Border Collie Mix puppy

[okeydokey]

I just left a message for someone who has a Border Collie Mix puppy he is trying to find a home for. (Not sure what the mix is). His neighbor moved and dumped this little guy on him and he agreed to take it and try to re-home it. The ad is a few days old so he may have already found a home, but I'd like to meet him.

I know that Border Collies are very smart and very active. We have a big fenced yard, I go for a 3 mile walk myself almost every day, as does my DH, and I have a 9 year old DS and 11 year old DD that will love playing ball and fetch etc with a dog. That said, we don't live on a farm and have sheep to herd, so I'm worried that the dog may not be happy here. I work 3 days a week so I'm home more often than some. Any of you that have this breed or a mix of this breed, would you mind sharing your experiences.

 

[AshleyW]

I just left a message for someone who has a Border Collie Mix puppy he is trying to find a home for. (Not sure what the mix is). His neighbor moved and dumped this little guy on him and he agreed to take it and try to re-home it. The ad is a few days old so he may have already found a home, but I'd like to meet him.

I know that Border Collies are very smart and very active. We have a big fenced yard, I go for a 3 mile walk myself almost every day, as does my DH, and I have a 9 year old DS and 11 year old DD that will love playing ball and fetch etc with a dog. That said, we don't live on a farm and have sheep to herd, so I'm worried that the dog may not be happy here. I work 3 days a week so I'm home more often than some. Any of you that have this breed or a mix of this breed, would you mind sharing your experiences.

My parents have a border collie/blue heeler mix. He's about 12 1/2 years old now. He was a VERY active puppy, but he's slowed down a lot now that he's getting pretty old. They lived in town with a fenced in yard, and he got plenty of exercise - even with no sheep. I don't remember him getting sick much until the past year or year and a half.. he's a BIG dog, probably 85lbs or so. Thanks to him being so big, he's having some bad joint problems in his hips that he has to take medicine for every day. His eyesight and hearing are starting to go, too, but mostly just due to old age. That being said, he's a very loving and happy dog and extremely loyal and smart. I'm definitely considering a border collie when my fiance and I get a puppy.

 

[Parkers_girl]

I have two border collies and they are great dogs! It's even better if you are getting him as young dog so you can train him. A three-mile walk and two kids to play with is plenty for a border collie to do. And since you have a big yard I'm sure he will love running laps (as mine does), they also love the frisbee! Some border collies get a little OCD and they HAVE to do something everyday, but it sounds like you are ready to handle the active part of the breed. Our two have never been around sheep and they are both very happy dogs, they do tend to "herd" kids though. They are very intelligent and if they aren't given something to stimulate themselves both mentally and physically they WILL find something themselves, usually not so good things. One of mine likes to eat toilet paper if we don't play with him, but other then that they are really awesome dogs. You won't regret it!

 

[bballmom56]

Border collies as you know are high level activity, high energy dogs. They do well when they have a job. But being a mix, this dog may not have the same activity level of a pure bred. Perhaps you can spend some time with it to see what its personality is like. If your yard is big enough and your kids are interested, maybe they could do some agility training with him.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We had a border collie/Australian Shepard mix when we lived in Montana. She would herd the neighbor's cattle (we lived on 20 acres surrounded by hundreds of acres of cattle land) when they needed to round them up to move them. Plus shortly after we moved into our house, the fence broke and we had a few head of cattle in our front yard. She herded them right back into the pasture where we put the barbed wire fence back up and called our neighbors. She was less than a year old at the time.

When we moved to Louisiana, I was worried that she wouldn't like having just a smaller yard versus hundreds of acres. But she did just fine. She was a bit older and had our son to herd.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Herders need to be kept busy. But it sounds like, with all the walking you and your DH do, he'd get a lot of exercise which is great. You may also need to make up some ball games and such for him to play in your yard - this would be great for the kids to be involved in. You might also look into agility groups in your area - Border Collies are great at agility! As long as you know the requirements for the breed and can fulfill his need to "work", you should be fine. Within every breed there are variations on personality, activity level, etc. Get him a backpack to wear on his walks!

 

[nskjerven]

We've (Me, DH & Kids, 12 & 9) had 3 border collies, 2 mixes, 1 pure. They are the BEST family dogs. Very active but in a positive way if you can find their outlet they are fine. They tend to get fixated on playing and make that a "job" if sheep aren't around

We have found that our 2nd & 3rd really like having their kennel to be safe in when not running the boarders of our fence.

Typical dog stories with all of them. Lots of digging for the first 2 when they were puppies left alone. If you are home they are happy.

First one lived only until 10 years old, cancer got her

Second one 16 years old, sweet girl Casey we had her put down last year

and Jenny Rose is running strong at 10+ now.

She likes to get in the trash and anything with food we have to keep up very high away, she will get it and eat it and everything with it too. (that means she ate the safety pins along with the teddy graham crackers for the girl scout project)

They are great dogs, great family dogs

 

[okeydokey]

I'm glad to hear positive stories. Do any of you also have cats. We have 2 indoor cats and I am a bit worried about the herding.

 

[JoiseyMom]

We got a new puppy at the end of last year. She is a lab mix, looks very much like a black lab..almost 100% black! We hired a trainer, and he feels she is also part border collie! She is very very active, and herds us, the kids and our 13 year old dog!! She likes to nip at our feet/ankles/shoes!! I started taking her to the dog park to get more activity and play with other dogs. She has access to our yard and does alot of running, but she needed more activity. OMG...she also does laps in our pool!!

 

[nskjerven]

We had cats on our property with the first two. I lived in the front house and had a little rental apartment in the back and my tenant had a cat. We just told the dogs "NO CAT" and they learned to stay away.

We do have a rabbit now and Jenny did get her once, when the bunny was left outside on accident. It was awful. Now they NEVER are together and we tell Jenny all the time "NO BUNNY" she knows what it means, but she would get that rabbit the minute I turned my back on her.

I would think a cat could better take care of themselves than a bunny, but it might depend on the cat

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm glad to hear positive stories. Do any of you also have cats. We have 2 indoor cats and I am a bit worried about the herding.

I don't have cats of my own, but my dogs have usually been good with cats if the cats will tolerate the dog, if that makes sense.

Training is going to be key with this dog, in all aspects of your life, but with the cats as well. You said the dog is a puppy, so he will need to be trained to get along well with the cats. It may take a while. And since the cats are already there first, the dog is going to have to learn to treat them respectfully.

Begin to set limits with the dog from the moment he comes home. Lots of exercise will expend his energy (and as the saying goes, a tired dog is a happy dog). Figure out what the boundaries are going to be, as well. Consider gating off the kitchen when the dog first comes home (as well as get him used to using a crate). The cats should have their space respected. Gradually they'll get used to eachother (hopefully).

My kids were 6yo when we got my current dog. I knew how Shepherds herded kids because I grew up with them and always had bloody ankles myself. I didn't want that to happen with my kids so I taught my dog to keep a soccer ball in her mouth at all times. She still herds, but instead of nipping, she'll "bump" them with her ball. So you can find solutions that work for everyone, it just takes some thought and practice.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Three of my herders...

 

[Feralpeg]

I had a Border Collie/St. Bernard mix. Dodger was a beautiful dog. He had the coloring of a Border Collie, but the long fur and muzzle of the St. Bernard. When fully grown, he was about 80 pounds. He was always very hyper. He was great for about the first six years I had him. After I had my daughter, he became more protective of me. I never left him alone with my daughter. At about eight years old, he became extremely protective of me and aggressive. He never snapped or growled at my daughter, but he got into terrible fights with my other dog, Baron. Baron was a German Shepard/Lab mix and very gentle. Dodger always initiated the fights.

Eventually, I had to give Dodger to a friend who lived by himself. They did great together until Dodger's death. I hated to give him away, but he was way to aggressive and I was afraid to have him near my daughter.

 

[MrsPete]

We have a border collie /black lab mix, and she's a good dog. She has the body shape /size of a lab, but she has the thick, thick fur and coloring (black body with white collar, stomach, paws) of a border collie. Her hair is so thick that we get her shaved every spring (she's an outside dog), and it makes her sooo happy: when she comes home from the groomer, she runs and rolls around like a puppy. The fur grows back good and thick just in time for cold weather. She weighed 69 pounds when she went to the vet last spring.

When she was a puppy, she was a terrible chewer -- destroyed a number of things in the yard -- but she outgrew that.

She's not a smart dog, not a bit; I don't know if that's the Lab coming out or if she's just unusual for her breed. She's also not a watchdog -- she'd allow anyone to come into our back yard, anyone who'd scratch her head. If another dog barks at her while we're out walking, she'll hide behind us. But she is a very loving dog and has always been very, very good with the children.

Even when she was younger, she didn't "herd". We've had other dogs who "herded", and it was very much part of their personality, almost an obsession with them . . . not true of my dog. I think when you have a mix, you don't really know which traits you'll get.

She was very, very active in her first eight years but now that she's nine she's slowed down a bit; the vet says she has arthritus in her back legs. She used to run up to the fence and put her feet up so we could pet her. Now she just stands by the fence and wants us to reach over to pet her. Her face is quite gray now, and she's definitely a senior citizen dog. She still LOVES to go for walks, but she can't manage long, long walks these days.

Our dog lives in a one-acre fenced lot, and it's plenty for her. She used to run a great deal when she was younger, but she doesn't do that so much any more. She does love that our fence borders the road, so allllll the people who walk in our neighborhood stop and talk to her -- as I said, VERY friendly.

Someone mentioned cats. My dog has always hated cats. From the time she was a puppy, she despised them. When she was younger and stronger, if she saw a cat while we were out walking, she could almost jerk me off my feet in her pursuit -- she could make one of the children fall down in her desire to rid the world of cat-kind. LOTS of cats live in our neighborhood, and she takes great pleasure in barking up a storm and letting them know that they have no business anywhere near her yard. Earlier this summer when we were on vacation, we left her with a friend . . . we came home late Sunday night to find that three cats had decided to take up residence in our back yard. You could almost read their minds: "The dog's gone, we're gonna live here now -- ours, ours, ours." I didn't witness any carnage the next day when I brought her home, but I didn't see them hanging around anymore.

Our dog doesn't have a kennel, but she does love her igloo dog house, and she has a spot under the shed and under the deck. She definitely has to have a "home". She is afraid of lightening, and we never see her during storms.

 

[connorlevismom]

I have a Border Collie/Springer Spaniel whom I absolutely adore. He has more personality than I can tell you and is not hyper in the least. He lays around all day and always has. He loves to be outside and run but when in the house, he just lays around. I would have thought that with the border/springer mix he would be HYPER but not at all. We love him.

Kristine

 

[Minnie]

We have an Australian Shepherd but live on a 10 acre property in the country. Honestly I can't imagine having her in town unless it was extremely large yard

Very smart and loyal breed - She definitely "tries" to herd our barn cats but u can imagine her success Great around the horses and is very obedient She tried to herd my son when she was younger but behavior training worked well for both

HOWEVER she is extremely active which I imagine could possibly turn to behavior issues if not for the room she has to run. Definitely not a leave in the house all day type of dog

Best of luck on your search for a pup that fits your family

 

[okeydokey]

Well it's been several hours since I left the message and I haven't heard back so maybe the puppy has already been placed. The search continues. We really want to be sure that we find the right dog since it will be a member of this family for years to come.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Well it's been several hours since I left the message and I haven't heard back so maybe the puppy has already been placed. The search continues. We really want to be sure that we find the right dog since it will be a member of this family for years to come.

Don't give up hope. We just adopted a Beagle puppy and originally were told it was gone, but the previous party interested never showed up, so she called us back. He's been ours since Monday.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I have an Australian Sheperd... essentially the same thing... think of it as a Border Collie "lite" . He is now 10 years old, so he is much more reserved now, and not as active, but with what you describe as an activity level, IMO, he should be just fine.

I'll say this about my Aussie, I have NEVER had a better behaved dog as a puppy. He never chewed ANYTHING. I had him housebroken in less than a week. And he was 2 years old when my kids were born. He was a GREAT protector of them.

They are smart for sure....

One thing I did do early on was build a very basic agility course in my back yard. Spent about $75 on it, and I could move it out of the way when I needed to ( made from PVC pipes ). He loved it!

 

[Papa Deuce]

We have an Australian Shepherd but live on a 10 acre property in the country. Honestly I can't imagine having her in town unless it was extremely large yard

Me too, but mine does just fine in our back yard ... about 1/8 of an acre. He love to chase a ball when he was younger and would play fetch for 20 - 30 minutes at a time. That was enough for him. And we built a mini agility course for him ( mentioned above )...

Funny thing.... he herds all dogs, except for our Golden Retriver....