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Old 03-16-2016, 07:39 PM
 
1,727 posts, read 1,980,464 times
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Let me tell you about my 7 year old medium-energy border collie. He is sweet, soft temperament (if you say boo to him he melts), has a great off-switch in the house, is creatively smart (able to problem-solve), and is a total love-bug.

Now the bad news: like many/most border collies, he is extremely sound sensitive- the noise the computer makes turning on, the sound my phone makes when a text comes in, fireworks, thunder/lightning storms, the sound of a nail gun, hammering, a car backfiring just to name a few result in him totally shutting down and looking for the closest hole to crawl into. Not really convenient if you are out on a two mile walk and have to walk a panicking dog home or if I am running him in a field and he hears a gun shot. He has an amazing turn on a dime recall, but I can't let him off leash anywhere that isn't fenced in because if he heard a noise and freaked, he might take off.

He loves other dogs. The bad news: like many/most border collies, he has a strong herding drive that causes him to lose his mind when he is around anything that he thinks needs herding. Including geese (flying geese, not on the ground), squirrels, cats, livestock, bikes, people, other dogs. Similarly, he is also highly reactive to anything that moves, and while I have worked with him extensively on his reactivity, he will never be able to go for just a fun walk around the town; he has ADHD- oh look its a squirrel, oh a person, oh look, its a bike, etc. Unlike "normal" dogs, he is ALWAYS working, and while he loves other dogs, he can't really be around them unless closely monitored because if he is around more than two really stable mellow dogs because otherwise he herds them- not all dogs like being herded and it is perfectly natural for them to tell him off, however when dogs don't respond to being herded he gets frustrated and starts to get nippy which of course justifiably irritates all but the most stable dogs (who will simply ignore him). Did I mention that he is always working: he has literally run the pads right off his feet, and all the while he was doing that he was acting perfectly normal; the first time it happened I had no idea until I got him home and he collapsed and wasn't able to walk more than a few feet for 2 days. The second time it happened was when he was at day care a few days ago; the attendant was watching him and making sure he wasn't going into herding mode, but because he was "working" all day and keeping track of all the other dogs, people, and activity, he again collapsed when I got him home. A normal walk or run is nothing for him. He will run and work until he drops- literally.

So- no, a border collie is not a good choice. The noise and bustle of the city wouldn't suit most border collies- too loud, too many random noises, skate boarders, bikes, crowds- not a good environment for a border collie.

There are lots of other wonderful dogs that would be appropriate for your situation, and other posters have given you good advice on how to proceed.

Last edited by twelvepaw; 03-16-2016 at 08:20 PM..
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Old 12-31-2016, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Eureka CA
9,519 posts, read 14,699,255 times
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I rented to a guy with a border collie ( a huge one) and have given them notice to move out. The dog gets excited and wants his way. One day he pushed me back in my chair six times! He's knocked me over twice. He's 18 months old and has never had a day of training. When I complain that he needs more exercise the owner just says 'He's quiet in my room'. Of course he is! He's trying to please his owner! That doesn't mean he's getting his needs met. Bottom line: WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE DOG????
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Old 01-03-2017, 09:37 PM
 
Location: Left coast
2,320 posts, read 1,860,003 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jumpindogs View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by lcfas
I live in NYC and attend grad school. I really want to get a Border Collie, a breed known for being smarter than most people - they also have a lot of energy and desire to connect with their owners. I'm wondering if anyone here has advice on how to keep a dog like that calm and sane in a place like NYC. Would the noise stimulation be too much for them? How can I make this work?

Calm and sane? Hahaha! You simply cannot write those words about any of these breeds: BCs, Aussies, Tervs, Malinois, Kelpies, Cattle Dogs and most of the working herding breeds. The occasional individual within some of these breeds? Yes. But the vast majority? Not by a long shot. And there is no way to predict if a puppy will be that occasional individual. Herding breeds are naturally very sensitive to sound and energy.

Not unless you adopted a low energy Aussie with none of the typical sound sensitivities that many Aussies have (not specifically fears/phobias...although those are very challenging to deal with...but over-reactions to every little noise) from ARPH or another respected Aussie rescue. The vast majority of Aussies would not be OK with it. And even those who might be could easily turn intolerant as they age...that's common in my breed. Aussies are not only a herding breed but also a guardian breed. Try telling your Aussie that it is not acceptable to bark every time he hears a doorbell or knock in your apartment building. Or any other sound. That's a constant struggle for even the best trainers because he's hardwired to warn you about and to scare off the potential axe murderer. Says the Aussie fanatic with 20+ years of living with, dealing with and loving Aussies and their many idiosyncracies.

Agree with smaller and lower energy breed. Also one not as high up on the smarts scale. Smart dogs are the hardest to train because dogs are learning all day long, not just when you train them. Yeah, it's easy to teach them tricks and the like but a smart dog will learn a whole lot more stuff you don't intend to teach him than a less intelligent dog will.

This is a great website with honest pros and cons about nearly every breed you might come across. Dog Breed Reviews: Honest Reviews of 175 Dog Breeds
Love that website-
(I have a giant schnauzer and its right on)...
Also I don't get what people want with dogs bred to work when the owner doesn't have a job for the dog to work, even worse when its an extremely intelligent, high energy dog-
then its bored on top of jumping out of its skin...

I do think some dogs could work with the OPs schedule- like say, a German Shepherd, or maybe something that doesn't need to have such a close working relationship with the owner - like maybe a chow or something like that... but then whats going to happen after grad school, or depending on where his first job is located?
A dogs life span is ten years or more... something for the OP to consider in this day and age with housing so tight in many urban areas...
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