Aussie or Border Collie? Which is your favorite and why!?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Given a choice I would take an Aussie. I have known individuals of both breeds, both as a "friend of" and in my classes, and invariably I have found Aussies to be goofy, calm, laid back, friendly yet protective, and with a nice sense of humor. BC, on the other hand, were just too intense and driven to my taste. They definitely need a job to do and it seemed they would do it to the point of exhaustion. One would certainly wear ME out! It would be like having an ADHD kid on acid! Nope, give me an Aussie any day. In fact, I'll take two, please!

My two were always butting heads, and stealing each other's toys.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

At the moment I have two Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties). Gracie, my 10-yo girl, is like the Aussies I described above. Sammy, our 17-mo old pup, a recent addition (rescue), is like the BC I described. I didn't realize it until I went back and re-read it just now, lol! So there are generalities, but each dog is an individual.

 

[ShrekDawg]

At the moment I have two Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties). Gracie, my 10-yo girl, is like the Aussies I described above. Sammy, our 17-mo old pup, a recent addition (rescue), is like the BC I described. I didn't realize it until I went back and re-read it just now, lol! So there are generalities, but each dog is an individual.

Thanks! This is good to know!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Mcnabs came from Scotland as well, a separate breed but a kin to border collies. They are a good herding dog and if you didn't want a collie, they would be a good choice. I almost bought one but I really wanted a collie so went that route.
I have a collie. She is smart but I wouldn't say any smarter than some other breeds I've trained. Some breeds are super smart but don't necessarily work like a collie so it's hard to visually see intelligance. Any dog who is bred to be an independent thinker to complete a task at hand has more intelligence imo than breeds who are meant to follow. I've also had aussies. The working part has imo been bred out of them. You still see them in trials and on farms but they just don't compare to the working drive of a collie. ABCA is pretty strict to keeping collies from falling of the ledge so to speak with breeding out work ability. Akc couldn't care less if they can work or not so if you want a working dog, stick to ABCA.

My Aussies in general show a very low herding instinct. They will give chase and nip, so driving is more their forte I think. It's probably why they are big lunkheads at times. They seem to think, a bit differently than border collies who seem better at reasoning.

It's cool to watch any dog work out and solve problems. I find it fascinating. Sometimes it's even enjoyable to watch them not figure stuff out, than to reveal the answer to them. We do a lot of mental exercise around here with our dogs.

Given a choice I would take an Aussie. I have known individuals of both breeds, both as a "friend of" and in my classes, and invariably I have found Aussies to be goofy, calm, laid back, friendly yet protective, and with a nice sense of humor. BC, on the other hand, were just too intense and driven to my taste. They definitely need a job to do and it seemed they would do it to the point of exhaustion. One would certainly wear ME out! It would be like having an ADHD kid on acid! Nope, give me an Aussie any day. In fact, I'll take two, please!

This is all really good info!! Thank you everyone!!

 

[bluemerle]

If I had to chose between the two: Border Collie. I love that focus.

But I prefer (Australian) cattle dogs. A lotta dog, but a great jack-of-all-trades who loves you AND working. If you can't decide between the BC / Aussie, and you can handle the intensity .... maybe a heeler would be a good bet!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@KDOGG331, are we looking at this from the perspective of a house pet or of a serious working (herding) dog? What are your goals as a dog owner? This would make all the difference in your ultimate choice.

Like you, I also love Golden retrievers. I would love to have one now, along with my Shelties. I've had such a mix before. But I was younger and better able to chase the hair. Also, my DH had NEVER had an indoor dog before I (and Gracie) entered his life, and I think adding a Golden to the mix might be pushing his limits a bit!

Knowing what you want in a dog, and can do for the next 12-15 years, is a serious factor in picking a breed.

 

[ShrekDawg]

If I had to chose between the two: Border Collie. I love that focus.

But I prefer (Australian) cattle dogs. A lotta dog, but a great jack-of-all-trades who loves you AND working. If you can't decide between the BC / Aussie, and you can handle the intensity .... maybe a heeler would be a good bet!

Heelers do seem like good dogs

I don’t know if I’d be able to handle one though. I’m sure I probably could but I’ve heard they can be a bit dominant which worries me but I’m sure they would be fine. How are they with other animals? That’s another thing that worries me

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Heelers do seem like good dogs

I don’t know if I’d be able to handle one though. I’m sure I probably could but I’ve heard they can be a bit dominant which worries me but I’m sure they would be fine. How are they with other animals? That’s another thing that worries me

I've never known them to be problematic with other animals.

One thing that bears pointing out with all herding breeds is the fact that they are hard-wired to chase things that move. Like CARS. It's in their DNA. This includes Collies, GSDs, blue heelers, any dog bred to herd things. Watch them around cars! This is a self-reinforcing behavior. They chase or bark at a car, and WOW. The big noisy car RUNS AWAY. Dog feels big, powerful, successful. So it does it again with the same result. It's like a drug to them. A lot of these dogs get run over. So be careful!

 

[bluemerle]

Heelers do seem like good dogs

I don’t know if I’d be able to handle one though. I’m sure I probably could but I’ve heard they can be a bit dominant which worries me but I’m sure they would be fine. How are they with other animals? That’s another thing that worries me

Maybe a good second dog. They are headstrong! But if they're your dog, they tend to be stubborn for you. Heelers tend to be good listeners with a never-quit attitude.

It depends on how you raise them! A lot of herding dogs can end up as chicken killers if not brought up to be gentle around other animals. The issue is that ACDs are, well, heelers - this means their herding style is rather aggressive, and their instinct is to put their mouths on whatever they're herding, because that's what they're supposed to do. This can be an issue if you plan on working stock that isn't cattle: a cattle dog's natural instinct is to work close, push, and be firm. The total opposite of a Collie, bred to work far away and softly.

But that can be an issue with Aussies, too! They're also, stylistically, heelers. Honestly, I would really recommend going to a herding event in your area, if at all possible. It'll give you a good idea of what every breed's 'attitude' is like. And if you plan on doing any herding yourself, I would seek out breeders who have the animals you're wanting to work: their dogs will likely have the natural skillset you're looking for.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Hi everyone! So sorry I never replied! Totally forgot I didn’t.

Anyway, thanks for all the info!! I really appreciate it!! Very helpful.

The dog would just be a pet but I LOVE training and am constantly reading about it and/or trying to teach the dog new things/work with it/work on old things so it wouldn’t be bored haha

We also have a very very large yard as well as some woods so plenty of room to run around and exercise.

It’s not fenced but we are planning on fencing part of the yard but I would also work with the dog on staying in the yard.

We have almost 2.5 acres total and probably half that is the yard. It’s huge.

So we can play in the yard as well as train out there and do long distance recalls, fetch, hill training, hide and seek, etc. and wear him out.

We have a lot of hills so I figure maybe some recalls and/or fetch up and down hills might wear them out. But not too much so as not to create an overly in shape pain in the butt I can’t wear out.

I’m aware of the need for mental stimulation too and actually love doing those sorts of games and training and stuff even more than physical exercise haha

I love training tricks and doing scent games and puzzle games/food and that sort of stuff.

So it would have plenty of mental and physical exercise.

And I am aware exercise isn’t just in the yard so we would be walking and possibly hiking or biking too. We have a ton of awesome areas to walk around here and I can access them all from my front door without needing to drive anywhere. There’s cranberry bogs, ponds, fields, etc. as well as safe neighborhoods and streets to walk in/on so the dog would be able to be doing plenty of swimming and off leash running around. But I wouldn’t let it off leash until I had built a 100% solid recall. But I own several long lines I can use to give more exercise while still being under control.

I also love dog sports and have always wanted a dog I could try them with. I am especially interested in agility and nose work but I may want to dabble in dock diving or rally too.

I also love trick training and obedience training. I just love training in general. So there would be plenty of that. And plenty of exercise.

And I also know how not to build a pain in the rear dog and teach it to have an off switch from the beginning haha

So I could probably handle one but just a matter of if I want to haha

I think I’m up for it but idk.

I want a dog mostly as a companion and one that I can take places with me. I also like walking and hiking and being outdoors so having a dog that I could do that with would be great. And like O said, I also love training and dog sports so it would be great to have a dog that I could do that stuff with but I am also okay if I end up with one that doesn’t want to do that stuff. It would also be nice to have one that didn’t need that stuff all the time and would be fine without if I wasn’t up to it or wasn’t able on a particular day but if necessary, I would be willing to provide for it and do the work. I wouldn’t neglect it if it really needed it. It would also be nice if the dog cared about me/was in tune to me and my emotions or at least wanted to cuddle at night/watch TV or whatever. But again, if the dog isn’t a huge cuddler, that’s fine too lol but basically just a companion. Problem is, lots of dogs fit that description.

Oh and preferably not too big so that O can take it places.

Oh and sorry for the huge novel.