SHADE TREE
BORDER COLLIES
Here are some typically border collie questions and their answers...have any more??? Just ask!
But look at the cute fuzzy puppy!!!!
Part of what makes border collies great is that they are gorgeous...and are even more adorable as puppies...however, don't confuse this cute fluff ball for a lap pet (though they normally will snuggle some). Border collies are athletes and geniuses. This combination is not for the faint at heart. You will constantly have to stay a step ahead of them because they want to please and if you are not consistent they will "do what they think you mean." Leave them locked in a bathroom all day? You must want your wallpaper redecorated. Leave them unsupervised around animals without proper training??? Well, hope you want them rounded up by any means possible. They NEED mental and physical stimulation. If you have heard about a bad border collie then you have heard about a bored border collie. Expect 15 years or more of an active companion...just saying.
Active dogs need PROTEIN...
and fat.
Struggling to keep a border collie in good condition will drive you insane....especially if you are using the wrong food. Border collies need a higher protein diet than most dogs because they are constantly in motion. A working border collie also needs a high fat content. Typically you do not find too many obese border collies because they are so active.
Are they mixed with Aussies?
This is a common misconception since many people have only seen the traditional black and white border collie. Think Babe the Pig. But actually border collies come in a variety of colors: Black, red, chocolate, sable, red merle, blue merle, and that is the shortlist. They also can have the traditional Irish spotting pattern, or be piebald, or have minimal white. Border collies are bred to work so attention to specific markings has taken the backburner over the years.
I live in an apartment, but don't worry I will walk my dog at least three times a day!
Sounds like you would be a great dog owner...but not for a border collie. A gentle stroll around the neighbor will not meet the exercise/stimulation requirement of a border collie. Are you an avid runner? Will you be running daily and working on tricks while inside? The combination of intense exercise/bonding/mental stimulation can work if you are willing to work at it. If not, you need to find a breed that is more conducive to your lifestyle. Your cute puppy will develop bad habits that will label him a problem dog and will most likely end him up in a shelter...where they go crazy from boredom and seem unadoptable. Don't do that to a border collie...make the right decision now.