Disposition:
Border Collies are amazingly intelligent and take to training very well. They should be socialized from a very early age if they are ever to be trusted around small animals, but should do well with other dogs. Some Border Collies can get nippy with children as their natural herding instinct makes them want to tell the children where to go. It is imperative that this breed has a job to do or it will become stir-crazy. They need a great amount of attention and do not do well being left alone all day. This breed often suffers from separation anxiety and can do a lot of damage if left alone too long.
Activity Level:
The activity level for the Border Collie is through the roof. These dogs have been bred to be working dogs and as they haven’t been kept as pets for very long, that drive to work is still very strongly embedded in the dogs’ brain. Border Collies do very well in Agility tests and in Obedience trials. They are also fantastic in Flyball ® or Frisbee ® competitions. This breed is so intelligent that they often understand a game or sport before their owners which can be a problem as the dog will soon tire of waiting for their owner to ‘catch up’.
It is very important that prospective owners take into account the amount of work and exercise this breed must have and do. Simply walking around the block once or twice and playing chase will not be enough to keep a Border Collie from becoming destructive.
