CHARACTER & TEMPERAMENT
The border collie (and Kelpie, a close cousin) are HEADING dogs, i.e., they go to the head of the sheep (the Cast), turn them in the direction to go (the Lift), and bring them back to the handler (the Fetch). This behaviour is instinctive and inbred, it is a refined version of the hunting instinct, which occurs in hunting packs. All other herding dogs are DRIVING dogs, i.e., the dog walks/runs at the heels of the livestock and moves them along, often with the help of the handler. Border Collies move the sheep quietly, without panic, using a combination of stealth, inner strength, balance, speed, endurance and “eye” (an intense stare, peculiar to the breed). A good working border collie has an inbred desire to work sheep, he is responsive to his master, willing and eager to please, with a well developed work ethic. He needs good physical structure, being sound of body and limb, as any incorrect aspect will lead to injuries and a limited career. He also needs an owner that is willing to train and channel his natural exuberance, intelligence, and agility with patience and kindness. A well trained sheepdog is capable of getting the job done quicker and more effectively than 5 men. The sheep are less stressed when gathered and herded by a dog, they become easier to handle and the ewes’ mothering instinct is intensified. Training is of utmost importance, it takes time, effort and a lot of patience to train a dog to this level, but an untrained, undisciplined dog can do enormous damage on a sheep farm.
Border Collies are not the ideal pet for everyone - the very qualities that have made him the premier sheepherding breed are his downfall in an inappropriate, urban home. They are known to be hyperactive, unmanageable, unruly, overexcited, unresponsive to his owners' commands, unpredictable with children and agressive. Remember that they have been bred for many generations to work; to herd anything that moves. The problem arises when these dogs behave in ways that are completely natural to them, yet they don’t fit into the environment they now find themselves in.
These are typical, normal border collie behaviour patterns:
He is a cautious dog, can be wary of strangers, strange dogs, strange environments.
Generations of life on a sheepfarm has not equiped him with the skills to deal with changes to his environment.
It is imperative to start Puppy Scocialisation from a young age to allow him to become accustomed to life in the city.
He is a dog that chases everything that moves: cats, cars, joggers....
He is obsessed by movement, a characteristic that has been part of the breed since time immemorial.
It is one of the characteristics that have been specially selected for.
You need to channel his nature correctly with appropriate training and control.
Make sure you have his full attention.
He 'eyes' everything that moves.
It is the way he controls his flock of sheep.
It is inbred and also a characteristic which is selected for.
Manage it, as he can get into fights with other dogs
who feel uncomfortable at being stared at.
Herds or nips your children
A group of children running around playing and shouting can unsettle him, tricking him into thinking that his ‘wayward flock’ is panicking and escaping.
He becomes stressed and resorts to instinct, trying to herd the children, possibly nipping one in passing.
This instantly puts an end to the game and labels your border collie as 'aggressive'.
Herds other dogs
He has been bred to herd!
This can cause fights with other dogs as they don't want to be herded.
Keep control gently and discourage it.
He is sensitive to sound
Sheepfarms are quiet places.
He needs to have acute hearing to understand and interpret a shepherd's signals at a great distance.
Noise such as thunder and fireworks can cause them extreme stress.
If necessary protect him from it and use desensiitising measures to help him cope.
They are very sensitive to reprimands
He craves guidance and instruction from you.
Speak quietly to him, he doesn't need you to shout at him.
If you need to reprimand him, do so gently -
Remember that it is actually you that has failed in your training.
He ignores you.
You haven't done the appropriate bonding with him.
He has been bred to be a free-thinker
and solve problems on his own if he cannot see/hear his handler.
You have to persuade him that your way is better....
Don't make the training boring and repetitive!
Plays keep away
What a lovely game to play!
And the angrier you get the worse it becomes.....
Keep it fun.
Easily gets over-excited, barking at anything and everyone.
They are normally sight and sound sensitive - they've been bred that way to be alert to their flock and their master.
Work on calmness and desensitising excessive hyperactivity.
Lunges out at other dogs or people while on a lead.
He is being forced into a stressful situation
without the option of running away.
He also knows that you are stressed - mainly because you expect him to 'misbehave'
And so he reacts to 'protect you' from the approaching people/dogs.
Sympathetic training and confidence building.
He is a cautious dog, can be wary of strangers, strange dogs, strange environments.
Generations of life on a sheepfarm has not equiped him with the skills to deal with changes to his environment.
It is imperative to start Puppy Scocialisation from a young age to allow him to become accustomed to life in the city.
He is a dog that chases everything that moves: cats, cars, joggers....
He is obsessed by movement, a characteristic that has been part of the breed since time immemorial.
It is one of the characteristics that have been specially selected for.
You need to channel his nature correctly with appropriate training and control.
Make sure you have his full attention.
He 'eyes' everything that moves.
It is the way he controls his flock of sheep.
It is inbred and also a characteristic which is selected for.
Manage it, as he can get into fights with other dogs
who feel uncomfortable at being stared at.
Herds or nips your children
A group of children running around playing and shouting can unsettle him, tricking him into thinking that his ‘wayward flock’ is panicking and escaping.
He becomes stressed and resorts to instinct, trying to herd the children, possibly nipping one in passing.
This instantly puts an end to the game and labels your border collie as 'aggressive'.
Herds other dogs
He has been bred to herd!
This can cause fights with other dogs as they don't want to be herded.
Keep control gently and discourage it.
He is sensitive to sound
Sheepfarms are quiet places.
He needs to have acute hearing to understand and interpret a shepherd's signals at a great distance.
Noise such as thunder and fireworks can cause them extreme stress.
If necessary protect him from it and use desensiitising measures to help him cope.
They are very sensitive to reprimands
He craves guidance and instruction from you.
Speak quietly to him, he doesn't need you to shout at him.
If you need to reprimand him, do so gently -
Remember that it is actually you that has failed in your training.
He ignores you.
You haven't done the appropriate bonding with him.
He has been bred to be a free-thinker
and solve problems on his own if he cannot see/hear his handler.
You have to persuade him that your way is better....
Don't make the training boring and repetitive!
Plays keep away
What a lovely game to play!
And the angrier you get the worse it becomes.....
Keep it fun.
Easily gets over-excited, barking at anything and everyone.
They are normally sight and sound sensitive - they've been bred that way to be alert to their flock and their master.
Work on calmness and desensitising excessive hyperactivity.
Lunges out at other dogs or people while on a lead.
He is being forced into a stressful situation
without the option of running away.
He also knows that you are stressed - mainly because you expect him to 'misbehave'
And so he reacts to 'protect you' from the approaching people/dogs.
Sympathetic training and confidence building.
It is up to you, the owner to ensure that your border collie makes a wonderful compainion by putting in the work training him. He is not born fully trained! Always remember that a Border Collie is first and foremost a working breed (we cannot stress this enough!) and is one of the few breeds that still does the work that he was originally bred to do. For centuries he has been bred specifically to herd livestock and most border collies live to herd. According to intelligence tests, he is the most intelligent breed of dog, having the ability to think and reason for himself and is capable of making his own individual decisions. He is also very agile and has enduring stamina. This in combination with his intelligence will lead him into trouble if left to his own devices. He needs mental stimulation. A bored border collie is a recipe for disaster, as he will find something to entertain himself with. He can be an escapaholic, with enough provocation. If he cannot chew his way through a fence, he will go over it (for some borders a 6ft fence is a breeze) and if he cannot go over he will go under. Add to this his intelligence, for many border collies a latch or door handle is an exciting challenge and once mastered nothing will keep this dog in (or out)!
We insist that puppies attend Puppy Socialisation classes, where they learn to interact with other dogs and people, are exposed to different sights, sounds and scents from an early age and the bonding process with the owner is initialised. Thereafter, at least a basic Obedience Course is required, as these dogs are too intelligent, too active and too demanding to be contented with lying around in the backyard sleeping. Then, depending on your interest you can do so many disciplines with your border collie, such as competitive obedience, dancing, working trials, agility, sheepherding, the list is endless. Even if you are just wanting a 'pet', the bonding and basic obedience makes your border collie so much more pleasurable to be around.
It is important that gentle training methods are used, such as clicker training, food/toy driven training etc. Harsh training methods do not suit any dog, more so a border collie.
There is also no need for your dog to be roused to a hysterical state for it to perform well, and it is bad for its mental and physical health to be in such a state. If your dog shows signs of stress or gets over-excited ask yourself is this is really the best activity for him? Traditionally a border collie was closed away in a quiet, non-stimulating area to rest and recover after a hard day's work or training, allowing the adrenalin levels to return to normal. Today's urban border collie does not have that luxury, he is continually bombarded by noise and activity which can cause unneccessary stress, creating behavioural issues. That old adage: "Let sleeping dogs lie", could not be more appropriate and do impress it on your children. It is also your responsibility to teach your children how to treat your border collie with love and respect at all times. Ensure that your ground rules are in place and are adhered to at all times, not only when you are present.
Border Collies are very much ‘people’ dogs, they crave human companionship and are not happy left alone all day. His sole desire is to be with you and be part of your everyday life, no matter what you are doing. He looks to you for guidance all the time, so encourage him to do so. That way he gains confidence from you and is less likely to get into trouble, as he will know that he can rely on you to deal with any problem situation. Make sure all his experiences are positive and encourage him to exercise self-control when his impulses to chase and control movement are triggered.
Practice self-control yourself as much as possible! Be a calm owner, do not over-excite your border collie. Just think about it - An excitable shepherd = an over-excited dog = sheep scattered all over the farm and probably the neighbour's too! Teach him calmly and quietly what you want him to do. If he understands and is enjoying what he is doing he will do his best for you; after all he has been bred from generations of dogs selected for their willingness to work as a team with their handler.
We insist that puppies attend Puppy Socialisation classes, where they learn to interact with other dogs and people, are exposed to different sights, sounds and scents from an early age and the bonding process with the owner is initialised. Thereafter, at least a basic Obedience Course is required, as these dogs are too intelligent, too active and too demanding to be contented with lying around in the backyard sleeping. Then, depending on your interest you can do so many disciplines with your border collie, such as competitive obedience, dancing, working trials, agility, sheepherding, the list is endless. Even if you are just wanting a 'pet', the bonding and basic obedience makes your border collie so much more pleasurable to be around.
It is important that gentle training methods are used, such as clicker training, food/toy driven training etc. Harsh training methods do not suit any dog, more so a border collie.
There is also no need for your dog to be roused to a hysterical state for it to perform well, and it is bad for its mental and physical health to be in such a state. If your dog shows signs of stress or gets over-excited ask yourself is this is really the best activity for him? Traditionally a border collie was closed away in a quiet, non-stimulating area to rest and recover after a hard day's work or training, allowing the adrenalin levels to return to normal. Today's urban border collie does not have that luxury, he is continually bombarded by noise and activity which can cause unneccessary stress, creating behavioural issues. That old adage: "Let sleeping dogs lie", could not be more appropriate and do impress it on your children. It is also your responsibility to teach your children how to treat your border collie with love and respect at all times. Ensure that your ground rules are in place and are adhered to at all times, not only when you are present.
Border Collies are very much ‘people’ dogs, they crave human companionship and are not happy left alone all day. His sole desire is to be with you and be part of your everyday life, no matter what you are doing. He looks to you for guidance all the time, so encourage him to do so. That way he gains confidence from you and is less likely to get into trouble, as he will know that he can rely on you to deal with any problem situation. Make sure all his experiences are positive and encourage him to exercise self-control when his impulses to chase and control movement are triggered.
Practice self-control yourself as much as possible! Be a calm owner, do not over-excite your border collie. Just think about it - An excitable shepherd = an over-excited dog = sheep scattered all over the farm and probably the neighbour's too! Teach him calmly and quietly what you want him to do. If he understands and is enjoying what he is doing he will do his best for you; after all he has been bred from generations of dogs selected for their willingness to work as a team with their handler.
Think Border Collies,
Think working sheepdogs.....
Maximise their strengths,
Understand and respect their weaknesses.