The Herding Dog Gone Show Biz
The classic working farm dog, the Border Collie originated in the border country between Scotland and England. Border Collies are commonly used in entertainment and have held prominent roles in shows like Little House on the Prairie and Mad About You, and in movies such as Babe and Snow Dogs.
Border Collies are:
- athletic, medium-sized herders
- amiable with friends but reserved with strangers
- intelligent watchdogs
A Workaholic Dog
Border Collies are bright and love to have a “job” to do. Having a role to perform, like agility or herding or obedience work is key to their happiness.
“A good Border Collie can be the companion of a lifetime, but only if he is paired with a clever owner who can keep him busy with dog sports — agility, flyball, flying disc games, herding trials, obedience, tracking — or who will teach him to do chores around the house or farm,” according to Vetstreet.com.
You can even consider having a Border Collie if you live in an apartment as long as you are extremely physically active, doing something your dog can also do, such as training for runs or hiking. If you’re not that active, this breed in an apartment would be a bad idea. Any dog, no matter how sweet, can develop obnoxious levels of barking, digging, and other undesirable behaviors if he is bored, untrained, or unsupervised.
The Border Collie “Eye”
Border Collies are known for possessing an extreme level of focus. One feature of the Border Collie is her use of “eye,” a hypnotic stare that compels sheep to move in a certain direction. The “eye” is actually a measure of how much the Border Collie can concentrate on the sheep, and she will have no qualms whatsoever using it on you to get what she wants as well.
If you’re ready to provide loving leadership to your dog, train him consistently and fairly, and give him plenty of exercise and an outlet for his considerable intelligence, then the Border Collie can be the right breed for you.