The Border Collie is one of the most popular dog breeds and they are widely kept as pets.
The Border Collie is highly intelligent, eminently trainable, full of energy, and good with people, which are just a few of the many reasons why people consider Border Collies to be a good choice of family pet.
But, is the Border Collie a good and safe choice for families with children or other pets?
General Temperament
The Border Collie is one of the most lively and active dogs in the world, and tend to enjoy always being on the go! Extremely tenacious, quickly bored, and they enjoy spending plenty of time running around. They are very quick to pick up training commands, and providing that they do not get bored, are extremely biddable and responsive to training and responding to commands.
However, some Border Collies can become unruly if not provided with enough entertainment, or if not properly trained.
Living with young children
Border Collies are affectionate and generally friendly with children of all ages, but they can be rather boisterous and lively, and make no distinction by age when trying to get someone to play with them! The main issue that may crop up from keeping a Border Collie with younger children is that the dog might accidentally hurt the child by being too boisterous, but training and management can often address this. With a young family it is always important to consider whether or not you will be able to fulfil the dog’s exercise requirements while you have your hands full with a young family that might not be able to walk too far.
Living with older children
If you have older children who actively enjoy having a dog around, older children are an excellent match for the Border Collie, and the two will be able to go some way to keeping each other entertained, particularly if your children like to spend lots of time out of doors. Having a lively dog such as the Border Collie can also help to keep your children fit, and perhaps consider getting involved in some form of canine sports with your dog if they enjoy training the dog and encouraging them to learn new skills.
