Border Collies are intelligent dogs, bred to be working dogs, more specifically herding animals. Primarily because of their reputation for intelligence they have become attractive candidates for family pets, but as with every other potential pet there are many things to be considered.
Intelligence is a difficult to define concept. While Border Collies are intelligent in so far as they are able to learn and remember a large number of fairly complex commands and behaviors, they must be taught, they do not simply absorb the information about what is expected of them. On the other hand, as they spend time in a household they may begin to perform certain actions because you have made it clear, to them anyway, that this is something you want done.
For example, a Border Collie of my acquaintance was adopted by a family with a three year-old child. The child was in the habit of climbing a large hutch. Her parents would scold her and take her down. The dog took it upon himself to grab the child by the seat of the pants whenever she started to climb the hutch. He was not told or encouraged to do this, he simply modeled his behavior on what he had seen the parents do in the same situation. In this case, the dog had to be trained not to do this as he was sometimes inadvertently nipping the child as he grabbed the seat of her pants.
In this sense, Border Collies behave as though they are partners with their people and do not behave in the subservient manner many pet owners take for granted. This can be difficult for some people to tolerate as they find their dog racing off to take care of a problem in their own special way that they may stubbornly cling to from a sense of knowing' what should be done.
For others, having a smart and savvy Border Collie is endearing and interesting. Many people like feeling as though they are communicating closely with their animal companion and that the animal is, in turn, "in tune" with them. If you are prepared for this type of independent thinking a Border Collie may be the pet for you.
The herding ability of Border Collies is legendary. They are the stars of the show at herding exhibitions at county fairs and have been seen on late night TV herding sheep into elevators or taxicabs. Always poised to collect a stray, responding to commands quickly and efficiently, Border Collies seem to have an almost supernatural ability to keep a large number of animals in check.
It is a remarkable ability in light of the fact that herding is actually a modification of natural hunting behavior. Animals who hunt in packs, such as wolves, use certain strategies to successfully bring down a prey animal. Wolves provoke herd animals into stampeding by staring, charging and nipping. Once stampeded, weak animals are revealed. One or two wolves may also chase prey into a waiting group of wolves, run prey to exhaustion or surround a herd to drive it into the open and expose weak animals.
Once wolves surround the designated animal it is brought down by bites to the neck, rear, hindquarters and sides.
Many of these behaviors are seen in herding dogs, slinking toward the herd, staring down, charging and finally nipping and grabbing, but not following through for the kill or even biting to cause injury. Last, but not least, is running, running and more running. Border Collies do not just run with the flock, they run back and forth constantly to keep sheep from breaking free or to chase them back to the group.
These same behaviors should be kept in mind when considering Border Collies as pets especially around children. Children are often regarded by Border Collies as badly behaved sheep, darting here and there, moving fast and to no apparent purpose, particularly to this orderly minded dog. If not trained well and consistently, confrontations between small children and Border Collies can result in tears because the child is scared or because the dog has actually nipped them in an attempt to herd them.
If a Border Collie is the pet of choice for the adults in the house, then it is advisable to wait until the youngest child is old enough to understand how to stop the dog from herding. The children should participate in the training and be made to understand why the dog is behaving this way. This way, the child has some control over the outcome. If the dog begins herding, the child can stop running and tell the dog no or have an adult separate the dog from where the child or children are playing. Playgrounds or birthday parties may be too overwhelming for the dog and they should not be subjected to these situations.
If you have cats, Border Collies will try to herd them too. Often animals have ways of sorting things out, but you must not take this for granted. You don't want your cats to feel pressured all the time or have your dog scratched in the face again and again.
One major requirement for Border Collies is plenty of exercise. They should have a couple of hours of exercise every day. Walking to and from the park with a good long game of fetch everyday is the minimum to keep them satisfied. Remember these dogs have been bred to spend the major part of their day on their feet running. These dogs are perfect to take along when jogging and can even keep up with a reasonably paced bicycle. If exercising your dog on hard surfaces make sure to inspect their feet regularly.
As with any pet it is essential to research breed characteristics and the personality of the individual animal to see if it is a good fit with you and your circumstances. Border Collies are extraordinary animals, attentive and smart, quirky and charming; wonderful companions for the person or family who wants an ongoing, active relationship with their dog.