The Border Collie is essentially
a sheepdog. Obviously, sheep could be raised only
in large tracts of uninhabited land where they
could graze freely and thus did the border areas
between Scotland and Northern England become prime
sheep raising country as their topography suited
the rearing and raising of sheep.
The herding of sheep in these
vast hills of unfenced land required the shepherds
to obtain the help of dogs and this is where the
Border Collies came into their own. They are natural
born herders and soon came to be recognized as
outstanding sheepdogs.
They are “heading”
or “gathering” herders and not what
is known as “heelers”. That means
that they run wide around a flock of sheep, gather
them together and bring them back to his master,
the shepherd. They do not snap at the heels of
sheep.
One of the reasons why these
dogs are so good at running is that they have
indefatigable energy. They are workaholics and
are at their best when they are “doing”
something energetic. This could mean any activity
requiring them to run around endlessly, be it
herding or any of the other active occupations
and dog sports at which they excel.
Their energy level is boundless
and this could be a major problem for your average
human being who usually find it tough, if not
impossible, to run around with their pets as much
as their pets would want them to do.
The problem is actually more
acute than the mere fact of a Border Collie’s
owner getting tired of running around with his
pet. Herding instincts run in the blood of these
dogs and they will attempt to herd anything that
moves - dogs, cats, squirrels and, more worrisomely,
children.
While we have said before that
these collies do not snap at the heels of sheep
but rather run around them, they have been known
to get carried away with the chase and to nip
at the heels of children when a scared kid has
tried to run away from him. It is necessary therefore
that a Border Collie’s owner train him to
control himself, specially in the presence of
children.
This is not at all difficult
because, by any standard, the Border Collie is
a very intelligent dog who is highly trainable.
That is why they became so famous as sheepdogs
in the first place. But the point is that the
owner must make the time and the effort to train
his dog properly and he will find that his pet
will behave himself far more readily than other
dogs.
The other worry regarding this
hyperactive breed is that his herding instincts
will lead him to run after anything that moves.
Lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners are all very well
since they cannot harm the dog but the Border
Collie is also an inveterate car chaser.
This obviously can be dangerous
and many a collie has lost his life in trying
to herd a car that is getting away. It is difficult
to stop this trait and one has just got to be
careful about his running on to the street.
In recent years, the Border Collie
is being seen more and more in television programs
and in movies leading a lot of people to seek
such a collie for a pet. If you are one such,
you must ask yourself first whether you are a
right fit as an owner of such a dog. This is no
aspersion on you. It just makes sense to zero
in on a pet dog which is in sync with your personality.
An ideal combination for a Border
Collie is an owner who enjoys spending a lot of
time with his collie. Not only does he enjoy his
time with his dog, but his work schedule must
permit him to be with his pet for fairly long
periods. And, it won’t be a case of merely
hanging around with your pet.
You must be able to make the
commitment to exercise and train in some way every
day. A person who is very active and who likes
to jog and hike for fairly long periods is probably
the best suited to take on the responsibility
of a Border Collie. Because, essentially, these
dogs require much more work constantly than other
breeds.
So think carefully whether you
are able to make commitments such as these to
your Border Collie before you take the plunge
to adopt a pet of this breed. You may just be
falling short if you don’t have the temperament
to keep up with this talented but tireless dog.