Seeing More Border Collie - Not liking It.

[Lizmo]

I don't know if anyone has noticed this or it's just my area but I've seen way more things that have pictures of BCs on them O_o

Grocery store stands have a cat and BC on them, stands in Wal-Mart, things like that.

I'm not liking it AT all. Could this do any damage to the breed?

[bubbatd]

Hope that they take over the Goldens ones !!!! They always pick the cutest dogs !

[RD]

Eh, it happens with nearly any common breed, to be honest. Border Collies are very unique in appearance (no two look exactly alike, ever). Some look quirky, some look meek, some look regal and serious, others look athletic and bold. And most of them are so expressive with their eyes and body language that they can be coaxed into nearly any pose or expression for a picture. So I think they're just easy to photograph. :)

There are a dozen things I can think of that will be more harmful to the breed than a little bit of publicity on an ad or billboard. I love Dobermans and if I see a Doberman in a picture it's "awww, pretty Dobe!", not "after viewing this ad, I'm gonna go buy a Doberman!".

[showpug]

It could be that more and more BC's are showing up in ads/billboards or it could just be that you are noticing it more now because you are so fond of the breed.

Any extra publicity for a breed can bring popularity which WILL damage the breed to some extent. Having your breed appear in a movie is the true "kiss of death." We dealt with it in "Milo and Oatis" and "Men In Black" to name a couple. After those movies, pugs started in a downward spiral. I have yet to see a pug on the street that fits the standard in the slightest. Very sad.

I could see some really bad issues cropping up if the majority of the general public decided the BC was the next best breed....

[SizzleDog]

I'm sure the BC breed took a big hit with the movie "Babe".

In previews, I think I've seen Dobermans in "The Golden Compass". Hopefully their presence will go unnoticed, lost in the sea of other animals in the movie. While I'd love to see my breed in more movies, deep down I know their lack of appearances in movies and TV shows is for the best.

[RD]

Sizzle, movies are a whole 'nother story unfortunately. :( BCs did take a big hit with "Babe". Any movie that features a purebred dog as one of the "main characters" is going to draw people to the breed.

I think the Border Collie's time will come for that major popularity surge that dogs like Dalmatians, GSDs and Pugs have gone through, and it saddens me because it'll destroy the breed almost entirely. Right now, you have a fairly good shot at getting a dog that looks and acts and (someitmes) works like a Border Collie from just about any breeder with half a brain. If everyone and their mother starts breeding these dogs, I have no idea what the breed will turn into. I'm not so much worried about appearance as temperament. I can't think of a breed less suited to the majority. And I know the goal of the BYBs will be to dim them down and make them more suitable for life as housepets.

[Lizmo]

^^ Me too, Grace. I liked when a few years ago I could tell someone I like the breed of Border Collie and they would go "Never heard of them" Now when I say that, I get a response like this "Ohh, yeah those are the crazy hyperactive dogs" :(

I do fear, also, the Border Collies becoming more popular. I guess the breed's really grown on me, lol.

[Momof2Pups]

^ I get the same thing, Jen. When someone asks about Millie's breed and I mention that she's part Border Collie, they ask me if she's neurotic and hyperactive when she's not working, because she "seems so 'good' to be part BC."
:sigh:

[ihartgonzo]

Don't you think BCs have already hit a popularity surge? I mean... especially since they got accepted into the AKC, in 1995.

I saw maybe a few Border Collies - here and there - when I got Gonzo, 6 years ago. Now, I see tons! Just as an example, I used to know one single BC in the neighborhood. And my neighborhood is huge. Now, there are at least 10, and those are just the dogs I see that are walked regularly. There have been a few more in the past couple of years, who seem to have "disappeared" once they hit adolescence. =/

I hate that BCs are noted by the general public now for being "the smartest dogs" and "those black and white dogs", not for everything that they are - which makes up a highly demanding breed. I agree with you Grace, the average American does not have a lifestyle that could fit a BC, at all. I literally could not count the ads for under one year-old Border Collies on Craigslist alone.

[Lizmo]

Oh, I hate that they are called "the world's smartest breed". They are very smart, but it gives everyone the wrong impression that they come that way as puppies - fully trained, not going to destroy anything, love everyone and all dogs, ect. *sigh*

[RD]

AKC recognition has boosted the breed's popularity as a pet, for sure. But I don't think they've hit the kind of popularity surge that breeds like Labs, GSDs, Collies, Dals etc. went through. Glad for it, too.

[Momof2Pups]

^ Agreed. More people who have false impressions and aren't suitable for the breed have BCs than I would like, but it's nowhere near what certain breeds are facing. I hope it stays that way for as long as possible.

O/T: Grace, I *love* your avatar.

[Sapphire-Light]

It could be that more and more BC's are showing up in ads/billboards or it could just be that you are noticing it more now because you are so fond of the breed.

Any extra publicity for a breed can bring popularity which WILL damage the breed to some extent. Having your breed appear in a movie is the true "kiss of death." We dealt with it in "Milo and Oatis" and "Men In Black" to name a couple. After those movies, pugs started in a downward spiral. I have yet to see a pug on the street that fits the standard in the slightest. Very sad.

I could see some really bad issues cropping up if the majority of the general public decided the BC was the next best breed....

Yeah, poor pugs, most of the pugs I had seen in person looks more like a bulldogs body, and horrible poped out eyes :/ very badly BYB and puppy mill dogs.

Most of the time when people try to say the name of the breed, Like 70% they say "men in black" dogs.






I'm sure the BC breed took a big hit with the movie "Babe".


Yeah, that was the first time I saw BC, and since Babe I see them anywhere in TV and movies.

At least for now BC are not at level of popularuty as the dalmations or other super popular breeds.

They are still some countries where they are not popular.

For example I have NEVER have seen a BC in person or even saw in the newspaper selling BC.

[agnesyoung]

People dont seem to understand that being intelligent isnt necessarily a good thing. These dogs need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. They are wonderful dogs in the right hands though

[Lizmo]

I've never seen a newspaper add selling a BC or BC puppies either, thank goodness. I did see my first Aussie for sale though :(

I agree, I hope this breed never has to be as popular as a Lab or Golden. It would do truck loads of damage.

[Zoom]

You're lucky, there are a ton of ads for BC's (and Aussies) in the papers here. :(

[Lizmo]

^^ Ugh.

[Zoom]

I know. :(

[Momof2Pups]

There are usually a few Border Collie puppy ads a day here. :(

[PixieSticksandTricks]

I've always seen BC's on tons of stuff....No more recently than before.

[ihartgonzo]

I've never seen a newspaper add selling a BC or BC puppies either, thank goodness. I did see my first Aussie for sale though :(


SERIOUSLY? There are 8, currently, in the Sacramento Bee. And a few more Aussie/Mini Aussie ads. D:

[Psyfalcon]

I think that their reputation for insanity might save them to an extent. Their reputation for energy (even if ill founded) precedes them, unlike the Dalmatian for example.

The Dals did not have a reputation for that, but then got banned from half the apartments here, for getting bored and tearing them apart when everyone went out and got one. If thing people saw on the internet or knew about was "trotting 25 mi/day with horses" they might have been a bit more selective and not got one.

[pafla]

They are gaining popularity in Croatia to.First border was imported some ten years ago and a couple of years back they were almost unknown.I meet them in park since one of two breeders in Croatia live close by,he also works in same club as I.I noticed that recently there is a lot of them in club-most import from Hungary.Thankfully outside of training clubs they are still unknown as pet dogs.Most people will have the same description of borders being hyper,nervous and not suitable as pets.Truth all borders I have met are very active,well socialized with dogs and people,happy but definetly not hyper.Then again all of them are involved in dog sports and have owners who know the breed.they also started to show them in tv and ads.And there is more of ads for puppies in newspaper even do there is only two registred breeders who sell pups only as working dogs and never as pets and they do not put ads in newspaper.Hopefully they will not become popular as labradors,goldens,gsd,pugs or beagles.They are working dogs and should stay working dog breed,they are wonderful but most typical dog owners wouldnt make good owners for BC.

[.Alice.]

Luckily, they don't seem to have taken off here. There are a lot at my training club & agility, but that's to be expected. I don't see many out on walks, maybe one or two regularly, and there's rarely adds in the paper for them.

One Man and His Dog often causes a small surge in people wanting BCs, if people manage to catch it. Like others have said, it causes people to think these dogs come fully trained.

[Melissa_W]

Personally, I see way more BCs (and BC mixes) than GSDs or Dalmatians in my area. They have become quite popular. And there are quite a few with serious behavior problems (dog aggression, hyperactivity/hypervigilance, resource guarding, etc) that I see around in the dog park and also at my training facility. In fact, I've seen so many misbehaving Border Collies, it's turned me off of the breed a bit.

[Sweet72947]

I don't see too many BCs in this area. I have been seeing an add in the paper for "Border Colliers" though :rolleyes:

[RD]

Melissa, nearly every "just a housepet" BC I know has behavioral issues. I would never go as far as to say that all Border Collies *need* herding, agility, obedience, SAR, etc. in their lives, but it seems that most BCs don't like being completely "unemployed" and behavior issues pop up out of that boredom since they assign themselves a job. Usually this does involve aggression or obsessive/hyperactive behavior. But you need to realize that these are dogs bred to work, not to sit around all day and sleep. So if you don't want them picking up household "chores" like guarding, pestering the kids or other dogs, or trying to exercise themselves indoors, just do yourself a favor and don't get a BC if you can't provide it with adequate exercise or something to do! (general you, Melissa, I'm not singling you out. I just don't have the patience to write a less personal sounding post.)

Not everyone knows how or wants to train a BC either, they are dogs that need a lot of training and that rarely come "pre-programmed" as a good house pet like most of the companion breeds.

[Melissa_W]

Oh, I definitely realize that. I didn't mean to make it sound as if I believed that there is something wrong with BCs as a breed. A well bred, well trained Border Collie is amazing. Your dogs show that, RD. But unfortunately, because of bad breeding and bad owners, you don't see very many well adjusted BCs around. The agility scene is pretty big around here, so you see a lot of the "performance" (hyperactive) Border Collies that people got because "all Border Collies are good at agility" and they want to "win". While these dogs have a job, they can still never settle down. If I ever get a Border Collie, I will wait until after I graduate from college and will choose a breeder very carefully.

[Sapphire-Light]

What breed is more hipeacive JRT or BC? :confused:

[RD]

Sorry, Melissa, I didn't mean to accuse you of thinking that . . . It just seems to be the general impression of the breed that they're ill behaved or hyperactive, and I always feel the need to explain why some of those irritating dogs act the way they do. lol

Breeding has a lot to do with it. Dog sports are wonderful but, sadly, as more people breed dogs specifically for agility and flyball, the dogs have more intensity and less impulse control, and they're difficult for ANYONE to live with.

[Melissa_W]

Oh, I totally understand. Sometimes I feel the need to explain to people that not all Shelties are barking neurotic messes. lol

[Paige]

I've seen a few around. Usually owned by old men. Most people have no idea what they are. People always ask if they are lab crosses.

[Lizmo]

Lab crosses? O_o

[Paige]

Yeah. I get it all the time. Bandit doesn't really have a collie shaped head. His head is shaped more like a golden retrievers plus they have flopped over ears which must make them goldens or labs. It makes me giggle.

[Melissa_W]

That's funny, because most people (outside the dog community) think my Sheltie is a Border Collie. Go figure!

[agnesyoung]

Here in Scotland weve already had the BCs overpopularity and is was very sad. Lots of very neurotic under-exercised and understimulated dogs in rescues. Now nearly every 2nd dog i see is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, rescues are brimming with them. Worryingly lots owned by young men as a first dog for the wrong reasons. They have sweet natures with people but I have seen lots of dog aggression. Once they realise that they are very high energy dogs they are abandoned or passed on. Noticed that the GSDs have been declining in numbers, i hardly ever see them. In all my years training i cant recall seeing a single problem Sheltie.

[Zoom]

^^Come to America then...we've got plenty! ;)