people to think these dogs come fully trained.
One Man and His Dog often causes a small surge in people wanting BCs, if people manage to catch it. Like others have said, it causes people to think these dogs come fully trained.
Personally, I see way more BCs (and BC mixes) than GSDs or Dalmatians in my area. They have become quite popular. And there are quite a few with serious behavior problems (dog aggression, hyperactivity/hypervigilance, resource guarding, etc) that I see around in the dog park and also at my training facility. In fact, I've seen so many misbehaving Border Collies, it's turned me off of the breed a bit.
Melissa, nearly every "just a housepet" BC I know has behavioral issues. I would never go as far as to say that all Border Collies *need* herding, agility, obedience, SAR, etc. in their lives, but it seems that most BCs don't like being completely "unemployed" and behavior issues pop up out of that boredom since they assign themselves a job. Usually this does involve aggression or obsessive/hyperactive behavior. But you need to realize that these are dogs bred to work, not to sit around all day and sleep. So if you don't want them picking up household "chores" like guarding, pestering the kids or other dogs, or trying to exercise themselves indoors, just do yourself a favor and don't get a BC if you can't provide it with adequate exercise or something to do! (general you, Melissa, I'm not singling you out. I just don't have the patience to write a less personal sounding post.)
Not everyone knows how or wants to train a BC either, they are dogs that need a lot of training and that rarely come "pre-programmed" as a good house pet like most of the companion breeds.
Not everyone knows how or wants to train a BC either, they are dogs that need a lot of training and that rarely come "pre-programmed" as a good house pet like most of the companion breeds.
Oh, I definitely realize that. I didn't mean to make it sound as if I believed that there is something wrong with BCs as a breed. A well bred, well trained Border Collie is amazing. Your dogs show that, RD. But unfortunately, because of bad breeding and bad owners, you don't see very many well adjusted BCs around. The agility scene is pretty big around here, so you see a lot of the "performance" (hyperactive) Border Collies that people got because "all Border Collies are good at agility" and they want to "win". While these dogs have a job, they can still never settle down. If I ever get a Border Collie, I will wait until after I graduate from college and will choose a breeder very carefully.
Sorry, Melissa, I didn't mean to accuse you of thinking that . . . It just seems to be the general impression of the breed that they're ill behaved or hyperactive, and I always feel the need to explain why some of those irritating dogs act the way they do. lol
Breeding has a lot to do with it. Dog sports are wonderful but, sadly, as more people breed dogs specifically for agility and flyball, the dogs have more intensity and less impulse control, and they're difficult for ANYONE to live with.
Breeding has a lot to do with it. Dog sports are wonderful but, sadly, as more people breed dogs specifically for agility and flyball, the dogs have more intensity and less impulse control, and they're difficult for ANYONE to live with.
Here in Scotland weve already had the BCs overpopularity and is was very sad. Lots of very neurotic under-exercised and understimulated dogs in rescues. Now nearly every 2nd dog i see is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, rescues are brimming with them. Worryingly lots owned by young men as a first dog for the wrong reasons. They have sweet natures with people but I have seen lots of dog aggression. Once they realise that they are very high energy dogs they are abandoned or passed on. Noticed that the GSDs have been declining in numbers, i hardly ever see them. In all my years training i cant recall seeing a single problem Sheltie.
