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If you're still open to breed suggestions, I would recommend checking out Australian Shepherds. In general, they are much better family dogs than border collies tend to be, while still smart and active. If you're set on a border collie, consider going the adult rescue or rehoming route to get one that's known to be good around children. My border collie is a great dog, but it was clearly listed when I adopted her that she could only go to a no kids household - she is intense, drivey as hell, and none too precise with her teeth when she's into a game of tug. When my 8-year-old nephew visited for a week, we had to manage them very carefully to keep her from getting wound up. As to where to get a border collie, the border collie boards are a good resource. Best advice if you want to go with a pup is to find someone who's breeding for ISDS-style stockwork. These folks probably won't have much of a web presence, you'll have to go to a trial and ask around.
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Dec 28, 2014 16:53
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a life less posted:Aussies aren't exactly easy either. Some are. Some may as well be crazy BCs. I find that they're a bit more stable, temperamentally, than BCs on average. They're still a breed that is close to its working roots and shouldn't be entered into lightly. You can find some pretty mellow, cool Aussies, but there are plenty of the insane, reactive, barky ones around too (like mine!). Do your homework. Research breeders in your area. Get a feel for the temperament of the mature dogs. Be upfront with the breeder about what you're looking for (stable, calm(?), etc.) and try not to work with someone who you suspect will foist their pups off on anyone. If you get serious about the breed, PM me and I can try to point you in the right direction. My general impression of Aussies versus Border Collies (largely agility dogs) is that Aussies have a sense of humor, even when they are as crazy on-course as a border collie - in general they're a lot less sensitive and less serious. I see some reactive aussies, but not nearly as often as with border collies or corgis. If you really value a dog with a sense of humor, get a Samoyed. They may not be the most biddable dog, but every one I've met has been a huge clown - more pranksterish than goofy.
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Dec 30, 2014 00:46
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Fraction posted:I think (and this is prob gonna be an unpopular opinion) that people overexaggerate the perils of a BC. They're active dogs, sure - but as long as you engage their bodies/minds they aren't nightmarish, though they can be. PI tends to exaggerate the bad and forget the good when it comes to high energy dogs. If you want a BC and have 1.5-2hrs a day to spend exercising a dog, go for it. I agree with you for the most part on the exaggeration of activity levels, but I still wouldn't recommend a border collie for someone who wants a dog that'll be good with kids. It's not the activity level but the sensitivity and single-minded focus that makes most of them a bad fit to life with kids. My dog has a good off-switch in a quiet house, but she doesn't settle well when there's unpredictable activity (like a kid suddenly running through the halls). The one person I know with a young child and a border collie did a lot of work with her dog before her son's birth, is committed to giving the dog a good amount of kid-free time, and has several other dogs who are great with kids to keep social pressure off of him.
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Dec 30, 2014 22:48
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