Border Collie mix questions

I have a BC mix and I must say that she is "busier" than my other two dogs.  But, along with the slightly hyper behavior, she also wants to please- she really does try so hard!- and that's a BC trait, too- so you get the good with the bad!

We have a BC mix too - and still only 18 months...  he definitely requires a lot of exercise (he plays with other dogs, walks and runs daily) but he is good when left alone for half a day at a time, and settles very well in the evening, for the most part... 
 
We live in an apartment with a small patio, so we have to take long walks, go to parks and drive out to nature preserves etc. to get Wesley the exercise he needs - if we had a big yard and another dog - it would be MUCH easier!!
 
BC's are busy dogs, if they have no "job" (ie - obedience, agility, herding...) they will get into trouble, but, that said, the job can be as simple as clicker training cool new tricks!
 
I think if you have the time and the energy for another dog and are comitted to keeping a high energy and high intellect dog busy and occupied with constructive things - they can make great pets and companions, even in a smaller apartment...  [sm=2cents.gif]

My border collie X lives inside with me and even though she is full of energy she does really nicely inside. I do take her for walks often and play games with her. She is in obedience training right now and that has helped out so much with her behavor. If I was to ever get anouther dog I would get another boder collie, they are really smart dogs who are easy to fall in love with.

Our border collie mix, is not as hyper as I thought she would be.  Indiana is black and white and weighs about 34 lbs.. She is very obediant, with a super sweet personallity.  We adopted her from a rescue group at approximately 2 years old, so we don't know her background, except that she was neglected.  (She had a liter of pups on the street, was extremely thin, and was bald on her back from fleas.  Hair has grown back beautifully by the way!)   You don't have to do much to correct her, the tone of your voice is all she needs.  Very sensitive and intelligent.  She has never, as long as we've had her, 4 years, been crated; always good in the house.  She does like to run around the yard though when we are playing,  she almost flies!   I do think that she needs some open space to run; walks are fun, but not enough to get the energy out.  

You'll hear it said a hundred times- Border collies need a job.  It's repeated so often because it's the most important thing to understand if you are considering sharing your life with a Border collie.  The jobs you give them help them understand they are accepted parts of the family/pack - some dogs get that from being petted and fed, or playing a little bit - but 95% of Border collies need structured activity to meet their needs!

You don't need a huge yard to do this, or acreage, or sheep - I know plenty of people who have multiple BCs in apartments with no yards at all.  These people simply make a committment to offer their dogs many structured activities throughout the day.  Fetching games, stupid pet tricks, formal obedience and other dog sports - some people even take their dogs herding on the weekends, once a month or so.  Yes, in many places you can go to "herding class".

Now, many Border collies who are random bred in some way will not need this level of involvement.  But my policy as a rescuer placing dogs in homes, was always to prepare my adoptive families for the worst.  One does what one can to figure out what your foster dog will need, but BCs in particular are notorious shape-shifters - seeming very subdued in foster care then "blooming" in their new homes into a needy, woodwork-chewing, hole-digging, fence jumping nightmare.

Border collies are amazing dogs but there's a lot of input required, at least at first, to get them that way.  Most people who stick with it end up believing it's worth it - and getting spoiled for any other breed! []

Like Brookcove said BC's are a lot of work and they really do need something to do.  We have a six month old who just got fixed and never slowed her down in the slightest.  They really are very aactive dogs and ours is no exception.  Daisy is her name.  She loves to chase the cows even when she's not supposed to.  She is always looking for something to do.  She loves to be outside chasing the deer in the hay field.  Chasing the cows and their calves (as I said before), chasing the cats up at the barn.  She has even been going into the pasture and bringing back presents that the cows leave behind and eating them in the yard.  They really are a lot of work.  But if you live on a farm they are very good workers and dedicated to what they do.