Toller/Border Collie

Just my opinion, but if you honestly think that a purposely bred mix of these two breeds would be best, then chances are you havent done your research.Hundreds of dogs, especially mixes, are killed everyday in shelters because there simply arent enough homes for them. Either go for a purebred of a breed you know every single detail about and are completely sure is right for you from a VERY responsible breeder, or rescue a dog from the pound.

I have a little experience in tollers, but I own a Border and they are personally my favorite dogs, so I'll give you what I know about both...

Toller Pros
-Good temperments
-Overall healthy breed
-Intelligent

Toller Cons
-Hard to find
-Contrary to popular belief, they are NOT labs or goldens. They arent big lovey dogs who thinks every person they see is their new best friend. They are often one or two person dogs, and those are their people. Anyone else is ok, but dont expect them to go crazy when they see them.
-They are a breed that has not been split (and hopefully wont.) Meaning, there arent "show lines" and "field lines." This means that they are all very in tune to their hunting instincts and will be much more active then a lot of other breeds.
-Often are hard to train because they are so smart.
-Incredibly hard to keep out of the water. Not sure if this is a problem, but it's HUGE for me, seeing as I live in Florida and alligators just love puppy snacks.
-Because of their energy, they need to be entertained anytime when not sleeping. If they arent, they will become destructive and will have behavior problems.
-Defiently require at least a medium sized yard and at least an hour or two of solid exercise a day.

Border Collie Pros
-One of the most intelligent breeds I know of
-Jack of all trades

Border Collie Cons
-So incredibly smart they are hard to train
-Will herd anything that moves. If children are running around,expect the dog to nip them and chase them around. In general, kids dont really like being snapped at by dogs... Cats, cars, and bicycles are fair game too.
-They are...insane. My dog cant stand dirt in water, whether in the pool, a water bowl, whatever. She dunks her head in and spits out mouthfuls of water just to clean it. I know of another BC that sits at the window all day and barks at anything that moves-lizards, squirrels, leaves falling. I could go on about the obsessions these dogs have.
-Not for the novice owner, they are too difficult
-My girl is a very calm Border, and she requires about 1.5 hours of exercise everyday. I let her run for about 30 mins in the AM before school, come home, let her run and chase the other dogs, then I jog her around the block. When we get home, she does some agility for fun, and I work on obedience or tricks. After all that, she is settled, but she could get up and do it again at anytime.
-You have to keep them mentally busy ALL THE TIME! My girl is always playing with my other dogs, or has a Kong or similar interactive toy when I am not able to do something with her. I try and teach her at least one new trick a week to keep her mentally satisfied. A tired Border is a happy Border. Dogs, Borders in particular, that arent exercised properly end up being barkers, diggers, escape artists, obsessive, and aggressive. Let's face it, most people dont have time for a cat, much less a Border Collie.

I made the mistake of getting a dog (she's not a Border, but you can get my point.) that wasnt right for me when I was little. She was wayyy too active for a seven year old to handle, and she was not given the attention and exercise she deserved and needed, and now the poor dog cant be let loose in her own barkyard without scaling the 6ft fence, cant go anywhere because she is unpredictable, and has to be isolated so she wont hurt/kill the cats. No dog should ever live this way, and it's because of me. Now, I am dedicated to teaching and educating people about getting dogs for their lifestyles, not because they starred in a movie, or they are just oh-so-cute.

Do your research. Talk to people with the breeds you like. Get to know everything you can, maybe even foster for a breed rescue group. What's the worst that can happen, you find out that they arent good for your lifestyle anymore? That's fine. There are like 150 breeds in AKC alone, plus unrecognized, rarer breeds. I'm sure there is SOMETHING out there for you. If not, pay your local shelter a visit and maybe you'll find your perfect dog there...

Hope it helps. PM me if you'd like anymore info.

I replied to your other thread here:
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=133295]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=133295[/link]

Bu I also forgot to add something in my post there. As was said in the above post, Tollers can be very hard to locate (if you're looking for a great breeder - which you should be, unless you want to go the shelter or rescue route) and if you feel that this breed is good for you and you seriously would like to have one, I'm willing to help find a good breeder if you can tell me your location. I know of quite a few. Anyway, good luck in your decision!
 
Also, please do NOT go looking for a Toller/Border Collie cross. Never purchase a dog from someone who is breeding mixes, that is not an ehtical breeder. Yes, I happen to have a Toller/Border Collie cross but I got her from my mom's friends' accidental litter simply because I knew I would be a better home for her than a lot of people. I don't regret getting Tango, she's an awesome dog (for me) and the best I've ever had but I do regret that I supported the friend in taking one of her pups. I will never again get a dog from someone who doesn't breed for all the right reasons. I will only support the responsible breeders and rescues. Those are the places all of my future dogs will come from.
 
Oh, I also wanted to ask, how much are you willing to spend on the initial price of the dog? urebred Tollers aren't 'cheap'. I'll be paying a little over a thousand for mine and that is what most Toller breeders are selling their dogs for these days.