This is the most frustrating misconception about border collies. I've had three BC's, I'm currently dog sitting four more, all of them are either bred for herding or for agility, and none of them need hours of exercise per day. I work full time (albeit from home), and I don't put up with my dogs acting unhinged all day while I'm trying to get shit done.
Yes, my dogs lead active and fulfilling lives. I compete in agility, herding, and flyball, and I'm adding obedience to that list in a couple of weeks. They get lots of training and off leash hikes. But sometimes life is boring for a week and they just have to get over it and chill out. Running these dogs into the ground MAKES them neurotic.
That attitude leads to hundreds being euthanised when they're treated like ordinary dogs, to the point where Aussie shelters will often euthanise them before other breeds because they so often get into bad biting habits when not given enough mental/physical stimulation and it's incredibly hard to train formed habits out of working dogs. The vast majority of people's lifestyles do not meet the criteria and so you shouldn't recommend them as you're just setting them up for failure.
Some BC's will be calm enough to not act out, especially in the US because the bloodlines there are less concentrated for working because sheep livestock in the US is relatively rare. Many won't be, and the commenters from the UK which does have a big sheep industry so chances are it will be hyper-active. Kelpies and Koolies are even worse.
My dogs are working bred dogs. Their parents live on working sheep farms, as do their grandparents and great grandparents. They have generations of open trial dogs behind them, and I also participate in sheepdog trials. These are not pet line or show line dogs - they are dogs who have been bred exclusively for work.
And they also aren't unhinged monsters without hours of work every day, nor are any of the other well bred working dogs that I've met - regardless of if they're more American or UK lines. Dog sports occupy nearly all of my free time, and frankly, I've met an awful lot of border collies.
Maybe Australians are breeding absolutely neurotic BC's (the only Australian dogs we see are show lines) - it's possible, you guys have a much more isolated gene pool due to import restrictions, so maybe. But the BC's that I know who can't chill and are also from good breeders are very much outliers.
Note that I'm not out here recommending them to everyone. I think 99.9% of people should just be getting easy pet dogs. But I am saying that if you feel that you need to treat them like a job, then something is massively wrong.
Yepp mine is on when it's time for exercise, fun or sports but home during the day with me she's a lazybones. Just wants to lounge or lay in bed until it's time for fun.
That said, she will sit there in the middle of the room and softly bark if she needs more playtime or exercise, usually later in the evening; this usually means going out for a run, various games or training. I imagine it does vary heavily from dog to dog though.
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u/synonymous_downside 2d ago
This is the most frustrating misconception about border collies. I've had three BC's, I'm currently dog sitting four more, all of them are either bred for herding or for agility, and none of them need hours of exercise per day. I work full time (albeit from home), and I don't put up with my dogs acting unhinged all day while I'm trying to get shit done.
Yes, my dogs lead active and fulfilling lives. I compete in agility, herding, and flyball, and I'm adding obedience to that list in a couple of weeks. They get lots of training and off leash hikes. But sometimes life is boring for a week and they just have to get over it and chill out. Running these dogs into the ground MAKES them neurotic.