Please don’t openly advocate the Border Collie as being eminently suitable as a family pet.
This is a breed that is not designed to be a pet and many do not settle into pet homes.
They are designed to be sheepdogs not house dogs.
They are top of the pops as a breed that nips and bites children and can be very intolerant of kids.
They head the league of pets prone to suffer compulsive behavioural disorders in domestic home environments.
They are not easy to train – in fact you need to be a good and consistent trainer to be able to train a BC. Otherwise they won’t respect you and will run rings around you.
They are also the most likely breed of dog kept as a pet to end up in rescue.
Yes, you are right – many are kept as pets and their owners are kept amused by their little quirks and obsessive behaviours which they see as a sign of character and overlook the suffering behind them.
What attracts people most is their inbred loyalty. They can be driven crazy by their owners, abused, mistreated and neglected, but they remain willing to please – thats part of their breeding.
Who could resist a dog that looks at you with such devotion in its eyes.
If people considered the needs of the dogs, less would be kept as pets and there would not be so many organisations existing to rehome Border Collies.
No – do not encourage people to take on a BC as a family pet – you are doing them and the breed a great diservice.