Help me! I'm starting to really like BC's

 Oh they're terrible, really you don't want one.  You'd have to have 100 acres and about 3 different species of livestock in order to satisfy one.  And if you have kids or plan on having kids, it will chase them and herd them and nip them and then your kid's friends' parents will sue you and you'll lose your 100 acres and all your worldly possessions.  Or, it will chase a car and get squished right in front of your kids and they'll be traumatized forever.  Nonononono, you want to stay very far away from those icky, evil, nipping, chasing, herding border collie types.  Get a nice staid Lab instead, much less trouble! 

Seriously though, if you are a high energy family, you can provide a BC with enough of what it needs to be happy.  There are plenty of BC owners who live in apartments who provide their dogs with full lives without owning land or livestock.  Go to bordercollie.org's message boards and search Anda.  Not only is the dog devastatingly beautiful, they live in an apartment and he gets loads of fun and exercise at local parks, etc.  Or you could look for a "broke" border collie.  They are out there and rescue could help you identify one.  There's one that comes to our dog park and although it comes from amazing working Australian lines, she couldn't give a hoot about chasing or herding anything.  She's a big cuddle bug couch potato who just loves nice walks and dog park visits with her owner.  Or, you could take on a dog like my Indie who, because of his HD, will never be able to do much of the crazy stuff and (probably because of pain he has) is more mellow and cuddly and not that high maintenance in terms of the GO-GO-GO that I have to give my who-knows mix Woobie.

And finally, you could always adopt a retired working BC who is older and doesn't have the same high energy requirements that a young dog would need.  Seniors are always easy to find in rescue and need all the love you have to give.  I can show you some right now, if you want...... hehe  I won't tempt you. 

Welcome to the dark side!  mmmmwwwahahahahahaha! 

Although most Border Collies live on farms, the majority of people who own Border Collies do not live on farms.  It just takes a bit more dedication - you really have to be dog-centered in your thinking.  And the major thing is consistency.  If you are the type of person who has a regular routine, and doesn't get shaken off course easily, BUT are also adaptable, you are an ideal Border Collie owner.  They crave routine more than anything, because predictability gives the dog a chance to figure out where they fit in, and "jobs" to do.  You really don't have to come up with that stuff yourself, you just have to say, "Yes, that was helpful" or "No, let's not do that anymore."

Here's some Tales from the Night Side:

Keeping a Border Collie quiet after a medical procedure - every BC owner's nightmare: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=17962&hl=

Raising a Border Collie puppy: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=17967&hl=

Someone seeking to start herdin' in the suburbs of Chicago (yes, you can be a Weekend Warrior Shepherd though it's not required):
http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=17979&hl=

The weirdness of BCs at play: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=17952&hl=

That's just from today - enjoy!
 

I only have one BC and he's the first one I've had any experience with, so take this with a grain of salt, cause I may have just gotten lucky, but....my BC is awesome. He's no more active or crazy than any other dog I've had, and in fact he's calmer than my shelties. He's great with my kids, not herdy at all, and not neurotic, which was my impression of BC's. He needs moderate mental and physical exersize, but I don't have to entertain him 24/7 or run 5 miles a day with him, he's very velcro and is very happy to just be with me throughout my day and do what I do. We take a daily walk and a couple times a week, weather permitting, we go to the park for the dogs to run off leash, play ball, etc. Some training sessions here and there, some cuddling time, and he's a happy guy. What many people might find annoying is that he is right there, all the time. If I get up, he gets up, if I talk, he looks at me, when I wake up in the morning, he's staring at me. He understands words and entire phrases...yesterday morning, I said to DH, "I'm going to go feed the dogs in a minute", and he got up and went to wait by his dish. Normally when I feed them, I say to them, "Lets go eat", so I was impressed that he figured out "feed the dogs" meant he was going to "eat".

Basically, he doesn't need tons of physical exersize, he just wants to be part of what's going on. Oh, and I live in the burbs too with a tiny unfenced yard.

I know nothing of them, but I was also going to suggest an elderly rescue. 

Yup, I'm the same way. After reading a lot of Patricia McConnel's books I came to the conclusion that BC's are just way to smart for me

Cheza is my first BC, and she is still pretty young. She is really a great dog. When I went looking for a breed, I wanted a velcro dog that was active, but also had an off switch. So far she everything I really wanted.

She has just about as much energy as Salem did when he was a pup. She really isn't too spastic, but of course she is still a puppy, so very active. When I got her I was expecting her to be more crazy then she is. We walk her every day, hike with her, play in the yard, and she does the puppy zooms sometimes, but she isn't any worse then Salem really.

One thing about her is she is always right there. She follows either me or my husband everywhere, and she is interested in everything! We have a cuckoo clock in our dining room, and cheza knows when we go downstairs in the morning the clock will go off. She goes right down and before she goes outside she will sit and wait for the clock, and then turn her head back and forth at it. She is way more interested in everything around her then Salem has ever been.

I really love the breed so far, and Cheza wont be our last.

SalemsMom

We have a cuckoo clock in our dining room, and cheza knows when we go downstairs in the morning the clock will go off. She goes right down and before she goes outside she will sit and wait for the clock, and then turn her head back and forth at it. She is way more interested in everything around her then Salem has ever been.

I really love the breed so far, and Cheza wont be our last.

LOL What a visual. You have to video tape that someday.

I think that aussies and BC's are pretty much the same. Although sometimes I think that Neiko should have been born a BC. He's everything you described (although watch out - he didn't hit his peak activity level until about 7-9 months and it's been at that same level ever since) - interested in everything, always at my feet, wants to be involved in everything I do and so on.

I am beginning to think that I'll have a BC before I die. I love aussies but just once I'd like to see what its like to own a BC. I love that *stare* 

I think I'll have an aussie at some point as well. I wanted an aussie at first but dh said he wanted a dog with a tail. Now Cheza has a little aussie friend at the dog park, and dh said he wants to have an aussie . What a tail he got with Cheza. Hers actually will touch the ground if she has it down, lol. She is at that awkward stage.

I don't really mind if she gets more active. When I brought her home I was expecting more so we are prepared, lol. She has the stare too. I haven't been able to take a good picture of it, but when she sees geese or anything else she wants to go after she gets so intent.