2006-12-01 06:23:53 · 29 answers · asked by stan 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Yes, they can. The question to consider is are Border Collies aggresive biters... the answer to this is no, in most cases they are not.
Border Collies are of the working herding dog lines and have been specifically bred to herd... which involves nipping at what they are herding to get it to go where the BC needs/wants it to.
We have a 5 month old Border Collie puppy in our home and the nipping issue is something we seriously considered before choosing this breed as our children are young, 3yrs and 5 yrs. We decided that because our children have such a high energy level, a breed of dog that could keep up would be appropriate. We also are persuing Obedience and Agility training for our BC to make sure she has a "job" to do.
When my boys go running with our puppy thru our yard, she does nip at their ankles and heels, but that's it. The worst case scenario for us is that this has caused one of my boys to be tripped. But she doesn't persue him at that point. She wants to chase, so she waits for him to get up and take off again.
If properly raised, socialized and trained, Border Collies can be wonderful companions with active children. You can work on the nipping as well. Methods our trainer suggested have greatly reduced the ankle nipping thus far for our BC. If they are trained well in the direction of having a "job", it's even better for the dog (and I highly recommend persuing a dog sport for anyone who considers a BC as a family pet).
2006-12-01 06:48:09 · answer #1 · answered by Shadow's Melon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any dog, regardless of their breed, can bite children. Border collie's are very active. If they aren't provided enough mental and physical stimulation, then they can become very hyper or "bad". They can be good with children as long as they are properly trained. Border Collie's are herders and have been known to herd kids. Dogs can nip when playing. Remember any dog big or small can hurt a child if that child hurts them. A close eye is always best when kids and dogs interact.
2006-12-01 06:30:21 · answer #2 · answered by care_bear1108 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ANY dog can bite. To make sure your dog doesn't bite, make sure it's properly socialized. Often border collies end up biting because they chase moving objects (an alternative hobby if they are not used as herding dogs) and sometimes bite those objects. This includes children, cars, small animals and other moving things. This is why dogs, especially high energy dogs, should have work to do.
2006-12-01 06:28:01 · answer #3 · answered by SC 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Since this breed is used, or was used, to corral sheep and other livestock, extra physical... how to put it. If you have a child that likes to grab things, it would be unwise and just not a good risk to take, because if the child latched onto the animal, thats all it is, an animal. It could very well react instinctfully and react at the child, possibly biting. An excellent dog for children is a basset hound. You can pull their ears, bump them, lay on them, they're just lovable and won't react negatively. A good thing to remeber is that if the pet was adopted, make sure you know it's background, because an abuse animal can have negative tendancies.
2006-12-01 06:35:09 · answer #4 · answered by whenleftmeetsright 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
border collies are not known to be aggressive dogs, but any dog has the capability to bite. with border collies, whether or not they are aggressive usually depends on how they are raised and socialized. if a border collie is raised around children from the time it is a puppy, it will most likey be tame around them. but dogs will bite out of fear or because they are annoyed, so if a border collie (or any other dog for that matter) is not socialized around children from early stages, it may be unpredictable.
2006-12-01 06:30:16 · answer #5 · answered by water_admiral 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All dogs a re capable of biting anyone. If you're getting a border collie or any other dog try to find a docile one if you have kids. The breed of the dog doesn't determine if it is mean or not, it's the way it's treated. It should be fine.
2006-12-01 06:28:18 · answer #6 · answered by bartman40467 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depends on the dog. That is a pretty vague question. The answer though I guess is, no, not all border collies.
2006-12-01 06:31:00 · answer #7 · answered by YoMamma 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well they can. I have a border mix and she loves kids. They are VERY active though. You may not have a problem with biting, but the dog might be to excited for them Unless the kids are brats, but then they deserve to get bitten in my opinion.
2006-12-01 06:45:15 · answer #8 · answered by Christine T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
DEF. My aunt had a collie while I was growing up and when I was about 7yrs old I was chased around and onto the christmas dinner table by her dog. The terror then jumped up and bit my butt. Yes I know it sounds funny now, but I had a horrible bite on my butt for a while. And her attack came out of nowhere or at least I know that I didn't do anything like teasing her or anything like that. In retrospect she was herding me. :/
2006-12-01 06:36:21 · answer #9 · answered by manalabanana 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All dogs can bite if not properly trained.
Border collies tend to be pretty well behaved
2006-12-01 06:27:04 · answer #10 · answered by Yo LO! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋