Fluffy black and white puppies reminiscent of baby panda bears are very tempting but are you prepared for the commitment of taking one of these wonderful working dogs into your home for its natural lifetime?

Border collies (B.C.) are extremely intelligent and active dogs with a wonderful sense of humour. They evolved to work with one master rather than the usual “pack”. They are loyal and sensitive dogs and have an in-born desire to please their master, so much so that the slightest reprimand from that beloved person will upset them enormously. They have a natural distrust of strangers which stems from their task of guarding the sheep from stock thieves. There has been much negative criticism of the B.C. often as a result of ill-informed owners taking on these highly intelligent creatures with tremendous stamina and making little if no attempt to meet their working needs. Then when the unstimulated B.C. finds unsuitable ways of coping with their boredom, they are labelled destructive and unmanageable.

This breed of dog dates back to between the 5th and 1st century BC. They were genetically selected for their high stamina, intelligence, agility, speed and their ability to think on their feet and use their initiative. They were fed meagrely and do best on diets low in protein. The ”light” diets sold at veterinarians and vet shops are ideal as they meet all the dog’s needs and you won’t have your collie climbing the walls. It would be a very good idea for future would-be B.C. owners to go and watch them herding sheep. This would make potential owners realize that a dog bred to run up to 100 km a day herding sheep is not going to be satisfied with two brief strolls around the block each day.

Before taking on a B.C. be aware of the instinctive behaviours of this breed:

• Eyeing: A Border collie has been bred with the ability to move stock many times its size by merely staring at it. When stock is not available then they may stare at a broom, a fly, torch beams, shadows or the family cat. Anything that moves can trigger ‘the eye’. This can include other house pets and children.
  Chasing: People, birds, aeroplanes, motorbikes, cars, bicycles, cats and other pets can all take the place of fleeing livestock.

• Herding: A vital part of B.C. work is gathering and rounding up livestock into a specific space. In a pet collie this can be substituted by rounding up guests, the gardener, other dogs, children, cats and other family members.

• Gripping / Nipping: This is used by the collie to restrain a sheep or goad a stubborn sheep along by holding or nipping the animal’s back legs with its teeth.

All of these characteristics vary from collie to collie. Some B.C.’s have little desire to work and will display fewer if any of these traits, however it is wise to be aware that a collie whose ancestors were selectively bred for these behaviours is extremely likely to show up some of these talents.

There are few dogs more willing to please than a Border collie but it is too much to expect a dog designed to work unremittingly and with intelligent initiative to live happily with an owner who has no wish to try to understand and find outlets for their powerful instincts.