Border Collies are these fantastic black and white dogs from Scotland which are known for their keen intelligence and their incredible herding instinct.

It’s no wonder that a Border Collie has the energy output of a miniature nuclear reactor. Border Collies have been bred to herd sheep and that requires a lot of physical stamina and endurance. Herding sheep is an all-day activity and often entails miles of endless running and sprinting across uneven patches of farmland.
But obviously, not every owner of a Border Collie has the luxury of owning sheep, so another outlet must be found for this energy. Living with a young Border Collie is like living with a highly intelligent toddler. It requires dedicated time and effort to survive the experience!

Intelligence in dogs is a double-edged sword. Yes, a Border Collie can learn lots of tricks and can have quite a large vocabulary but he also can learn a lot of bad things. Having such a smart dog means waging a continual intellectual war with your dog, trying to outsmart it as it figures out each progressive intellectual step you take. Trying to confine a Border Collie can be an exercise in futility. Just when you put in a gate, they figure out how to get over (under) it. When you put in a door, they figure out how to push it open. You put in a latch and they figure out how to turn doorknobs. Some Border Collie owners swear that their BC can pick combination locks – though their paws make it hard to turn the dial. If you do not enjoy engaging in intellectual warfare, especially with a non-human, a less “perceptive” and somewhat “denser” breed may be in order.

Very few people can provide what the smart, high-voltage Border Collie really needs to be satisfied and well-behaved, but those who can find a most loyal 24/7 buddy. Once a BC owns you you’ve got no chance of escaping and I wouldn’t know why anyone would want to.

Set of Two
Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
(from the Herding Dogs Collection)

_{(sorry, I did not count how often this Border Collie photograph was featured, but it was featured at least once as can be seen in the Comments section)}