Do Border Collies make good pets?

Question

I have heard differant things... I live near a baeach and dog park, so i can give it ALOT of excersize, so that isn't a problem. Are they overly protective? Are they a good dog with kids? Are they good with other dogs?

Answer 1

Gee, you sure got alot of critasizam. I can't spell either... Oh well. I love animals all the same, and i understand that even when you are a vet you have the right to ask questions. Come ON people, think about it. This lady probly gets people coming to her with well behaved BC and bad ones 2. Boder Collies make AWSOME pets, with excersize and attention, they strive to their full potential.

Answer 2

My family has had many dogs before, and recently decided to get a border collie. I have two kids ages 12 and 8. They do extremely well with the dog. Buddy is not overly protective, and just loves attention from almost anyone. I am sure that he would have lots of fun at the beach. Our dog loves to run around, and loves water, so both would be good. We also have a cat and our dog has no problem ignoring the cat. The only thing I would caution about is having two border collies together. They love other dogs, but for some reason, border collies don't seem to get along as well as you might guess. We pet sitted another border collie for awhile and where glad when we could keep the dogs apart. Neither wanted to admit the other one was the leader, and even though they were both generally great with other dogs, they just couldn't get along. I have also heard that others have had the same experience that I did. But, over all, Border collies are kid friend and very affectionate. They are great dogs and make amazing pets and pals.

Answer 3

I think that a border collie should be on a property with at least an acre if you really want to give your dog the kind of running around room it deserves. You shouldn't have to take a dog like that somewhere in order for it to run. Would you say the same thing about a horse? Probably not. You'd put the horse on some open land to LIVE, yeah? I think the same should be true for border collies. Anyway, I hear they're extremely clever dogs. So best of luck with your decision. :)

Answer 4

It's not about exercise, it's about giving them tasks. Yes, two-three hours a day is necessary, but they fare the best with task based exercise. This can be herding other dogs, finding hidden toys, figuring out which toy of 3 you want, obedience training, agility training, etc. It's not just simply letting the dog run around and playing fetch - Border Collies like to work.

The most common cause of relinquishment for BCs is lack of time and lack of ability to keep them entertained. And a BC without a job can be a destructive and depressed BC.

They typically aren't *overly* protective, but they can be protective of a family. They *can* be a good dog with kids, provided that the kids are dog friendly. They *can* be good with other dogs - especially dogs that like to be chased. But, this is a generalization and any individual dog may not be like that.

I recommend visiting this website, http://www.bordercollie.org/general.html and learning a little more about the breed. While I 100% disagree about their stance on AKC registry, much of the other information is great - and I *do* understand what they are saying.

Research as much about the breed as you can. This is a very high maintenance breed because of their intelligence & energy levels. Be sure you are prepared fully. And prepare by talking to responsible breeders and responsible owners. Good luck to you in your search.

Answer 5

yes excellent pets. But they MUST have LOTS of exercise. If you are an active person yourself , you might be interested in training the dog for Agility Trials. Its an excellent hobby, a fun family orientated sport, and just plain fun for both U and the dog.
Overly protective , they were bred to guard the herd. If you socialize the dog well, with both people & other pets, U should be OK. As far as kids , gennerally they are great , just keep the dog exposed to kids and dont be suprised if when the kids are running around if the dog tries to herd them.

Answer 6

my sister has had a border collie for over 10 years. I have never fully trusted her. She is not an overly friendly dog. My sister emailed me this weekend that the dog tried to bite a neighbor and did not know what to do! ALso, she has started to growl at sisters granddaughter!!! I think she will be putting her down soon before disaster hits. The dog was well taken care of, living on a dairy farm. She was always overprotective of the family.

Answer 7

Yes, Border collies make GREAT pets. From my own experience, I had a border collie, she was a blondish/brownish colour. She was GREAT with people. She never bit in her life! She was easy. But be careful because for a while, well about 7 years she was never really been inside as a house pet because she was a show dog. Anyway...she got heat stroke after we stopped showing her. We then kept her inside as a house pet. Collies will let other dogs walk all over them. Collies are the BEST dogs you can ask for! Collies are a great companion.

Answer 8

Yes they do, but they are really active. They DO NOT like to be idle for any amount of time. They are happiest if you give them jobs to do, as they are a herding dog. They are good with kids if they are brought up with kids. They are protective, but generally not aggressive.

So if you are looking for a dog that is going to be content in the evening to just lay while you watch TV, a Border Collie is not the dog for you.

My suggestion would be a Golden Retriever or a Lab. Labs love the water.

Answer 9

they can be a fantastic pet dog to have, but remember they are also a hard working dog. If you dont keep one of these busy and entertained you will find everything in its reach destroyed and torn apart. Not to be spitefull, but because dog wants some thing to do. these dogs love to have a job, getting the mail out of the mail box, bringing in the paper are all things that they will do with delight. keep in mind though too, if you already have other pets around the home, that a Border may have the desire to round them up on a regular basis, also any kids around will get rounded up too.
Can be really really good at agility, so if you are interested in that sort of thing, this breed could be worth considering.

Answer 10

I have two border collies and they're fantastic!

You're right - they need ALOT of exercise, even if you don't feel like it one day. They also need mental stimulation also, as they are highly intelligent.

I don't find my dogs to be overly protective, though they will behave like a normal dog and jump into the fray if need be (My six year old thought my bf was beating up on me one day (we were mock fighting!!) and planted himself right between us and growled at my bf LOL I don't know who was more surprised, me or my bf!)

Ensure that you commence puppy classes (for socialisation and basic puppy manner obedience) and obedience classes - the last thing you want is a disobedient border collie because when they run, they RUNNNNNNN. You don't want to have to go tearing along the beach, screaming after your dog when he gets it into his mind to go chasing after something (yes, speaking from experience - this was before we learnt the fine art of Recall!)

Overall, I say that as long as you have the time and the patience, they make a really great pet!