Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, All Herding breeds, Tell Me About Yours

[chickens really]

Seems like a very smart dog!!!



Hopefully they are not all like that lol



Yeah, hopefully if I go with one I can find a slightly calmer one but I usually ignore most demand behaviors/expect them to be calm in the house anyway so it’s not a huge deal to me. BCs are smart so should hopefully catch on quickly with plenty of exercise haha



No problem! I didn’t either but was curious and Googled lol I have heard of Scotch Collies and I believe there’s an Old Time Scotch Collie association and I’ve heard of English Shepherds as well as people just referring to “farm Collie” or similar. Seems all the collie breeds and even Aussies share a similar history and many look nearly identical too especially since most have no real standard and different lines can look very different and very similar to another breed. It gets very confusing, at least to me. Lol



That’s awesome they didn’t get annoyed and took them in haha

I’m kind of questioning it because I somewhat worry I wouldn’t be enough but I also know I’d likely provide a way better home than most of the people that get them so idk.



Very true. Even Labs and Goldens.

I seriously thought I was going to get a Golden for my next dog, had finally decided, or even a slightly less demanding herding breed like an Aussie, and I still might, have an excellent Golden breeder I want a pup from but haven’t made contact yet, and there’s a 7 month old purebred Aussie on Petfinder right now, so I’m still on the fence about everything, also considering going smaller, like under 20 pounds, but now @oldhenlikesdogs has me seriously thinking about a Border Collie lol

I absolutely love training and working with dogs and I think it would be really fun to have a dog that was super engaged in the training and wanted to learn/work.

Gator liked it to a point but would eventually get bored plus there had to be something in it for him haha

Seems BCs won’t get bored of it and would gladly work/train all day if I let them

Well the pups chose them. Wouldn't stay home and possibly would of been run over. The dogs never once went back home after playing but laid at his door and waited. Our friends went and found them daily for 2 weeks. They always went back to the farmer..

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well the pups chose them. Wouldn't stay home and possibly would of been run over. The dogs never once went back home after playing but laid at his door and waited. Our friends went and found them daily for 2 weeks. They always went back to the farmer..

Aww that’s awesome. So then did they decide to just give them to the farmer since they were happier there?

 

[Chicken Heel]

I had a border collie mix named Hermione and she was a real baby doll. She did crave attention and was very energetic. One of the most endearing things she ever did was going over to a neighbor's house and bringing back five bantam hens one by one to our back deck. She must have held them gently in her mouth in doing so because they were unharmed. Of course I returned the "gifts" back to their rightful owner as I already had well over 100 chickens myself. But Hermione obviously was so smart she even understood Chicken Math.

ETA that I just love threads like this.

 

[chickens really]

Aww that’s awesome. So then did they decide to just give them to the farmer since they were happier there?

Yes..Pups were 4 months old when they left. Both are 2 years old now. Very well trained. Bo and Brandy are their names.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any other breeds your interested in Lisa?

I ran through my usual suspects and none seemed right. The closest is another Aussie, or boxer. I miss Frankie who was an Aussie, but to me she was a bit more like a border collie.

I have requirements about size, coat, and certain behaviors that rule out many breeds. I cannot do another small breed as our bed is full of little dogs currently. Hounds are out, I'm tired of chasing them down as they follow their nose. Also are out any dog or human aggressive breeds. I don't want to deal with those behaviors again. I keep a pack of female dogs. It's important that they are compatible.

I found my most challenging breeds to be coonhounds, and my one German shepherd.

I have had the honor of owning more than 20 different dogs over my lifetime. All we taken care of for their whole lives. I don't give up on a dog. They are very important to me. I don't take dog ownership lightly. Every new dog is thought about for a long time before I bring one home. They all fit in here because I accommodate their needs no matter what they are.

So long story short, I believe this is the best breed for me and my family at this time in life. I may in the end just get another Aussie, but time will tell. In the meantime I'm enjoying reading other people's experiences with the breed.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had a border collie mix named Hermione and she was a real baby doll. She did crave attention and was very energetic. One of the most endearing things she ever did was going over to a neighbor's house and bringing back five bantam hens one by one to our back deck. She must have held them gently in her mouth in doing so because they were unharmed. Of course I returned the "gifts" back to their rightful owner as I already had well over 100 chickens myself. But Hermione obviously was so smart she even understood Chicken Math.

ETA that I just love threads like this.

She sounded wonderful. That's so funny. I love dogs that come up with their own ideas. She must of thought you needed more chickens.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Funny we are all pretty smart dog wise and other critters also another reason to join the thread

 

[chickens really]

I ran through my usual suspects and none seemed right. The closest is another Aussie, or boxer. I miss Frankie who was an Aussie, but to me she was a bit more like a border collie.

I have requirements about size, coat, and certain behaviors that rule out many breeds. I cannot do another small breed as our bed is full of little dogs currently. Hounds are out, I'm tired of chasing them down as they follow their nose. Also are out any dog or human aggressive breeds. I don't want to deal with those behaviors again. I keep a pack of female dogs. It's important that they are compatible.

I found my most challenging breeds to be coonhounds, and my one German shepherd.

I have had the honor of owning more than 20 different dogs over my lifetime. All we taken care of for their whole lives. I don't give up on a dog. They are very important to me. I don't take dog ownership lightly. Every new dog is thought about for a long time before I bring one home. They all fit in here because I accommodate their needs no matter what they are.

So long story short, I believe this is the best breed for me and my family at this time in life. I may in the end just get another Aussie, but time will tell. In the meantime I'm enjoying reading other people's experiences with the breed.

...I hope you find the perfect Border Collie pup for you...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Funny we are all pretty smart dog wise and other critters also another reason to join the thread

I agree!! And that’s why I love BYC. So many great people and different experiences.

And it does seem like there a lot of dog people here!!

Personally for me, I love training and anything to do with it and am always trying to read or watch videos and learn more. I want to get certified as a professional trainer eventually but for now I dog walk/pet sit haha but I have helped train my brothers puppies too and teach every dog I work with tricks.

I’ve taught like 6 dogs how to wave lol

And I’ve taught way more stuff to mine and DB’s dogs.

I’ve even taught the cat tricks LOL

She comes when I whistle, sits, goes up on her back legs, and high fives and I’m trying to get her to touch/target with her nose ha

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I agree!! And that’s why I love BYC. So many great people and different experiences.

And it does seem like there a lot of dog people here!!

Personally for me, I love training and anything to do with it and am always trying to read or watch videos and learn more. I want to get certified as a professional trainer eventually but for now I dog walk/pet sit haha but I have helped train my brothers puppies too and teach every dog I work with tricks.

I’ve taught like 6 dogs how to wave lol

And I’ve taught way more stuff to mine and DB’s dogs.

I’ve even taught the cat tricks LOL

She comes when I whistle, sits, goes up on her back legs, and high fives and I’m trying to get her to touch/target with her nose ha

You do need another dog if you are training the cat.