Border Collie
It works sheep by stare rather than by force, and the stare has its own name: eye. The dog that learned the names of over a thousand objects was one of these.
Photo by Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
The Border Collie is the most capable working dog there is and it is consistently ranked the most intelligent breed, which is exactly why so many end up rehomed. It works sheep by eye, using a crouching stare to move stock rather than by barking or nipping, and that intensity is present whether or not there are sheep.
UK data gives a life expectancy at birth of 12.10 years, which is good for a dog of the size.
Temperament
Brilliant, driven and permanently on. A Border Collie assesses its environment continuously and will find work in it: herding children, chasing cars, patrolling fence lines, obsessing over shadows and lights.
They are sensitive and they bond hard, and they are not casual family pets. They are also often reserved with strangers and can be noise sensitive. Shadow chasing and light fixation are recognised problems in the breed and are extremely hard to reverse once established.
Care and grooming
Rough coated dogs need brushing twice a week and smooth coated ones weekly, with heavy shedding twice a year.
Collie eye anomaly, progressive retinal atrophy, trapped neutrophil syndrome and the MDR1 drug sensitivity variant all occur and all have DNA tests. Hip dysplasia and epilepsy are also worth asking about. A responsible breeder tests for the lot.
Living and exercise
Two to three hours a day of combined physical and mental work, and the mental half is the part that actually matters.
Running a Border Collie into the ground makes a fitter dog rather than a calmer one. Training, herding, agility, obedience and scent work are what settle them. This is a dog for someone who wants a hobby, not a pet.
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