Getting a second dog, what breed?

[gonetotervs]

Simba, I ended with a borderjack from a local rescue. She looked like a small BC but the shape of her head (and much of what is inside it) is pure terrier. Siblings would have been a bit much....but dang, she is a really fun nutcase.

[GentleLake]

I fostered a borderjack once. N.e.v.e.r. again! LOL She was sweet, but what a nut job. Worst attributes of both breeds.

[SS Cressa]

Idk how long you have had border collies. Or what other dogs you have had. A suggestion if I was you. I would become friends with people who own the breed you want. After only having border collies for 10 years... I have come to realize how spoiled I have been with them, helping friends train their dogs or watching other breeds in classes or babysitting other people's dogs can impact what breeds you actually want to deal with on a day to day basis. Border Collies are one of a kind. ♡

 

ETA: just to add I think it goes down to your dog personality. My boy loves all dogs and wrestling. My girl is more of a loner.

We have dealt with(living, playing, watching, help training) with terriers, rottweiler, aussies, chihuahuas, pomeranians, cattle dogs, shelties, poodles, and duck tollers.

My girl loves shelties, duck tollers, and terriers.

My boy loves them all although we DO have a size limit on playmates. He is terrified of cattle dogs.

[simba]

Cklug2- has he any preferences in the dogs he already knows? Big, small, old, young, polite, boisterous? If there are rescues near you they might be able to help with that either- I know a lot of the ones here actually require you bring your dog in to meet the new dog before you bring them home.

 

I regularly walk a particularly mad jack russell. We get on well, she's a wonderful little dog, but you'd want to be in the whole of your health to deal with her.

 

Anything you teach, she learns (and no, that is not a blanket good thing unless you are fully prepared to spend 24/7 'teaching'). Everything is exciting and every excitement requires lots and lots and lots of noise. Other dogs do not own things she wants. If she is frightened of something, she must kill it.

 

I guess my point is (1) don't get a jack russell, and (2) they are very endearing and loveable little animals. They need to be.

[borasaurus]

 

Simba, I ended with a borderjack from a local rescue. She looked like a small BC but the shape of her head (and much of what is inside it) is pure terrier. Siblings would have been a bit much....but dang, she is a really fun nutcase.

How big is your borderjack? My mom thinks Kieran is a borderjack - he doesn't have the nuttiness that I've heard they tend to have.

[GentleLake]

I guess my point is (1) don't get a jack russell

 

But many people love Jack Russels, and I've known several who lived with border collies and/or Aussies and they got along famously. In fact, it's always surprised me the number of people who have both.

 

Just because I don't want to live with a JRT or a border Jack doesn't mean someone it won't be someone else's cuppa tea.

[CptJack]

Yeaaaah, I'd give my eye teeth for a border jack or borderxrat terrier.

But um. I love BCs and I love terriers, like a lot.

 

My nightmare mix/never again is GSDXPyr. Or probably herding + LGD period. I know lots of people love them, though.

[simba]

That part was tongue-in-cheek, GentleLake... mostly!

 

I was introducing her to someone yesterday, describing her, talking about the funny things she'd done recently, talking about her little quirks, and they were looking at me in horror. I hadn't realised that things I thought were so clever weren't everyone's cup of tea (for example deciding out of the blue she doesn't like the mail, so she has to climb six feet up a wardrobe to get it down and shred it).

 

But honestly, I'd rather someone has the 'horror stories' that happen occasionally with an active, clever, self-willed dog and goes 'Yep, sounds like something I can deal with!' rather than expecting only the best-case scenario, or expecting it to be a little dog that needs no exercise, and getting a bad surprise.

[Liz P]

For the most part, the BC x LGD mixes I have met were scary. Imagine the sharp personality of the BC with the guarding instincts of a LGD. Not a safe combo! Some were ok, but most...

[CptJack]

For the most part, the BC x LGD mixes I have met were scary. Imagine the sharp personality of the BC with the guarding instincts of a LGD. Not a safe combo! Some were ok, but most...

 

Yeeep. Thud's the GSDXLGD (probably pyr) and he's sharp, high energy, drivey, protective, loud, was mouthy forever, and is also huge, independent, and absolutely not biddable. After owning him I kind of feel like drive + energy + sharpness often go with biddable for a reason.

 

Love the dog but NEVER AGAIN. Easily the most difficult dog I've ever owned.

[gonetotervs]

Simba, Sweetie is around 18" or so, I think. Pretty normal sort of dog for a borderjack --though I'm not sure that equals a "normal" dog. But she's never climbed 6 feet to get the mail either....

[simba]

It was specifically The Economist- no, I'm not joking, all other magazines were fine. Her owners had to go through a process of 'See, this is a magazine, and we like the magazine, don't shred it'. She is cat-sized.

 

And the 'little dog no exercise' is because when you're walking a tiny dog people will come up and tell you that it's unnecessary because she's small, you shouldn't be bringing it outside since they don't need it. Also, can I just say Sweetie absolutely looks like one? N'awwwww!

[D'Elle]

Although a borderjack sounds like a nightmare combination it isn't necessarily. I have known a couple that were excellent dogs. Enough so to make me think that, although I would not go out looking for a borderjack, if one came my way I might give it a try. Also knew a cattle dogXjack russel (which also sounds like a nightmare) who was one of the most sensible and well trained little dogs I have ever known. A joy to be around. So you never know. I think a lot depends on training. LOTS of training! But one had best be prepared for a challenge, in case that is what you get.

[Laurelin]

Hank is either a cattle x rat or a cattle x jack based on what most people guess. He's great! I would only have terrier x herding breed mixes very gladly. They are consistently among my favorite dogs. My favorite dog other than my own was an ACD x BC x JRT. And I adore borderjacks and borderstaffs. They've all been high energy, high drive, good off switch, tenacious, fun, trainable, stable, and confident buggers. I haven't met as many borderjacks as borderstaffs though.

 

Cattle dogs are super common here and cattle dog terrier mixes are really common too. Typically I really have liked them all. Hank has been the easiest to train dog I've ever had. He is (very) high energy and can jump and climb high. His one downside is his prey drive is ridiculous. But that's been very good for us when he has gone lure coursing. Around the house he is cuddly and funny, up for anything. He learns agility faster than pretty much any dog I've seen. He is also very adaptable to my schedule. I would like 10 more.

[borasaurus]

Kieran's face looks a lot like Sweetie's. We've kind of narrowed him down to either a BCxSheltie or Border Jack. He's very well-behaved and pretty sensitive - I think what keeps him in line is the prospect of getting treats. However, he barks like a nutcase and always wants to chase small animals. One time he wouldn't let my friend's cat inside HER house to eat its dinner.

[gcv-border]

I met a guy at an agility trial a couple of weekends ago who has a borderstaffie. Really neat dog. The owner is very involved in flyball and disc. The dog was very compact with great musculature. I can easily believe that he is built for speed and agility, and apparently he is really cuddly too.

[gonetotervs]

I must say that I prefer purebred rescues that try to also place breed mixes when they have space. A friend also has a BC or Heeler/terrier mix and they really are a fun dog for those that like to do things with their dogs. And the compact size isn't bad either.

[Shazmnldb]

Hi

I agree with Gideons Girl, our BC absolutely hates huskies of any kind and any other dog that gets in her face. ie. overly confident, dominant type dogs. Also, very fury ones like the Samoydes. We have a Samoyed that lives not too far from us and everytime she sees it she loses her mind.

 

Her best doggie friends in the whole world are other BC's that we have met at obedience and luckily enough, out on the street. Also, other herding breeds like the Kelpie and Aussie Cattle dog. We have a football oval not far from home that has turned into a private little doggy park and whenever she is there and other dogs arrive, she tends to play with the kelpie and aussie cattle dog. Interesting isn't it that they can sense their own kind. Perhaps the huskies and samoydes look too much like a wolf for our little girl.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose but if it was me, I would have 10 BC's if I had the space and brain power to keep up with them.

[brady's mom]

Brady loathes retrievers, and I mean /loathes/. His patience for them is absolutely zero. We avoid dog parks because there's a large population of them in our area and he's pinned 3 of them while screaming in their face like that one guy at the bar who drinks too much and then tries to fight everyone. Even though they're all much larger and thicker than he is? So, we are self-exiled, because I would rather be proactive than reactive. He's only ever tolerated one lab, my best friend's dog, Moose. But I suspect it's because Moose has rocks for brains and I'm pretty sure Brady pities him. He's a real sweet dog, and so full of love, he's just a couple crayons shy of a full set.

 

He's great with herding types, though. Especially other border collies or border collie mixes. The best friend he ever had was another border collie named Mhya. They did everything together and spent hours playing chase games and "king/queen of the couch." They cuddled together and followed one another wherever they went. She also ruled the roost and put him in his place whenever he tried to be a brat. She actually pinned him one time for trying to sneak one of her chews. He never did it again. Unfortunately, her owner and I had a major falling out and so I had to split them up. Broke my heart. Now, he has new girlfriend. Ironically, she's a border collie/lab mix, but he adores her and she understands the chase/tags game rules.

 

Now that someone's mentioned that border collies speak a different kind of language, it makes total sense to me. I would imagine that there are different "dialects" in dog body language just like there are with human languages and bird songs. Now I just want to go sit at the dog park (sans Brady) and watch the different interactions to see. Could be a fun study if someone did it properly!

[Mama Bear]

Would Springerdoodles work with Collies?  We have a rescued Collie/Springer mix - she's 3 and we are thinking of another bigger dog.  We have a Lahasa/terrier mix who was here first and they are friends but not play friends.  We are a springer family through and through but fell in love with her the minute we met her.  But boy, the hair!