Border Collie or another breed - advice please? Questions

Hi

I'm new here but hoping you can give some much needed advice please

We are seriously looking to get a dog sometime soon, we have 2 children age 14 and 5 and a large 4 bed house with a very good size garden so there is space to play fetch . I'm not working so am at home all day and my hubby works shifts so is around a lot of the time.

We've never had a dog before as a family but hubby had a border collie as a child ... and he really wants another border collie this time - he loves their intelligence and would love taking it for long walks on his days off.

I *think* we have got the time to devote to a border collie but I have a few concerns / niggles - hopefully some of you with more experience can help with these ?

- grooming, honestly how much do border collies need / how often / how long does it take?
- exercise, would a border collie be happy if we let it out in the garden morning and evening for a quick run around and toilet and a proper walk during the day (at least 30 mins)?
- temprament, what are border collies like with children?
- being left, generally at least one of us is at home all the time so the times the dog would be left would be really minimal, but approx how long can a border collie be left for (assuming it has had all usual exercises beforehand)?
- activity, how much stimulation / mental challenges do they really need?

We would have time at weekends to go out for much longer walks, we aren't particularly sporty or active people but would always make sure the dog had what it needed.

Is there a X Breed that would be better for us to consider that perhaps doesn't need as much exercise, but still has border collie characteristics that my hubby loves?

Any thoughts of advice welcomes

Thank you

x

I am sorry that I cannot help you as I do not know anything about Border Collies having never had one, but hopefully someone will be along shortly who does. In the meantime

Welcome to Dogsey sorry never had a Border Collie but fair play to you for trying to gather as much info as you can before you decide Good luck

I can't imagine a border collie would be happy with 30 mins exercise a day. Even my Pugs would feel deprived with that tbh
Have a look here

http://www.breedia.com/dogs/border-collie

We have a collie cross retriever she would be fantastic with children and having retriever in her is steadier than a collie temperament wise.

She is happy now with 20-30 minutes a day walk BUT she is 12 years old and has dodgy hips when she was younger we needed to take her much further each day and not just once a day either a good hour morning and evening plus plenty of fetch games as well.

She has collie rounding up traits which if they were any more pronounced I would find annoying, being rounded up as you walk sounds funny but gets old very fast we found. Also she used to have a tendency to bring ducks to us when we walked near the river, rounding them up and driving them along the path - no idea what she thought we wanted them for

I don't think that amount of exercise would be suitable for a border collie at all. I've had a colliexshepherdxwhippet and he was very collie like with an insatiable appetite for exercise when he was younger.

The collie I walk at the moment has a half hour off lead walk int he morning and evening and I take her out for an hour at lunch time and she runs with my Bull Lurcher and staffie for the whole of the walk. She has company all day so gets a lot of attention and mental stimulation as well. The collie next door to me has a walk twice a week and somehow manages but I don't think it is a happy dog at all. It also has company all day but barks a lot and is shouted at a lot. Although I'm sure there are collies who live very happily with children it's not a breed I would choose to have with children. They can be very sound sensative and are fairly sensative anyway, highly intelligent and then of course you have the herding instinct. All completely workable with and they are amazing dogs, but I think you have to know what you're doing and be prepared for a high level of exercise, training and ways to keep those amazing minds entertained and happy.

I have a lurcher who is part border collie - he is only 6 months old at the mo, but I think he'd go mental with only half an hour walkies a day, even with playing in the garden!
I can only imagine a full collie would be a whole lot worse lol

Collies have different coat types - some long, some short. Obviously the longer ones need more attention towards grooming, but it depends on the dog/coat type

Have you considered having a look a different rescues?
There are usually all kinds of dogs there and staff/volunteers can help match the perfect dog

A for the cross breed bit I think you'd have to go for an adult rescue to know the level of exercise they'd need. Many collie crosses still have a high level of energy but you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell that from getting a puppy.

Hi, I got a small BC from a rescue centre at 6 months and she was very neurotic at first and took a while to settle in with us .. don't know where she had been previously but was originally from working stock.
It's taken a while but now at 2 1/2 she is the sweetest dog and loves adults, children and especially teenagers.. anyone who will throw a ball or spend one to one time with her.
She loves interaction and to be set challenges.
I work from home and she has adjusted well to this and to chilling in the evening..
As a guide she walks (or more accurately runs) for 20 minutes first thing, 3/4 hour at 11.30 and again at 3.30, 20 minutes before dark then again before bed. She settles well in between and will soon let me know if I over run with work!
She's a joy to have around and keeps me fit and healthy.

Whilst I dote on the BC, I would say that our last dog was a cross BC/ lab and was more obedient and eager to please than the Pure BC. Great combo!

Agreed that the 30 mins exercise you listed most likely won't be satisfactory. However, as for energy levels in general, if you're looking for a Collie with more of an "off switch" I'd go with the show line Border Collies and stay well away from working Collies! The show lines tend to have more coat but it's nothing excessive and I'd say a short 5/10 minutes groom a day or every other day would suffice. As with all dogs, temperament is dependent on the individual dog and it's upbringing and experiences. I have heard that some Border Collies can be a bit iffy with children, but this mostly comes down to lack of understanding on the owner's part and most of the behaviours that crop up tend to be related to herding. Again, something that would be more evident in working lines.

I had a Lab x Collie when I was a teenager living at home and he was the best dog ever! Had less energy then a Collie but still had plenty of stamina and could walk for miles when needed. However he wouldn't be bouncing off the walls or too unhappy with two 30 min walks a day either. Was just a great all round dog.

Hi,

it would be good to find your nearest Border Collie rescue, go meet a few and see the main reasons for re-homing. Good luck in your quest and let us know how you get on

I have had collies for many years and can't imagine having anything else now.

However......it doesn't sound as though it would be a suitable breed for your circumstances. Half an hour running about would not be enough physically and they also need a lot of mental stimulation. My collies have half an hour first thing but then anything up to an hour/hour and a half when I get home from work. Then they go agility training...........

As far as children are concerned, I have one who adores small children (because the breeder had one) and one that I wouldn't trust alone with a child (because he's not had much to do with them) but collies can be bouncy and herdy if not otherwise occupied and will pick on small children to round up if there is nothing else around. Nipping is one of the ways collies encourage sheep to move, which is why it can happen to children.

You could be lucky and end up with a couch potato - such collies do occasionally exist - but I can think of much more suitable breeds.

Good on you for doing some research - there are many many collies in rescue because people rush into buying a cute puppy! Good luck.

One of my 3 dogs is a Collie. He's 8 years old.
As he gets older his demands for exercise have decreased to the point that now he needs 45 minutes early AM, 1 - 1.5 hours during the afternoon and 45 minutes in the evening (regardless of daylight or dark).

Now, if this sounds like a lot please let me explain; we 'get away with so little' because he is one of three dogs (and my son also has two dogs that join us for the exercise periods!) so the dogs run each other (we don't do too much lead walking).

With kids - relies on how you bring them up; our 2 granddaughters know/love/respect the dogs because the kids were taught at an early age how to be with the dogs so i.e. not to pull fur, not to encourage licking (hate it!), not to shout and scream, how to pet/fuss/groom AND feed the dogs.

The dogs DO have a few hours a day when they are alone (but with each other) and this does not cause them any problems. Key feature is routine - they know when we will be back because it's always the same time!

Most of our spare time is dog related - with 3 it has to be but this is the commitment that is needed and we wouldn't have it any other way. We even holiday in the UK so the dogs can always go with us.

Look around and you'll see that many Collie owners have them in pairs - they do like each others company and they do play well together. If you are seriously thinking about one I'd suggest considering two (and the vet bills that double).

Good luck and I hope my honest comments don't put you off.

Can you explain the characteristics your hubby admires in the BC, because the characteristics of the breed make them an unsuitable pet for the needs you have listed.

They are super active and intelligent dogs, they have minds that need to be worked, if not they will find ways to do it themselves, and as such many end up with undesirable traits.....car chasing, herding , nipping, all natural instincts for the breed, and if not exercised enough can become problems.

To be honest with the lifestyle you describe, I would recommend a less active breed, something like a cavalier King Charles, pugs, Boston terriers , or even some of the larger breeds that are less active, something that will take longer walks at the weekend, but will settle for a couple of half hour walks a day in the week.

Have to say even Betty and Chihuahua needs more than two half hour walks a day she becomes totally naughty and destructive with less exercise.

Maybe the OP would like to consider a Lurcher or Greyhound? My Lurcher boy is happy with as much or as little exercise as I can give him. For example, some days we will have longer walks then others. But he'd be completely happy with a 30 min run in the field and then come home and crash out for the rest of the day. He's laid back and just a very easy dog basically.

With Lurchers it depends on their overall mix as to how energetic they are. The Collie cross ones can be just as full on as the purebreds. But my boy is a Lab/Whippet/Saluki and he's as mellow as mellow comes.

Greyhounds are known for being couch potatoes. As sprinters they are happy with a good run about before coming home to collapse ( usually on your sofa ) for the day. They can walk further if that's required, but they are not hikers. Generally very quiet, patient, affectionate and gentle. The ex racers I used to work with all used to be lead trained already and were ready made pets. Many went to family homes.

Interestingly enough I've had another inquiry from a collie owner. The dog is ten year old and the woman has recently returned to work. Previously it was getting a walk morning and evening and had company for the large majority of the day....it's still getting the walks but has entertained itself with learning to break out of the house...so they left it in the garden thinking it would be happier there....and it's started escaping from the garden. Ten years old and it ran with Remus for an hour with no trouble at all. I really hope they call me as Remus would love another friend to run with regularly!

Seriously though...that's a good example of what they will turn their amazing brains to if left unguided, lacking in exercise and stimulation.

As one who has suffered for years from 2 collies that are from the Local Dogs Home, and are in totally the wrong homes, please listen to what people are telling you. If they aren't stretched and exercised enough, then they will turn their intellect to other stuff, like attacking my dogs instead in this case. I am so anti-collie now I scare myself all because they are in completely the wrong homes with elderly people who walk with a stick and leave them to their own devices, they let them offlead and walk off, the dogs do what they want.....:-( One has recently passed away, and it sounds so awful, but I was glad, only surprised it never got run over years ago.

I have a 2 year old border collie x she's a short coat so moulting not a great issue she's good with children but has spent a lot of time around kids so knows how to behave and she is generally good with other dogs apart from border terriers who she seems to hate with a Passion but that's another story, as for exercise she starts her day by dropping her saliva sodden bouncy ball directly onto my face normally around 5 - 530 am her 1st walk lasts about an hour on and off lead playing her idea of fetch etc, she will then spend the rest of the morning playing and tormenting our other dog boxer x pup 'Bruce' who despite having healthy energy levels himself spends a lot of his time fast asleep exhausted by 'Bons' constant badgering. The 2 of them get another walk and run around lunchtime for 30 - 45 minutes, bruce will flake out for an hour or so whilst bon is still ready for more and will maybe pop into the garden and run up and down garden with our neighbours labs, ready for a sleep? Nope, at best if you ignore her long enough she might sleep her way with 1 eye open and 1 ear pricked just in case you are up to something, she will then play with bruce when he wakes up, play in the garden, do some training with my OH, then i get home from work and ill take her out for another 1 - 2 hours run and walk, then eventually around 10pm she will get into bed and settle ( still with 1 ear pricked though ) and I don't hear from her till the early hours. I should add she was unwanted pup from a working dogs litter due to her colourings which explains her endless energy plus she is the 1st dog I've owned for a long time and I made many mistakes in the early days the main one being unlike yourself not researching the breed and being better prepared for some of the challenges some pups can bring ( car,bike,jogger,other dogs herding, seperation anxiety, jeolousy etc, etc) On the plus side she is affectionate, happy, funny, obedient and loyal basically a great companion. If you go with a bc and get it right from day 1 it will be a great addition to your family whatever its energy levels and walking him or her 30 mins a day wont be enough for you let alone the dog. Best of luck!.