Hi I already have a 11 month old Westie cross who is a dream (although can be a naughty little ******!). Recently we lost our lovely greyhound and she has been quite down but now is making good progress however she does not like to be left on her own and i feel she coped much better with another dog in the house/outside to play with. I have been offered a 8 week old Border collie but was wondering what they would be like i have been around them as working dogs however have never had them as a pet. I was just wondering if they need any special treatment and are they relatively good with small ish dogs? As they will both be young i am hoping they will bond and live happily together. If you could give me any info of these lovely dogs i would be most grateful Thanks guys
Hi, I'm glad you're asking questions before you jump in. They can and do make perfect pets, but only if you're prepared to put loads of time and effort into them - they need lots of mental stimulation as well as physical excercise and they're not the sort of dog to laze around the house day in day out (I say as mine are flat out by my feet). How much 'quality' time do you currently spend with your dogs and if necessary are you willing to put in more? I think to some extent it also depends on what lines the pup comes from - working lines are likely to need a lot more stimulation than show lines. They are one of the, if not the, most intelligent dog, which means that you have to be quick to be one step ahead of them and they will pick up bad habits as quickly as they will pick up good ones. If not properly stimulated/exercised, they are likely to wreck your home, chase cars/bikes/joggers, nip other people, especially children. BUT if you can give them what they need, imo they make the BEST companions ever
Er the fact that you say your puppy can be naughty @ times still means to me that she isn't ready to have a younger companion yet. I like to have at least 18 months between dogs in age, this does tend to eliminate the problems between the dogs with dominance & also means the older dog is much less likely to regress Border Collies do need lots of stimulation, socialization & training. BC's are fine with smaller dogs & if they are brought up with an older small dog they tend to be better than the other way round(IMHE). I would not rush into getting a BC until your Westie is a few months older
Abaolutely agree with both posts............can not add much more other than '' Be aware that BC's pick up bad habits as quick as good habits'' If your little one is as you say ''naughty' and is young, the BC will follow on. Luckily for us reah is 13 approx and is a very steadying influence, Skye is 2 and just maturing, so Bruce at 10 months (just) has something to give him guidelines, as well as our training. They make fantastic pets by the way, very very brainy...sometimes to brainy, but can be one step ahead of you in training. Not for the faint hearted . Best of luck with what-ever you decide;-)
i love mine i wouldnt have another bred at the moment (may do as i get older ) they need loads of exercise they need to be kept busy all the time ,if they get board they will look for things to do . mine have three runs a day ,on a working day ,if we are off work ,they get longer runs walks for couple hours at time ,i give mine ball on arope to wear them out , they allso have each other for company . i love mine they are clever and need to be kept busy . dont take a border collie on if you havent got loads of time and energy for them .if you have then you couldnt have a better loyal friend x x
Hi iv got a BC shes 20 weeks old and shes the best dog over i got her when she was 9 weeks old. and she is so loyal to me and clare my partner and she gets on grait with other dogs i do agree with what other posts say they need time and stimulation. i know a few people that have BC and all of there dogs are loyal to them to. iv never looked back since getting pheobe shes the best dog wev hade and i wouldent change her for any thing. They do love there walks to.
