I decided to write about breeds that especially fascinate me. I might just end up writing about most breeds since there are so many wonderful ones out there. At this time I will start with the Border Collie. Yes, it’s fairly common breed and thus this might not be the most interesting article to read. But Border Collies, man! These medium to large sized dogs are considered to be the most intelligent dog breed that is out there and really, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration.
This breed fascinates me because it’s so intelligent. Not only that, it is agile, fast and an extremely efficient herding dog. If I had sheep, I’d get a Border Collie like right then and there. But alas, I don’t have a herd of sheep for a dog to look after, which is why I am unsure about adopting a Border Collie.
Due to their herding skills they need a lot of exercise. And a lot as in A LOT. I am simply frightened that I cannot provide this breed what it needs. A best case scenario would probably be for a Border Collie to herd sheep daily to keep them occupied, however, that doesn’t mean it’s an absolute no go as a pet dog. There are Border Collies who don’t have enough herding instinct to actually work as herding dogs. They excel in most dog sports since they are so willing to do things. Which is another reason I am interested in them, the training! I want to spend a lot of time training my dogs, but some dogs might not find training that interesting!
Dog intelligence is also a double-edged sword. Since they are so smart there might be some outsmarting situations. A dog is a living, constantly thinking creature that can be quite stubborn. Oh, you closed the door on your dog? No problem, dog can learn to open it without a sweat! This is why it’s extremely important to keep these kind of breeds mentally and physically stimulated, they need it to be happy. As dog owners we need to do it to be happy.
My biggest problem probably is that I am not an outdoor sort of person. If I have a dog, I will take it out for walks no questions asked, but these dogs are extreme athletes, I can’t just take them around for a long walk. I need to stay outside WITH them, for hours if possible. I want to change that trait in me because really, I love nature and I love outdoors, but actually going outside can seem like such a hassle to me, reasons being my anxiety and depression. But this change will take time and it’s not a dog’s duty to change me, I have to do it myself. Yeah, having a hyper dog might motivate me to go outside, but anxiety doesn’t work like that. I might start hating it instead of disliking it and that’s even worse.
The good thing is, I won’t live alone in the future. I’m going to get married and I won’t have to take on the duty of our future dogs (be it Border Collie or not) solely on my shoulders. I have a lot of passion for dogs and my future dream jobs include grooming dogs (and cats <3) and becoming a dog trainer. I just really admire the Border Collie diligence and intelligence, but taking on this breed seems like a mammoth task. However, a dog is supposed to be a pleasant thing in our lives, they should never feel like a chore or then we have dogs for the wrong reason. I think I might be able to provide a Border Collie the home it needs but not right now. I need experience and a lot of confidence before I take on a hyper breed like this. I have no doubt, that someday I might just be up for the task!
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