Border Collie Left in kennel in the day

[McKenna_Mcfc]

Hello. Just after a bit of advise. We are considering getting a border collie to join our family. We have been thinking about it for a while so it isn't just a off the cuff decision. 

Were a pretty active family with nothing but countryside around us. My only concern is we work 9-5. So obviously nobody is home. 

Im in the building trade and would built a big (And i mean big) kennel with one side cladded up and warm and the other side caged (Like a rabbit run) Would this be acceptable during the day rather than cooped up in a cage in the kitchen. There will be plenty of room for him or her to chill out and it would be only whilst were working. It would certainly live and sleep in the house. 

As mentioned we have debated it for a long time but that is the only thing that concerns me and I don't want to commit to it if the majority of people think its wrong. I do know quite a few farmers who have them as working dogs and they never step foot in a house but i also know a working dog is a complete different kettle of fish. 

 

Just want some honest opinions and advise really. Not wanting to start a war or anything just be nice to know all your opinions. Hope everyone is keeping safe in these strange times. 

 

Take Care 

Luke 

[urge to herd]

Hi, Luke, thanks for the question. The concern for me is what are you going to do with the dog when you're home? There are plenty of people who have border collies and also have full time jobs.  If they're successful at owning a border collie, they devote quite a bit of their time at home to doing stuff with the dog.  Getting the dog settled in the first couple weeks might take a bit of creativity, but it can be done. B collies love doing anything with their humans ~ trick training, agility, stock work, scent work ~ anything where the dog is doing things WITH their human(s).

I'd suggest you look for a middle-aged, (2 to 5 years old) dog from a rescue or animal shelter. I've never raised a puppy of any kind, but I understand from friends that it's a lot of work and very time consuming. If you get an adult dog, training will be easier and quicker. Not all rescues have  dogs who already have their basic manners 'installed', but some do. You might get lucky.  All of my dogs have been  adult rescues and they all adjusted pretty easily to living with me.

If you let us know your general location, someone might be able to recommend a rescue in your area. Do you have children? I don't but I'm told that bc do well with older children, say 10 and up, but not younger than that. My beloved Buzz loved absolutely everyone he met,  he made friends wherever he went. Except kids, he never took to anyone younger than about 10. And toddlers scared the stuffing out of him.

Good luck!

Ruth & Gibbs

[Rigby]

Just something for you to consider is that a dog may bark a fair bit in this outdoor pen. If it does will that be an issue with neighbors? 

I'm not saying it's a certainty or an impossible problem to solve, but it can certainly be an extremely challenging situation. 

[GentleLake]

^^ This. I had border collies and had to kennel them outside when I was working full time for a while after my ex and I split. The barking was definitely a problem for the neighbors.

Remember too that one dog alone in a kennel for that long 5 days a week will get lonely and while it can be made to work it will mean you'll have to be committed to devoting much of your attention to the dog when yo are home. If you read through some other threads started by people asking if a border collie is the right breed for them or if they can make it work with full time jobs, you'll see the reasons this is necessary and what people have made it work do so that it does. There have been some just recently.

Re: kids. Some border collies get along famously with kids. For others boisterous youngsters can overstimulate them to the point where it can even become potentially dangerous. It's very common for border collies to be relinquished to rescues about the time the kids become toddlers. This would be another reason to look for an adult rescue if you do have young children. The dog would be old enough to be able to get a good read on their suitability with children and it would be much easier to integrate the older dog into the family.

Also, raising a puppy alone when no one's home all day can be a daunting experience. Best accomplished if you can have someone come in at least once a day while the puppy's young for potty breaks and some playtime.