ACD vs Border Collie (LONG!)

[DeltaBluez Tess]

I have meet some really nice ACD....Lani's Wyatt was a real doll. I just like his personality and humor. There are some very nice ones out there but you will have to do your homework.

 

I have Border Collies. They have an off switch. They learn what is expected of them in the house and have me well trained to give them treats.

 

Whatever dog you get, research, then research some more then see dogs from those lines, health checks, temperements, etc.....it's a comittment.

[Cowgirl_Tuff44]

Well, I am members of both this board, and an ACD board; I spend hours going through pretty much the first thread ever posted to the current ones. Hubbie thinks I am crazy. I think my best bet is to both go to herding trials, in addition to maybe even fostering both breeds.

 

It is funny, because there are people on this board who have had ACD's and now pretty much only have BC's and on the other board, there are people who used to have BC's and now only have ACD's. I think it is a personality thing. I think that in the end it is finding a dog that fits into your lifestyle and your own personal needs.

 

I already have a rescue for ACD's set up to foster with when I get back to MI. Now I just need to get set up with a BC rescue. I will probably alternate for a while on fosters and make a decision after that, unless I end up with a failed foster, or maybe one of each, or ACD/BC mix. I've heard those are the greatest dogs because they have traits from both dogs.

[ranikit]

I realize this is a Border Collie forum, but I'm seeing a lot of ACD hate and stereotyping. I have an ACD and he's one of the most well-behaved dogs I've ever met. He made me get over my slight fear of dogs after being bit on the mouth as a kid.

He's so smart that he mostly trained himself. He knows how to bark, but is basically a dog that doesn't bark. I've read that this may be common among ACDs because of their dingo roots. 

He definitely has a "favorite person", but he's never met anyone he doesn't like. If you drink water from a glass, he mimics you and drinks from his bowl. He was nippy as a puppy and would make whiny "Hmpf!" noises when I said "No bite".  After using the spray bottle one time ever, he stopped nipping at people cold turkey. He requires very minimal repetition to learn things. It's almost intuitive for him. One time there was a wasp inside the house. He sensed my anxiety over it and would alternate between trying to locate it for me and standing in front of me to guard me.

When he's outside, he could run forever and is extremely fast, but he likes being laid back indoors as well as long as he's in the company of people. However, if he has nothing to do he will just play with a toy or sleep. Sometimes I doubt he's even a real dog, but an angel inhabiting a dog's body. I've don't see myself ever loving another dog as much. Border Collies can be great, and so can other Australian Cattle Dogs, but ultimately every dog is an individual and my my ACD happens to be the best individual dog I've ever known of any breed. 

Also, the concept of dog intelligence is pretty arbitrary since we're using human-constructed measures. The dogs that score the highest tend to be the most trainable, but that doesn't necessarily mean a less trainable dog is less intelligent. It could mean they are more stubborn or independent, which is to be expected from a newer breed with more recent feral lineage.