Need info. on border collie/terrier mix

[xmartz]

[/IMG]Hi,
I just bought my parents a puppy that they don't want. It is a mixed breed. They told me at the breeder/kennel that it was a sheltie/terrier mix, but the mother looks exactly like a small border collie. I didn't see the father, so I don't know what kind of terrier he is. Most of the puppies were white, brown and black. This one is almost all black with brown markings similar to a rottweiler. (See image). I was wondering if I should take the puppy. I have 2 cats and 2 children ages 7 and 5. It would have to be home 3 days/week by itself, (after trained), while we are at work. Was wondering if this mix was a kid friendly mix and what some of the traits are. It is 7 weeks old and has been peeing on newspaper/pads or outside since we got him without one accident, so I think he's pretty darn smart! Thanks for any advice-I appreciate it. Mandie

http://photos.walmart.com/slideshow/...894/t_=4336894

[allymack]

i have a border collie, and he is great with kids, maybe on the 3 days your at work you can have someone come in and let him out for a pee. if you walk him in the morning for a good, fast paced, 45 mins, he should be fine until you get home and then you can take him for another walk after supper, or whenever, but just a leisurely stroll. from what i know (have never owned) terriers are fine with children also.

[LavenderRott]

At the tender young age of 7 weeks - this dog will be great with kids if you teach it to be and you teach the children how to behave with it. This is entirely up to YOU.

[SARAH]

My thought exactly. No breed is kid friendly or kid hostile. It depends on how the dog is taught, and just as important: how the kids are taught!

[Amee]

Originally Posted by SARAH

It depends on how the dog is taught, and just as important: how the kids are taught!

I absolutely agree with you.

[JM4611]

Border Collies are working dogs and in my opinion should not be left home alone. They need to be with their people, and they need to have a job. Leaving a dog like that at home alone will likely cause separation anxiety and stress due to lack of companionship and insufficient exercise.

Just my $.02 worth.

[pitgrrl]

Originally Posted by JM4611

Border Collies are working dogs and in my opinion should not be left home alone. They need to be with their people, and they need to have a job. Leaving a dog like that at home alone will likely cause separation anxiety and stress due to lack of companionship and insufficient exercise.

Just my $.02 worth.

I've never had a BC, so I really have no idea about their particular needs, but surely with enough daily exercise, both mental and physical, a dog would do okay if his/her owners need to go to work 3 days a week?

[Gail P]

Originally Posted by JM4611

Border Collies are working dogs and in my opinion should not be left home alone. They need to be with their people, and they need to have a job. Leaving a dog like that at home alone will likely cause separation anxiety and stress due to lack of companionship and insufficient exercise.

Just my $.02 worth.

This is an old thread now, but since you brought it up I'd like to respond to your post. Border collies love to be with their people, yes. They love to have a job, yes. Leaving a dog like that home alone 3 days a week as stated in the original post can easily be done without trouble. It all depends on the people making it work. Proper training, exercise before and after work and what is done with the dog when the family is home. Case in point, I have 7 house dogs, three of which are border collies and 2 of which are part BC. The other day I was gone longer than I expected (9 hours) and had left them all in the house. They were perfectly fine, even the pup who's not quite a year old. They were all crate trained as puppies and graduated out of the crate as they showed enough maturity to earn free run of the house. Now what do I do with them when I am home? They're farm dogs (we have no sheep for them to herd but they accompany me around doing daily chores) , we play frisbee sometimes, a bit of agility and dog sled so they get plenty of exercise (they ran 6 miles just the other day on the training cart). I'm home with them most of the time, but that is not to say that I can not leave them without expecting trouble. Many, many people do have border collies and go to work all day and they find ways to make it work, they just have to be committed to doing so. They can't expect an energetic dog to flop beside them on the couch when they get home from work (at least not until after they've spent time exercising the dog thoroughly, after which most BC's are only too happy to cuddle).

I doubt that anything we add to this thread now will make a difference to the OP, I'm sure that the decision about that pup was made a long time ago. Anyone else thinking about getting a BC though should realize that while they are not for everyone, they can and do easily adapt to many different living situations. So much of how a pup will turn out is up to their people, how they train, exercise and teach their pup.

[weare killer]

give it 2 a friend it cant be in a house 3 days a week it will rip stuff up and be
i had a collie it got walked 2 miles some days and 5 minets after it started bitting at my feet and playing it will break ur house give him / her to a friend

[myboydallas]

Originally Posted by JM4611

Border Collies are working dogs and in my opinion should not be left home alone. They need to be with their people, and they need to have a job. Leaving a dog like that at home alone will likely cause separation anxiety and stress due to lack of companionship and insufficient exercise.

Just my $.02 worth.

I have had Border Collies for most of my adult life and currently have three of them - two males, one neutered and one intact and a spayed female. Both my husband and I work and the dogs are left home alone......I have a dog sitter come in midday to exercise and potty them. To stereotype saying they need to be with people and have jobs is just that, a stereotype. Provided they are exercised and trained as puppies there is nothing wrong with leaving them home while people work for a living.

In addition to having the 3 Border Collies I also have an Australian Cattle Dog; at the same time I am fostering a Border Collie/Jack mix.

All four of my dogs are very well behaved - they are not aggressive or destructive or suffer from stress or anxiety and I wouldn't trade any of them for all the tea in China........