Border Collie Temperment

Border collie temperment lends itself well to working farms or homes in which the owners can provide a high degree of care and training for the dog.

Border collies are a dedicated, loyal, and hard-working breed. One of the most noted and appreciated characteristic about Border collies is their innate work ethic. They want to work at a job until it is just right and tend to be perfectionists.

Border collie temperment will depend greatly on the training you give her when she is a puppy and throughout her adult years. Socializing her as a puppy is vital to her mental health and well being, not to mention her adaptation into your family. She will do best if she has a firm hand and discipline from the very beginning.

Border collies are intelligent, affectionate, willing to learn, and have good reasoning abilities. All of these characteristics can be very positive if the owner trains her properly. Border collie temperament can be molded nicely by training and constant interaction.

It's vital for a potential dog owner to know all of the traits associated with a Border Collie personality before making a decision to bring this breed into the family or onto a working farm.

These beautiful dogs live to work and to please their owner. They love receiving praise for a job well done. They have such a strong work ethic that you have to watch them to make sure they take breaks or otherwise they can inadvertently injure themselves.

Border collies must have a job or jobs to do practically every minute of the day.

This breed is a fantastic choice for dog owners who enjoy competing in dog shows for obedience and agility. Border collie temperament is such that they'll work to perfect any move or command given.

Farm collies are best known for their ability to herd sheep, but given their innate herding instinct, Border collies will herd anything that moves! This includes squirrels, children, bicycles, cars, and people. Border collies are motion sensitive, so they react to sudden movements and sounds, possibly making them an unsuitable choice for families with young children. We have always had border collies in our household though, and have never had a problem with our little kids. In fact, they have been great busy companions for our young boys.

An elderly person who desires a companion should not choose a Border collie, as the dog would be constantly underfoot and possibly cause injury to her owner.

It's so important for potential dog owners to understand that Border collies require constant training and exercise. These dogs thrive when they have a sense of purpose and are given jobs to do. However, if an aspiring working Border collie is left to her own devices and doesn't have the constant stimulation and exercise she requires, she may turn into a dog who is neurotic and destructive.

This breed becomes bored very quickly. If the dog's energies are not directed throughout the day, you can expect her to chew (everything!) and wreck a home in very little time.

These dogs can be incorporated into a household with other pets, such as another dog or even cats. We have cats around our Border collies all the time! However, when you're away, you might want to separate the Border collie from the other pets so that she doesn't try to herd the other animals or react to quick movements by chasing and nipping.

We don't have problems with our Border collies herding cats, but we do need to keep them away from our chickens when they are young. Our dogs have to learn to leave the poultry alone, which takes quite a bit of training during the pup's first year.

Many times these hard-working dogs end up at an animal shelter. Oftentimes the person who adopted them just wasn't aware of the time and dedication required to make this breed a happy and productive member of the family.

Don't let this happen to another dog. Make sure that a Border collie temperment is the right fit for your family before you bring one home.