Of all the BC's I've met, most seem nervous, highly strung and unmanageable. But there are definitely exceptions. There's a really laid back, handsome fella at dog school, he's never in a rush and just plods around very sedately, doesn't stare or herd. And there's a few weird, grumpy ones who do just that. The lovely Border Collie we found wandering a couple of weeks ago was so gentle and easy going. In general, I have ruled them out as a pet, but would have taken him in a heartbeat.
ONe of the problems with any mix (Borador is NOT a breed) is you can't tell ahead of time what kind of looks you are going to end up with, let alone disposition and temperament. You could get a dog that looks all Lab but acts all BC and then, if your proposed walks are leashed and are all you intend for exercise and mental stimulation, well, it probably wont' be enough. Have you seen the light bulb joke? It's true. The BC will re-wire your whole house, the Lab will merely put in as many lightbulbs as you want, joyously. Both need to work but the BC is ON 25 hours a day. Generally. There are exceptions but again, how to you arrange to get the laid back exception?
LOL, this makes me quite happy to have decided on a Lab. But I also imagine there are people out there who WANT their whole house re-wired, so more power to them too!
I walk a labrador x collie (rescue with an absolutely atrocious past) and she also has very high energy levels and she's 6/7, her tail is constantly wagging, she's very friendly and a pleasure to walk but I think she's got more labrador in her than collie. It depends on the dog but collies need a LOT of exercise and are also more sensitve to noises and movements. The dog trainer has one and although she's very well trained she isn't good with other dogs or strangers but being so smart she follows every que her owner says. The dog trainer said collies although her favourite breed are very hard work, she needs to be doing something all day to keep her mind and body active.
Hiya, i have murphy he is a borador not to sure how much border is in him, looks a full lab except white mark on his chest, he is very loving and really friendly been a pleasure training him hes only nearly 6 months but is very intelligent i walk him twice a day bowt 45 mins on a morning mostly on lead in a park then over an hour every evening on the beach with lots of sand dunes! If he doesnt get this exercise he can become bored and mischievous! Hope this helps
When someone in the UK says Collie, do you mean Border Collie or Rough or Smooth Collie? In the US, Collie usually refers to a Rough Collie, which is a lot less hyper than a Border Collie. I had a Rough Collie growing up, and his personality was a lot closer to a Lab than a Border Collie. I don't know why you would want to cross a Border Collie or a Rough Collie with a Lab, since Labs are obviously the perfect dog. Our neighbor across the street just got a 1 yr old Labradoodle, who is a really great dog. Think Labrador with a Poodle coat. She is as tall as Cooper and weighs close to 70# She and Cooper are soul mates. They love to chase each other, play tug and keep a way.
I'd say people mean Border Collie. Rough Collies are indeed a totally different kettle of fish and are very laid back (at least the ones I've met have been).
My daughter in law has a BC and always has them. Moth is lovely, but she is very active. They live on a farm although not a working one, only horses. She was very hard work at the start, but after 2 years in now getting better. If you don't give them something to do they go self employed. By the way welcome to the forum from me and my two Fred and Annie.
When I hear someone from the UK refer to a "collie", my in-head auto translate goes to what I'd call an "English Shepherd" in the US. Not sure if that's accurate though. For most Americans, I'd be willing to bet that the name "collie" brings to mind images of Lassie.
Usually Collie = Border Collie in the UK. I'd LOVE to have a Smooth Collie. Lassie dogs look like too much grooming.
Lucky has some herding dog traits - although he's a Greek stray so who knows! People always asks if he has border collie or Australian shepherd in him when he is acting crazy or when he barks out of excitement, and don't ask if he is a collie when he is being calm and well behaved! I really like herding dogs myself, and would consider a lab/collie cross. The only thing I'd be worried about is the herding instinct, I think dogs with a strong drive to herd people, dogs, other animals, children etc. can be hard to manage.
Absolutely. I think Rough Collies were #1 or close to it in the US in the 1950s all because of Lassie. When someone here says Collie, that's what they mean. They always call Border Collies by the full name. Incidentally the Australian Shepherd was developed in California. Go figure.
