Are border collies good with kids?

wow do not get to say this often on a forum, but I agree with everyone above. they are doing what they were bred to do. might fit your family might not.

 

I have 2 border collies. All the talk about intelligent, needing exercise, nipping, protective is spot on. Love my dogs to death but keep a very close eye on them when ppl want to pet etc...... Meet and greet=great idea

 

Purebred dogs are a funny lot. They really are easy to describe as a generalization because us humans have bred them to have the traits they have. There are exceptions, so every individual animal needs a chance with the meet and greet.

 

My little sister had a border collie growing up. She was a great dog, and very protective of the younger kids, she's the kind of dog that would probably jump in front of a car to save one of us. She was also great with other animals, the years my mom had chicks or goslings or kittens we could let them roam around the back yard, and that border collie would keep them away from the fence, and become buddies with them until they were full grown. She was also pretty smart, which was good as we got her for my sister to train in 4H. But that didn't last long, because while she was a wonderful dog around the family, she was too protective. The first time a judge walked up to my sister to shake her hand, the dog nipped at the judge. She also nipped at the neighbor boy several times (in her defense he like throwing rocks at her) and it got to where we had to lock her up every single time anyone would come over. The electric meter reader guy knew to only check our meter when someone was home that could keep the dog away from him. Getting people to take care of our animals when we were on vacation was tough, as the ONLY person outside our family that she somewhat tolerated was one of my buddies who was over at our house almost every weekend.

So she was GREAT for the immediate family, but a pain to own. And the energy thing is no joke! She'd sit outside for HOURS in the cold, just jumping up in the air and nipping at her breath. The entire time I'd mow the yard she'd circle the mower and nip at the tires. One of her favorite pastimes was to break out of the yard, hide in the ditch, and chase cars that'd drive by. Eventually one got her and paralyzed one of her rear legs. But that didn't stop her from breaking out and chasing cars!

I knew several different border collies growing up, and their owner's experiences where similar. The dogs were always great with the families, but strangers, not so much. The dogs fell into 2 different camps with strangers, those that would nip whenever your back was turned, and those that would roll over on their back and pee themselves.

Personally, I'll never own a border collie. They are crazy loyal dogs, but are just too much trouble when you have company over. And I've got a Golden Retriever that has a TON of energy, but he doesn't even begin to compare to the energy of a border collie.

 

Don't mistake the "nipping" of herding dogs and the "nipping" of other dogs as the same thing. Herding dogs utilize it (nipping) to move livestock.

Nipping/mouthing in most other "type" (non-herding) is often associated with "grooming" and socialization and play. It's usually the subordinates that do the grooming on the superiors/alphas. Females are more prone to this. An alpha male will not groom any in his "pack"........................unless it's a female in heat......................................which is why if you have a male dog...............especially and intact male dog, you (the owner) better be the alpha!!!!

 

Thanks for all the replies. Been super busy today and haven't had a chance to reply.

This dog was found by my BIL...he checked everywhere for the owner and couldn't locate them.

She's spayed and up to date on all the shots and whatnot. The vet says it is the most well manner collie he's ever seen...but her herding instinct seems to be pretty high.

There is a border collie next door that is pretty nice but he nips at the kids when they run and scream. ..never hurt one though.

After seeing my lab not even flinch when a 2 year old got two fist fulls of face and yank it is hard to think about anything else but another lab.

 

"Nipping" or not, it still uses it's teeth to get a message across. Kids always seem to put their faces up to the dog's face. That is where the nips will probably be.....
Lab lab lab

 

Or your friends.

 

X2
My sister has had a rescued border collie for years and I don't know what happened to that dog before she got him, but that dog just is not wired right. He just can't be trusted as he has turned on many people including my sister. Playful one minute and Cujo the next. Without knowing the dogs full history, I'd pass. It 's not worth the risk. My $0.02.

 

Not yet. Still need to have a meet and greet but I think my kids might have their heart set on another lab. That will have to wait until fall as I don't have the emotional fortitude for a baby and a puppy at the same time.

 

My BIL found a good home for the collie...some guy with sheep and stuff. Case closed on this one.

 

Good move!!

 

I have had labs, they are great dogs if you can survive the 1st 18 months to 2 years. I called these the juvenile delinquent years. I wanted to pull my hair out, I watched Otis watch my wife hang laundry out. Never moved just watched. You could see it in his eyes, as soon as the wife walked in the house, he ran that clothesline and pulled everything off piece by piece and ran back to his dog house. He would do this as long as she would rehang the clothes.I found it way more humorous than the wife. but after 18 months or so they calmed down and were a totaly different ddog.