Border Collie

Our dog is a perfect cross between a border collie and an Australian shepherd, weighing approximately 60 pounds. He is taller than both the traditional border collie and the Aussie. His top coat is black and white with sable flecks throughout his face and legs. His undercoat is completely sable and white. He is very sound sensitive and quick to react to fireworks, backfiring, or any loud noise. Puppy training required a lot of patience, but he learned quickly and continues to learn as an adult. Does require hands-on activities with an owner at all times outside. Lives with two cats and doesn't chase. By no means a lapdog, but he is very loyal and emotionally expressive.

Border Collies are amazing breeds. They have been rated the most intelligent by several well respected organizations. They require a lot of time and commitment. They need to be exercised every day to keep their active minds busy. They show a lot of love and affection towards people they know. They tend to have a thick coat that needs to be brushed quite frequently to keep them looking shiny and avoid constant shedding.

Border collie's have for the most part been friendly. Sometimes they are a bit skittish when I first arrive to an apartment with them, but they have never been aggressive. They love to be out and about and love a quick pace to the walks. They are not extremely affectionate and do not really socialize much with other dogs, they seem to mind their own business for the most part.

They're highly trainable because they're so smart and eager to please. They're usually very high energy and need a lot of exercise. They make great family dogs because they're friendly and relaxed.

I’ve had great experiences with border collies! I’ve walked with Finnegan the most. He’s a very excitable pup. He barks loudly when I come inside his home until he recognizes me. He’s very sweet and jumps like crazy. I try to be as calm as possible and get him out quickly so he’ll calm down from the excitement. He roams free during the day while alone. He’s not friendly with other dogs. He gets very defensive when passing by other dogs. He pulls pretty bad with just the leash connected to his collar. He is very affectionate though and a sweetheart.

I’ve walked Finn a handful of times and he’s always been welcoming and excited about his walk and when on it you can tell he really enjoys the outdoors he stops at every bush, tree, shrub, grass, flower and it’s hard to break that focus lol he used to have a brother and was great with him, other dogs too. Not sure what happened but Puca hadn’t been around the last couple times I walked him and it seemed to really upset him as he was noticeably distant after the fact. Overall, great great pup and breed

Lilly was a great dog to walk. Very obedient and well behaved. Easily excitable but also easy to control. Very friendly and behaved like a lady around other dogs. Attentive. Very clever dog. Does not need constant attention but needs her walks. Lovely dog to have as a companion and to walk. Keeps great company.

The Border Collie I have experience with was more than likely the most friendly dog I have ever met. I have walked him on numerous occasions and every time he is beyond delighted to see me. He greets me with an abundance of affection and his favorite toy. Cole, the Border Collie, is always eager to play, but not always the most willing to walk. He would rather play fetch or chase than walk a decent distance. As I mentioned before, he loves to play, so he is very toy and food motivated. On walks, I sometimes bring a ball and treats along to keep him moving. If you kick the ball in front of you, he will chase it down and continue walking with you for a bit. As far as other people and animals go, he just wants to say hi. There is no aggression, just a lot of excitability.

Border Collies can be hit or miss. They're not really into strangers. They're also herding dogs so they may nip without meaning to hurt you. I've found that keeping treats or a toy handy eases them into a not-so-suspicious relationship with you. A good game of fetch or some tricks are also a favorite. Anything that keeps their body and/or mind active while you're with them. It can take time to get them to trust you so patience on your side is a must.

In my experience, border collies really enjoy working and being rewarded for their work. This includes training, so simple tasks such as sitting and waiting and well worth affection afterwards. Border collies are very energetic and like to be out in the world exploring. They are generally friendly when well trained and incredibly loyal.

Brianna was an older dog. We went for an hour walk up and down hilly roads. She listened to basic commands very well. Brianna was very welcoming to strangers and was excited to go for her walk. She did pull quite a bit.

I am a volunteer with Carolina border collie rescue. I have a 10 year old border collie named Logan. Border collies are very active hold on tight to the leash. Do not use a retractable leash with a border collie. It’s always good to play ball or frisbee after a walk to release some of the energy they have stored up They are quick to catch on to a command like sit or stay. The best advise I can give to someone walking a border collie is to have patience. They want what they want now and something to do while they are waiting

The Border Collie I walked was called Gatsby. He was calm, quiet, relaxed, obedient, well trained, and loving. He never walked fast, or tugged on his leash. He walked with me. When other dogs were nearby or people, he would get really excited and wanted to go and interact with them. He didn’t necessarily want it to be a long interaction, but he was eager for that initial “Hello”. After he has said hi, he was calm again. Before taking Gatsby into the snowy streets of New York, I had to put on his booties. He didn’t put up a fuss at all. He calmly stood there while I put his shoes on. When eating, he did want me to stand there with him. If I would leave, he would want to come with me. I could tell that he enjoyed the company of others, and that being around someone else comforted him.

I ABSOLUTELY LOOOVE the Border Collie. I rescued my first Collie from the Miami Humane society and it was one of the BEST decisions in my life. Luckily Navea was one of four puppies brought into the shelter and I wish I could have adopted them all. Navea has been such a great addition to my family. This dog is definitely a great family dog, they love kids. Very interactive, focused, and amazingly easy to train the Border Collie is great if you're looking for a dog you can take pretty much anywhere. I personally have never met an aggressive Collie. They are always eager to meet new people and other dogs. In the house you'll notice that this loving dog will often follow you around and curiously check on other member of the family periodically. They always want to know what's going on in the house. They are great to cuddle up to and relax and enjoy belly rubs while watching some telly. Outside these dogs have a great amount of energy and make great fetching dogs. Mines has an obsession with her rubber Frisbee and is great at focusing in on it and catching it before it even hitting the ground. I feel like these dogs really have a great sense of cuing into your feelings and mood. If you're down they will be there by your side showing concern over you and on the opposite side of the spectrum when you're happy and excited they'll pick up on that and often look towards you awaiting what fun activity you may start. Border Collies are easy to train and are extremely smart. I find that they can also identify objects easily by their names if you train them early on. Out in a dog park they do very well with other dogs often being more on the submissive side, rolling on their sides and backs while still playing around with other dogs. They are extremely sweet. One thing about the Border Collie is grooming, if you don't keep up with the maintenance you'll find yourself sweeping up a lot of shed. Other then the grooming they are an all around great dog to have. From kids to grandparents I feel that any age will do well with this dog. If you train them to I've heard that they can make good barn dogs as well so the versatility is there. Mines personally was just a family dog she brought everyone together in her own special way.

My walk with a Border Collie was much different than the temperament description that was stated above. Although normally an agile breed, the dog I walked was very careful to not move too quickly. Whether it was due to his bad hips or whatever other breed he had mixed in him, he was high energy but slow mobility. I wouldn’t use the statement “natural born athlete” to describe Ollie, the dog I was able to walk. Although he was high energy, he enjoyed to play, and became very excited to go on a walk together. As I was told, he is a very dependent and protectant of his owner. He doesn’t do well when separated from people for too long, requiring him to be locked in a kennel when gone from long periods of time. The owners describe him as ‘longterm separation anxious’, which is similar to the website description of separation anxiety. Dog aggressive and yard aggressive, he would use every opportunity to defend his owner against any other animals or people. Although this is a learned bad habit, he seemed to be very easy to train and control otherwise. For me, he listed and didn’t show any signs of aggression. However, I did not let him in contact with any other people or animals on our walk. He understood how to behave on a walk, telling me that he was easy to train, and if not he was at the least obedient of the training he had previously learned. He was leash trained, as well as trained with all of the common commands such as “sit”, “lay”, “shake”, ect. Although he did enjoy chasing after the occasional squirrel or moving car, he was adequate at listening when being called back closer. When coming in contact with one of these, he tends to hold eye contact or stare at them until they are completely out of view. A tad bit annoying, it is a harmless of his. He is walked daily to keep up with his active background and enjoys every minute of it, as he did not have a fenced in backyard. His owners have him in a very stimulating environment, providing many different new toys, including two cats that are always there to play with him. In my opinion, getting a cat is the best option if you feel your dog is lonely. They strive for and want different attention, therefore not causing any friction or fighting.

I take care of Brodie very often. He is an excitable dog, but not a friendly one. Since he is an older fellow he has some issues with his legs and has trouble walking, but he will never turn down a chance to play with his special toy.

With my experience, I have noticed that Border Collies are very high energy dogs who need lots of exercise. They usually have a long coat and are multiple colors. I would take this one boarder collie to the nearby dog park when I would walk her. At the park there where obstacles for dogs and I would teach her how to run through them with snacks; She learned very quickly however she was very energetic at times. They are smart and require to be active. I've met multiple collies at the dog park in which the owners confirmed the same personality traits. Walking them can be difficult if not trained as they are ready to run. Another border collie i would walk, proved to be intelligent because he would figure out how to get out of his harness that his owner would put on him and learned how to unlatch the cages and barriers set up for him.

Border Collies are awesome dogs. The one I walked was obsessed with fetching. She would literally chase after the ball all day. Lots of energy, sometimes too much. If you don't give her sufficient attention or talk loudly in a group, she gets over-excited and starts to bark. Shes loves going to the beach and swimming in the water. She cannot take her eyes off the ball. For her BALL IS LIFE. Extremely friendly overall though and very approachable. She never seems interested in socializing with other dogs. Maybe because she spends a lot of time at home alone. One thought to be aware of is her herding tendencies. If she sees another dog or even person running, she will try to herd them. This isn't a huge deal but she does tend to have a dominant nip that she uses to try to keep the person in line. This can be a problem if she does it to an aggressive dog or a person that does not understand what her intentions are.

I cared for him from a small puppy to present (6 months old). He cuddled and loved to play fetch early on (I had to play with him in the apt. as he didn't have all his shots. While walking, he loves sniffing other dogs smells. He would not pee on the sidewalk. I had to bring him back and take him to the rooftop pet area.

Zu is a sweet dog but very intense. She will grab a toy, or a stick, or whatever she can find and put it on the ground 2-3 feet away from you, then stare you down until you pick it up and throw it for her. This was tricky given that I couldn't let her off leash, even though we were in a fenced area. Zu has icy blue eyes and her stare can be quite intense. She was well behaved while we were walking and followed basic commands pretty well. Her owner told me that she got Zu from a friend who had found Zu at a shelter, so not much is known about her background. Good dog, not super well suited for apartment living, but apartment living is light years above shelter living! I'd be happy to walk Zu anytime.

In my experience, Border Collies make great pets! My friend and neighbor has had them throughout her life, and has recently adopted her own. The dog is incredibly energetic and loyal. She could fetch a ball all day long without tiring. In my experience, she is very stubborn, so very difficult to train. When she is on a mission, she doesn’t listen very well. While not much of a cuddler, she absolutely loves human attention and she plays very well with other dogs for the most part. There are no problems when she is playing with dogs she is familiar with, but if a dog she doesn’t know approaches, she will bark until they are either out of site or come over to meet her. It’s not a vicious bark, just one to get their attention, but can definitely be mistaken as such. She can be possessive over her favorite toys, but not usually with food.

What a little bundle of joy. Getting a leash on this little fella was challenging because he was a gleeful tornado of energy. After taking him out of his cage he ran up to me, jumped on me, then started rolling about on the floor. Every time I would almost have his leash latched, he'd start rolling about, trying to lick me, and would somehow get out of his harness. Once I finally got it on and we made it outside he was all over the place. I had to keep the leash short because he would try to jump on every stranger that passed. He's an incredibly personable little guy and indiscriminate in his affection. Although he was pretty unruly, his joy was contagious. He was a very fun little dog to walk.

When I first encountered two Bordie Collies I was scared. I showed up to their residence they were scratching at the door. They were barking. I was not sure what they were going to do. It was mostly the scratching at the door and the fact that there were two of them that made me feel fear before walking in the door. Once I entered, however, they backed away from the door and started to run up and down. The older sat down and waited at the door for her leash to be put on. The younger one went wild and jumped on top of me and wanted to lick my face. I had to sternly tell him no a couple of times before he would settle down enough for me to put on his leash and get going. Once we were ready they stormed out of the house. The younger one of course tangling himself all over the older one stayed near me and did not give much trouble. We went on an hour long walk and they kept up the pace. They were near a nice hiking area and we went in. I was a sunny so their pace slowed down a bit. Once they had gotten over the excitement of getting out they settled down and we had a calm walk. They were not very social to other dogs. They did like the attention and affection of people.

The magnificent Border collie! Their reputation precedes them. They truly are radically intelligent, emotionally aware, and very quick learners. They are loyal, brave, protective, agile, commanding, and possess boundless energy. However, they are quite independent and do not get close to all humans, preferring a small select circle to a wide circle of acquaintances. This is one breed that absolutely needs constant mental stimulation or things will be chewed!!! At the minimum, one hour a day is required for this breed, which makes it a challenge to own them in urban settings. They are much more at home on a farm or with lots of property. The iconic shepherd, border collies are gifted at what they do. They can be seen slinking up to something they want due to the specialized grooves in their scapula that let them crouch as they walk. They can have very intense eyes and are in possession of the collie stare that can be unblinking and intimidating to some dogs. More than once I have seen a dog become unsettled and bark at a collie that is just staring at it. However, if there is one feature or characteristic of border collies to mention, it is their obsession if not religious devotion to the twin deities of Wilson and Penn (tennis ball manufacturers). When it comes to balls, there is no single greater purpose in life for a border collie than to chase. One Border collie I know of in particular named Burton is literally capable of spending hours in the park playing fetch and running aimlessly for the ball, no matter which direction it is thrown in. Burton has a lot of focus and innate intelligence, but when a ball is in front of him, reality itself disappears. He can even smell the ball when it is in my pocket. Border collies are masters of association. It was not long before that Burton was able to recognize the sound of my particular engine and was waiting for me the moment he heard it. Border collies are also quite gentle and tend to be some of the best service animals. They tend to be immaculately behaved, knowing how to handle themselves around even the most anxious of animals and people. They are capable of learning almost any trick with most of the responsibility falling onto the owner to make sure that they are training them effectively.

Maisie is a absolutely nuts border collie who is trustworthy and loving. She has an obsession with sticks and loves a good swim. Although she has her wild side to her she does love a good cuddle on the couch at night. A fabulous breed would recommend for any owner that has the potential to give them a good walk a day.

AMAZING. Gus is a great dog and hands down the sweetest. He is very smart and listens well. I will never have another breed of dog besides a collie.

I love my Figgy! She is headstrong, confident and soooo smart. She challenges me and loves me like no other. She knows how I’m feeling before I do. She is my wonderful, life-saving service dog. She’s hesitant around strangers - though she wants to be friendly, she gets nervous and barks which sometimes scares people. Since I rescued her when she was 1, socialization is an ongoing process. She’s a lot friendlier and outgoing than when I first got her, but it was pretty hard to get there. Early socialization with this breed is key, and they’re definitely challenging, but they’ll give you love, devotion and protection like no other.

He is......something I've never experienced before. I love him with my all. Very protective, loyal, funny, and smart. Sarcastic as the next.

Luna was around 2-3 months old when we got her, she is very good with my two young kids, age 2 and 1 month, just have to pay attention to make sure she doesn't accidently knock them over. Very playful, very smart, super loyal, great hiking buddy as she never tires out! She gets bored very easy, so make sure there's plenty of toys to chew on and play with at her disposal. Overall a very good girl!

We rescued her from a shelter in TN. She was very timid at first but now she is very outgoing and curious. Afraid of loud noises.

I have been so lucky to have my buddy Tucker. He has brought myself and my family so much happiness I can’t even begin to explain. I got him at 8-9 weeks old. He has his quirks, but they’re totally tolerable for me. I was able to house train and fulfill basic commands with him in less than 1 month with daily training. Proper socialization with other animals, people, and children is CRUCIAL for this breed. I took him in the car a lot when he was young, so he just sits there like a human or lays on the seat perfectly content (+doggy seatbelt harness. Read about pets & car accidents - horrible). He doesn’t bark unless someone unknown is approaching our property, otherwise he only makes funny moans and groans to get your attention. Like he’s trying to talk. I love it! Maybe that’s because he grew up around a singing husky. As a puppy, he could play ALL DAY. And he would certainly try to play all day. I had to make him take breaks, and I still do sometimes. His energy leveled out a little once he turned 4 years old. Before he needed 3-4 hours play a day, now it is more like 2 hours. He has been very easy to train in all regards except his anxiety. He is a little wary around other people and animals at first. He is scared of loud noises like thunder, cars backfiring, smoke detectors, and fireworks, but he just finds a spot he likes and we cuddle him. I wish I had thought to desensitize him to loud sounds as a puppy. He is very relaxed and well mannered when I bathe him, brush him, clip his nails, and clean his ears. Vets have said he is very easy going for exams & procedures. He’s very in tune with his people and all he needs is a look or a single finger snap when he’s getting a little too rowdy. Then he comes over and snuggles up to you to say sorry. Getting Tucker was the best decision I’ve ever made. Border collies are definitely not for everyone, but there could not be a better dog for me. (Tucker: smooth coat, 59lbs, 22.5 inches at withers)

very great.He loves my kids and he loves to play

He is a huge cuddler and is right next to me no matter what is going on.

vey energetic but has calmed down recently