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Is A Border Collie Right for You? Sometimes we see a border collie in a movie or on a commercial and we think, gosh, I'd love to have a dog just like that! Today we're seeing more and more border collie's in the movies and on television. The reason being, they are for starters a very beautiful dog! But more importantly, they are a very intelligent dog. They can be well behaved and mannered or they can be unruly and demanding. That's up to you. You might say to yourself, that's true of any dog and yes, it is, however, border collies have more specific needs than most dogs. Some people have described the border collie as a "hyperactive" dog but they are not hyperactive in the traditional sense of the word. The classic image of a hyper dog includes uncontrolled barking and hysterical behavior. Border collie's rarely behave in such a manner. True, they have a tremendous amount of energy, an animal that is required to run more than 25 miles a day to maintain a flock of sheep, will have plenty of energy. The real problem with border collies' energy is that they are smart enough to find something to do! Of course, what they find to do may not always be pleasant. They may dig holes in the yard (or in the walls of your house!), chase cats, or chew up anything they can find. Well-trained, well-exercised border collies still need something to do. Agility, obedience training, working stock or long runs with his/her owner on a bike will burn off some of the border collie's energy and help it fit in with the family. Are you Border Collie material? How much are you at home? Does your job require you to travel with any frequency? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Are there facilities close to your home for exercising your border collie? You do not have to sacrifice you social life, abandon your spouse, or give up other interests to own a border collie, but you will have to make adjustments. If you live alone and travel as a regular part of your job, consider another breed. If you would rather spend time at a sports bar, a concert, or an athletic event than working your border collie, do yourself a favor and buy a stuffed dog. To get more information about border collies, their temperament and characteristics, the history of the border collie, descriptions, training and behavior hints, specific medical problems and a lot more, visit the following link: Border Collie Basics. |
