Breed suggestion

Also it's probably important to mention that there are already two cats leaving in my house.

Active, loves to play games and  intelligent, yep,that would be a border collie!

I just love the breed but they do require a lot of attention and only want to play.  If you don't give them something to do they will find it on their own and usally it's not at all what you wanted them to do.  They love to play games and you will get tiered before they do.  It's important you do training with the dog as early as you can.  They will also love you no matter what goes on.  I have a BC mix and she is wonderful, when I'm upset I just look at her smiling face and everything is all right.  She always has a smile on that face.  It sould like any hearding dog would be a good mach, aussis, healers... they are all full of energy and wonderful to train.  I cold even see a JRT in that mix as a dog for you.

Oh, as far as getting along with cats it just depends on the dog.  I've grown up with hearding dogs and all did great with cats.  My BC gets along with cats  even better then she does with dog.  when she was a puppy the cat would play with her and she just learned on her own to be friendly to it or get scrached.  My parents dog, who is a red healer, will just stand there as the cat walks by and ignor it.  Mostly if they grow up with cats they usally are good with them.

I've always wanted a border collie especially because of their the intelligence and size and willingness to play. But I am concerned about their potential crazyness. Would a fence be required for my yard? Also the local pet shelter has about 5 border collies that are in foster care (I think that might include some sort of house training).

I strongly suggest with any dog to do an obedience course.  This helps bring the dog and owner to a better understanding of each other.  With BCs it's almost necessary to at least do some obedience training with them.  Yes they are crazy and often I tend to wonder if my dog is smarter than me.  I found that the training really helped me have a control over my dog and have since been really pleased with her behavior.   

When it came to housebreaking it was a dream, she only went in the house once when she was a puppy and has never done so since.  With older dogs it may be more of a trick but just depends on the dog and the method you use.  I would defiantly adopt from the shelter.  But beware, BCs are prone to a few breed specific problems.(every breed has their falts)  Once you adopt your dog the fist thing to do is set up an appointment with the vet to get everything started out right.  Good luck in finding the dog for you!

Oh and here is a pic I just snaped of Gizmo trying to sleep as the cat is bothering her.  Yep, cats and dogs can get along nicely.

start visiting your local shelters.  keep visiting.  the staff's usually can provide a bit of information about the dogs.  You can go to dog obedience classes as an observer.  Talk to the students and the instructors, they can help you define what you want.  It may be helpful to try and find a dog mentor who could help you evaluate shelter dogs.  There are lots of dogs that can meet your list of requirements provided you have a crate for safe daily confinement and they are not off lead.  Exercise can be managed in many many ways

I second what mrv has said!  There are alot of fun loving, just want to play, willing to learn, need a good home dogs at your local shelters.  The best part of this is that you're also saving a life.  Visit the dogs, find one that you can bond with.  Alot of shelters, in my experience, have play areas where you can find out if the dog is interested in playing catch, fetch or just wants to be a snuggle bunny.

You want just about any dog... go to dog shows and your local shelter and find the dog that makes you happy. If you've already got cats you might want to stay away from rescued greyhounds or other sighthounds.

The one thing I think is important to say is to be very careful about your choice. There are waaaayyyy too many dogs out there, and a lot of them are great but there are also pitfalls. A dog is a 12-year decision, and getting a dog with a bunch of problems is a real drag.

1. Avoid pet stores like the plague, and any other puppy mill type situation. These dogs have been raised without enough human and dog contact to make them pets and not livestock, and these pups are often impossible to housetrain because they are raised in their own mess.

2. Be careful at the shelter. Stick with adults (older puppies can change when they become adults), don't make emotional decisions, don't believe anything the folks at the shelter tell you and listen to your eyes and do research instead. Remember that going to the shelter is a stressful event for dogs, and that most dogs recover and some don't. You want the dog that bounces back from this kind of trauma, not the dog that has separation anxiety or can never quite handle cats or strangers...

Remember that many dogs in shelters came from puppy mills and pet stores.

3. A better place to get an adult dog may be through breed rescue. These dogs are fostered instead of kenneled, so there is more information about who they are and what the problems might be.

4. If you decide to work with a breeder, go to dog shows and meet people in person that you want to do business with. You want to work with someone who will be super honest with you, who is sizing you up as much as you are sizing her up, etc.

Dog overpopulation is a huge problem, and the best, most important thing you can do to be a part of the solution and not the problem is be choosy and get exactly the dog you want. Adoption from a shelter or breed rescue is great, but do it for selfish reasons--not to "rescue" but to get the exact dog you want.

Have fun!

Here's a photo of one of the puppies just for show:

ORIGINAL: fisher6000


Remember that many dogs in shelters came from puppy mills and pet stores.

 
I have to disagree with this statement. Most dogs are in shelters because negligent owners did not realize what owning a dog really entails.
I work (not volunteer, WORK) at a shelter, and the dogs are great there. Most dogs are signed in as owner surrender for silly reasons (anything you can think of) and are treated for whatever medical issues they may have.
I would recommend you go to shelters and rescues, and insist on spending time with the dog in a play yard. This gives you more of an idea of how the dog acts.
Since you want an active dog, you are going to want to fence in your back yard to allow the dog room to run and play.
I would look for a border collie mix, lab mix, or pit mix. All of these are active breeds.
I would stay away from the puppies at the store. They come from puppy mills and can have many problems.

Most dogs are in shelters because negligent owners did not realize what owning a dog really entails.

...um, where do you think people purchase puppies impulsively, without taking the time to realize what owning a dog entails?

(answer: pet stores)

The one and only Fox Terrier is for you. HIGH ENERGY doesnt mind being home that much and loves his owner.
 

Most Border collies in shelters do come from backyard breeders, but because the breed has only been widely available in the US for maybe twenty years, the bloodlines are still pretty healthy and temperamentally sound.  Most of the shelter BCs have just been turned in because they were, well, BCs.

It might be instructive to relate what motivates someone to abandon a perfectly normal Border collie.  Most BCs are VERY close to their working roots.  When we say, they need a job, we really mean it.  Most people who are successful at having BCs for companions put a lot of work into it, or they have a lot of time to interact with their dog. 

BCs aren't high energy necessarily (not well bred ones).  They are athletes who CAN do amazing feats of stamina and agility, but they don't require their human partners to sign up for marathons or find a mountain flock to shepherd. 

What they do require is consistent, fair, leadership and a purpose in life.  That purpose may only be driving around in the pickup with the boss, but that works very well.  Or spending half the day wandering the woods and the rest of the day snoozing at your feet while you work. 

They like to learn ways to help - I knew a guy whose dog just hung out with him all day, but the dog learned over his lifetime an amazing array of parlor tricks, just from figuring out what his human buddy wanted.  That's the dog I've mentioned before that could find money of a particular denomination, open the fridge and pick out beverages by name, etc.  Typical stuff a bachelor would teach a dog. []

So what about those shelter dogs?  What goes wrong, typically?  Most families have time blocked out in slots:  "Getting ready for school time," "school time," "dinner time," "homework time," "social time."  Most Border collies don't do well put in the box called "dog time."  Many dogs don't, really, but they adjust to some extent.  It's particularly disastrous for many BCs to be left to their own devices one moment, then played with for a short intense time, then left on their own again.  They are just not built for that.

The great thing about a smart dog is that it learns very easily.  The bad thing about a smart dog is that it learns very easily.  When a BC is sometimes offered interaction and sometimes left alone, the dog will often start maneuvering to get the attention he craves.  Seperation anxiety is very common and very intense in this breed.  That's where the dog will go on rampages of noisemaking or destruction or both - trying to figure out what it is you want him or her to do in the time you've left the dog alone.  Aggression can be a problem as the dog juggles his notions of where he fits in the pack.

A BC craves work, like a Beagle craves trails (or maybe peanut butter cookies, or both).  Working with you is good.  Not working and with you is ok because you set the tone - your passive presence reassures the dog that HE can be passive.  Working BCs learn to accept solitude because they are just plain tired and eventually they get a sort of concept of "taking turns" (not working, but work could come soon, like a dog patiently waiting by the dinner bowl).

People who work full time and decide to share their lives with a Border collie often do so at a great expense of time, money, and their social lives.  Everything you mention sounds great to me as a person who fosters and rehomes rescue Border collies, but if I interviewed you, I'd have to say, "Are you aware that these structured activities are not an option?"  You might be able to miss a day or so, or even a couple of weeks, but eventually (unless you are very lucky in the dog you find) you'll have some of the fabled "horror stories" to add to the Border collie mythos.

I strongly suggest that you talk directly to a Border collie rescue group in your area.  Contact me privately if you'd prefer and I can give you a referral. Good luck!

ETA:  The pup whose picture you posted looks like a mix.  A NICE mix.  That would be a wonderful entry into the world of Border collies.  I often recommend a mix to people who want the active dog but might not want to go "all the way" with formal training, etc.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I'm going to visit the shelter sometime next week and interact with many of the animals. In addition to the 5 BC pups they have a LOT of retrievers and several german shepherds.