We have decided to get a dog and are currently doing research into various breeds. I love Labradors and had one as a child. My husband is keen to get a Borador (Labrador Collie cross) which seems a really lovely mixture however I am worried that it will require a lot more exercise. Realistically, we would be able to walk the dog 15-30 mins in the morning, 1 hour at lunch and 15-30 minutes in the evening. Would this be enough for a Borador?
Personally, after having a Labrador, no way would I have a borderdor. From what I hear Collies are much more work than a Labrador, and my Labrador is mental enough without throwing a collie in the mix. My friend has a springador and with enough exercise she's lovely - without it, she's like Stanley on speed. I also imagine they would need a lot of mental stimulation also. More than a usual dog. But that's just from stories, I have no person experience of collies
Welcome to the forum from me, Hattie 9 years and our rescue boy Charlie. Personally I wouldn't have anything with Collie in it either, they take a lot of hard work and need to use their brains all the time. There are few where I live and they are all anxious, one is aggressive and the only nice ones are working ones. Maybe mixed with Labrador they could be different, I don't know. I would say the amount of realistic walking you could give this mix would not be enough when it's fully grown adult unless you could do agility or flyball activities with it. I have two Labrador crosses so no experience of a Labrador. Good luck! x
Border collies were bred to work and they will happily work all day long. They need a lot of exercise so 2 hrs over the day won't be enough for an adult. BCs also need a lot of mental stimulation as they intelligent and active so numerous training sessions through out the day. It will be many months before a puppy could be on the exercise routine that you mention so how will you occupy the puppy in the meantime. Brains need to be exercised as well as the body and puppies need companionship
I wouldn't advise anyone to get a Border Collie or a cross involving a BC unless they were very active and into dog sports like Agility or Flyball or herding or something that resembles what a BC was bred to do. I do Flyball with my Labrador and teach obedience classes and so have observed many, many BCs and BC crosses in training over the years and I'd say that in that time I've honestly only met five that I'd describe as calm, easy dogs. And all of them did much, much, much more than an hour of walks a day. Most BCs are very high energy and want to chase stuff. And a good proportion are pretty snappy.
Thats what ive found in some of my training classes and agility classes. Collies are a little too tightly wound and highly strung. I had lots of fun with them but they are just not laid back enough for me. They can be very focused and obsessive.they are beautiful and talented just not for me. maybe you could go to some agility shows/competitions or flyball comps just to see some and watch them work. They are amazing. One if the women I trained with kept sheep for her collies and kelpies so they didn't get to bored.
I never understood why so many forum members disliked Border Collies. There was a lovely little BC pup in my puppy class in July and August of last year. She wasn't in my next 2 classes, but she's in my current class that started this month. I recognised her owner so went over to say hello - well, this once lovely puppy saw Xena approach (I wasn't going to let them greet because I'm working on Xena ignoring other dogs) and didn't just growl, but did the full on snarl with exposed teeth. I've never encountered that before! There's also an elderly BC that lives up my street who goes into an absolute frenzy when Xena and I walk past, but lots of dogs go into a frenzy when we walk past. So yeah, now I understand why people on this forum dislike BCs. There's just something about them as adults that's off.
I don't think we dislike BC's. It's just on a labrador forum the members gravitate towards labs mainly for their breed characteristics, which generally speaking, are polar opposites to border collies. I love BC's my agility trainer has two gorgeous ones, they are a handful albeit in a different way to labs, and it's taken a while for me to get my head around them. I did foster 2 young 5 month old BC (working) x labradors. I very nearly had a nervous breakdown at the end of it mind! They were funny and bright but nervous and snappy. I also know of a couple of amazing boradors, literally they were the best of both worlds, but I think they were very lucky, and very experienced dog owners.
I know someone who had a lab and then got a lab/bc rescue pup. She says that the young dog is hard work and wouldn't do it again. She told me that she really misses the soft personality and willingness to please that comes with having a Labrador. There is a stunning collie that comes to gundogs lessons. The owner takes the dog beating and picking up and she is quite superb. Collies do have a tremendous work ethic and I have seen this dog being called back and set up again 8 times on a very tricky retrieve! That is something that would be almost impossible to do even with the keenest lab. Despite the collie being so good her owner is desperate for her next dog to be a lab but she tells me that her husband is set on another border collie.
Agree on this. I used to belong to a Rottie forum and the consensus was that Labradors were spazzy flighty uncontrollable wackadoodles. I really respect people with the high energy herding breeds such as collies, aussies, etc. It takes a special kind of person to provide the right kind of home for such a smart and active dog. But like Jack Russells, I know this is not my breed. Labradors may even be on the outside spectrum of "too much dog" for me, but I guess I'll find that out soon enough! Very interesting thread, though, as I like hearing what people think of the different breeds and why they are or aren't right for them. Also never knew there was such a thing as a "Bordador/Borador". The more you know....
My sister had a Lab x Collie when her girls were growing up and he was a lovely dog, good looking and well behaved, clever and loyal He'd play for hours with the children. I've known a number of collies over the years but in farm settings and I love them, thoroughly enjoyed training two for sheep work. But I wouldn't want a pure collie as companion/pet.
I'd say this has been a very common cross in the countryside, in the days before cross breeds were given names and deliberately mated. Most farms had collies, and lots often had black labs....just a short hop across the fields for illicit liasions. Times are different now though.
My brother was a farmer and had border collies for years. He bred his own. Charka became a family pet and lived with us, he was a lovely, big beautiful dog. He needed walking for hours and, even then, didn't settle well. He was also very difficult with other dogs. We meet a lot of border collies on our walks, they never want to play - they just look at the dogs as if they don't know what to do with them! .
I grew on a farm and we always had collies but they were working farm dogs. They were friendly with us and we would stroke and play with them occassionally but they werent really pets. They worked all day just about never faltering and loving their job. We also used to adopt and foster collies that had been bought by people who didnt understand them and we were always being asked to take another. People seemed to buy them as cute pups then when they started to herd and snap at heels get rid of them . I would never have one as a pet unless i was going to do agility or something with them. They really need a job with both mental and physical stimulation.
I had a Collie/Springer, didn't know anything about dogs in those days. I bought her from a pet shop for 30/- (£1.50) and she was a nervous dog. She didn't seem to need that much exercise, would run backwards and forwards to check on me. I loved her dearly and it took me 6 years to get over her death. On balance I wouldn't choose a Collie but the Lab side could calm down the Collie side, but of course the opposite could be true! I don't like them being called a Borador as they really are just a crossbred dog.
There are a few reactive BCs at our dog club but mostly I find them a little socially retarded (in the nicest possible way ). I find they tend to 'stalk' other dogs when they meet them and this can be quite off putting. However, Ella has a great BC friend called Soda. They play wonderfully together and Soda is a great, happy girl that wouldake a wonderful pet. I guess it depends on the breeder and a bit of luck
A lady in our village rescued a BC about two years ago , and has lived to regret it . She adores Shadow, but he is wired, difficult to manage and full of nervous energy , she has walked him for miles every day, but it isn't enough . I think, of all the working breeds , the BC is the one who needs to work ,only then do they seem truly at peace with themselves .
I think you are right there, my sisters dog really seemed to have the best of both breeds, I guess it's more of a lottery with a cross breed of any sort as to what you are going to get, more so than a pure bred dog of a particular breed. And as this forum shows that can differ greatly. In the livestock world there is such a thing as "hybrid vigour" when two breeds are crossed. They can often be healthier and certain crosses can have the best of the desirable attributes of each breed. Sorry OP -- I'm digressing now
My mother loves BC's and has had five of them, of which two were totally ball obsessed (I mean, OBSESSED, enough to put most Labradors in the shade). They are all noise reactive and very scared by thunderstorms, fireworks or guns - one was so bad that a 'crack' noise, that we would hardly register, would have him running blindly for home, across roads or anywhere, just to get away from the noise. One of her dogs was so obsessed with herding that she tried to herd people and bit several people in the ankle - eventually she sadly had to be put to sleep as she had become too dangerous. Only one of Mum's five borders has been a calm, easy-going dog. That said, they are amazing dogs and with the right stimulation and exercise are wonderful. I've said before that in the training class that I give, we have a deaf 8-year-old border collie, who is an amazing retriever... Would I ever have one? No, definitely not. Too much high energy for me!!
Our rescue boyCharlie is a Labrador x Pointer (GSP) and we hoped the Labrador genes might calm him down but it DID NOT and he has more energy than I ever thought possible and he is 6 1/2 years old So please don't depend on that! xx
