Aussie's vs. BC

Just curious to know the differences with the two.

Excluding looks...

How are they to live with, and what are the differences in their working?

~Tucker

I have one of each and I love both breeds dearly.

Simply put an aussie is a border collie with a sense of humor.

Aussies are "puppylike" their whole lives and although they are very serious about work, they do everything with such ....joy I guess you'd say. They have a playfulness and sillyness to them, they are well known for their bounciness and vertical leap. You often find yourself eye to eye with a happy aussie. Aussies aren't as stylish or talented at herding as border collies. They usually love it but they are loose eyed and straight up in posture- much less impressive than the border collies low stalk and hard stare. Border colliesalso naturally "balance" sheep better.
Aussies can be reserved with strangers but a person is usually only a stranger until you say hi!. Aussies are often snuggly, they really need to be with their people. My own aussie had never met anyone she didn't LOVE, didn't bark at the door, happily greated the mailman and one day decided the judge following behind us at a rally trial was "stalking us" and took a run at her to chase her off, eventually muzzle bopped her in the leg :yikes: . All the aussie people laughed. And of course as soon as the judge ackowledged Rosie and said hi to her and acted friendly, she was fine.
I also find aussies have less of the neurotic herding dog behaviors than border collies do.

Border collies have a less Fun, jovial attitude than aussies but they have that crazy sense of duty and extreme desire to do things "right". They are often very sweet/soft/ submissive dogs, very sensitive to correction. I do think my border collie is a bit smarter than my aussie although I doubt it's in IQ, it's just that "deep thinker" sensible border collie thing.

Both breeds need lots of exercise and need to "work" or else they can become neurotic and develop some scary behaviors and be extremely difficult to live with. Some show lines of aussies are more laid back. Both breeds come complete with the herding behaviors like chasing anything that moves quickly and nipping at it- this is pure instinct and isn't something that can really be "trained out". An aussie who gets that excited will often be bouncing and is more likely to get your upper arm, side of your boob, than your heel or leg :lol-sign: Just as with any breed there is a spectrum of how high drive the dog is, and depending on the lines they come from there can be quite a difference. They are both breeds I am very careful in selecting a dog from both of these breeds since a bad aussie or bc is a total nightmare.

oh- aussies probably have a few more inerited health problems to watch out for like epilepsy etc. Border collies having historically been bred for work only nlot a show / conformation standard and are a remarkably healthy breed.

oh I couldn't agree with sam more )

My female aussie hasn't got a serious bone in her body, life is a 'laugh" with her and they are quite entertaining when they aren't getting into all kinds of trouble. My male is much more "serious", and more border collie like when it comes to say, staring at a ball for hours until you pick it up, you pick it up and his eyes are just bulging out of his head, you throw it, and RELIEF,,he's got it ) He has much more "eye" than the fruitloop girl )

Diane

I have experience with both breeds in agility, and everything she said here has been true from my experiences.

:lol-sign: I was going to say the same thing. We were discussing the difference in agility the other night, and someone said, "Aussie's don't take anything seriously, and to a border collie, nothing is a joke."

Since I tend to have a bit of a dry sense of humor, Aussie's are much more my speed .

I like one of each because when my aussie is being a hooligan , I still have my sweet, dutiful border collie looking up at me, being so good and my silly aussie makes my Mr. Serious border collie wrestle and be silly, steals his frisbee and does a lap of the park with it etc.
Sammy can be being soo serious and Rosie will just go and sit right on him and start play biting his neck or if he's standing she'll grab his front leg etc.

Sam hit the nail on the head, IMO.

To be honest, though, I think Border Collie temperament varies as much as their looks. Because Border Collies were bred for working ability rather than looks or personality, you have your goofy, silly ones and then the SUPER responsible, dead-serious ones. And everything in between. Some lines are very soft, submissive and sensitive while others are hard, dominant and a little thick-headed. My Dakota is a complete dweeb until he NEEDS to be serious, but then he does a complete 180.

I do have to say that out of the two, I prefer the Border Collie because their "style" matches up with me. I'm a perfectionist, and so are Border Collies. I like a quiet, very intense dog with a strong sense of "responsibility". I also prefer the way they work stock - they're silent, focused and very aware of their every move. It's like watching a cat stalk their prey. MY dog doesn't work this way, mind - he bounds around and circles them rapidly, muzzle punching them if they stand still too long. I have no idea what's going on in his head when he does that, but it's silly. Makes him a GREAT goose dog though, I've never met one that was more natural at it.

I have also spent a lot of time around both breeds while training and competing in agility, and everything Sam said is consistent with my experience.

I have met some Aussies that act more like Border Collies as far as extreme drive and seriousness about agility, but I think a lot of that is training and variation in breedings and litters. There are dogs of all breeds that are more serious about agility than others (even Goldens and Labs, believe it or not :yikes: )

I did a lot of thinking about the differences between the two when I was looking for a dog. I chose the Aussie because I wanted something a little less intense, but still whip-smart and that's what I got. Sawyer can focus like nobody's business when he needs to, but most of the time he's a big goofy fuzz-butt who likes to hobby-horse bounce his way around instead of walking. And no crazy OCD to deal with...there are Aussies out there that could put the perfectionist traits of the BC to shame, but those aren't quite the dogs for me. I like a little more laid-back personality.

I have a lot of experience with my friend's Aussie, Chase, because I helped train him... but he was kind of wierd for an Aussie. ;] I had an Aussie named Bingo when I was little, and he was an awesome dog! He was great with kids because he was very goofy & laid back, and he would let a kid jump all over him. He was also very barky.

I do have way more experience with Border Collies, and I prefer them... obviously. hehe. Border Collies, I've noticed, are MUCH more sensitive, MUCH more loyal & reserved with strangers, MUCH less bouncy/excitable, and MUCH more drivey. I also feel they "think" more. Of course, that's just generally speaking, as I've met a few Aussies who were just as intense as BC's.

I like Border Collies because they can be goofy, but typically aren't all over the place and wiggly like some Aussies. I also feel Border Collies have a better "off" switch. My BC will play with me and he loves it when I laugh at him, but he doesn't always want to be the center of attention. He is VERY quiet, and NEVER barks except for one soft alarm bark when a stranger is at the door. I also love that he's sensitive... I can say one word, and he will respond immediately to it. He also prefers me to ANYone and I know that for a fact, which I like. He's very good with kids in that he's gentle & calm around them, but he would run away if a kid tried to lay on him (unless it was my brother or my neices, who he's known for years). He learns tricks so amazingly fast, though, and he remembers them pretty much forever... I was messing around on a walk earlier and seeing if he remembered rally-o turns & commands that I haven't practiced for YEARS, and he did everything perfectly. My sister was amazed. But that's just typical for him, he thinks about everything. When I was training Chase, it would be pretty frustrating compared to training Gonzo, because he just wasn't as into learning and pleasing me. Chase was also much mouthier, even though Gonzo is cattle bred he has an extremely soft mouth and hasn't ever nipped anyone even in play.

I would not say Aussies were a watered down version of Border Collies, I feel they're complete different & intense dogs in their own way. Whereas I can handle the drive & intensity of a BC, I don't know if I could handle the energy & demands of an Aussie.

I've had 2 Aussies for the last 11 years. One came from working stock. Not sure of the lines of the other, but I'm guessing show lines given he was much more reserved and mellow than the first. Both Aussies are gone now (one was put down last spring after a long and expensive battle with cancer. The other died last fall after some serious infection issues and some heart trouble.) We decided to try a border collie, thinking that having high drive dogs for 11 years would be a good experience base for the ultimate, the zen level of dogs (in my opinion), border collies.:hail:

I agree with what was said earlier in the thread more or less. I feel comfortable enough to make some comments on the australian shepherds, but may get a few things wrong on border collies, so please forgive. Also, this is strickly my opinion and no one else's. now that the disclaimer is out of the way:

Aussies: typically more mellow and laid back than Borders. They can be just as loud and in your face as a Border. Some prefer show lines because they are typically more laid back. Some, such as myself, prefer working lines as sometimes they tend to be smarter. As far as herding styles, they do have a different style of herding and from what I was taught about 10 years ago, they are used in different situations than borders. I don't remember the specifics of what I was taught (from the breeder I got my first Aussie, who breeds and keeps a few dogs for their farm then sells the rest. They also use Border Collies, so she could easily speak on both and showed me some differences.) They are great at agility, searrch and rescue, companion dogs. I even knew a lady that used a few aussies at a daycare (though not recommended.) If brought up properly, they can be great with kids. We had to give our first aussie to my folks when our first girl was born, as the dog had very strong herding instincts and was not good with kids. Our second Aussie was a dream with kids, almost to the point of being over protective of our kids and usually had to be put outside when the kids' friends would come over and play.

Borders: raise the bar a few notches for a border collie. Most say that an Aussie is like a Border Collie on Ridlin. That's a good analogy. We haven't had our Border Collie long enough to make a full assessment, but its easy to see he's more hyper and has a much higher drive and more energy than both of our Aussies did. He was the most mellow pup in the litter too which is scary. Borders are much more impressive to watch herding, with the low approach and the evil stare (which our dog hasn't developed yet )

Both breeds do require a lot of work and attention. When I come home from work, our pup is litteraly bouncing around and come flying out of his crate or from the kitchen (if we pen him up instead of crating him) and will almost knock me over. He's about 20-25 lb, 2 feet long and I'm 5'10" 185lb. After a 20 minute petting session he's good for awhile, good enough for me to turn my 20 month old loose and they will play together nicely. Neither of our Aussies were like that. There was the initial excitement, nothing that extreme. Even though our last Aussie would get worked up to that point occasionally. Our Border Collie loves to snuggle and follows us around continually, something normally considered typical of Aussies (they're called velcro dogs for a reason.) Our Aussies were more affectionate than the Border. Our Aussies were more focused and in tune with me more than the BC is, but he may be too young and we haven't had him long enough to develop anything like that though. When an Aussie gets real excited, they'll wiggle their butt (if the tail is docked), which is funny to watch. Aussies typically are more of a clown than a Border Collie. Borders are usually more focused than ana Aussie. Aussies want to be with you and do what ever you do. Borders want to not only do what you're doing, but improve upon it and take it up a few levels.

Sorry for being long winded, but that's my opinion. It also boils down to the individual dog. Both of our Aussies were total opposites in many ways.

anotherr quick thought on the Aussies we've had:
Cindy: sharp as a tac. You could see her solve problems on the fly. Intelligence wise, I'd put her toe to toe with any Border Collie. She was very loving and cuddly to a point, but very focused, intense and eager to please (more like a typical border collie.) She would circle and heard my roommate's cats at the time, which was always a hoot to watch. We would take her to a farm and work with her herding, which is what partially led to my folks taking her 5 years later when our first girl was born. Reserved with strangers but would warm up to people if they were around her 3-4 times. If left alone or felt she was being ignored, she would develop some nervous tendencies and chew on herself, which led us to get Dickens as a companion. A roommate had a a dog and the two got along great when we (the humans) weren't around. She developed the chewing after the roomate and dog moved out.

Dickens: aquired as a rescue and had been abused (very hand shy and would crouch in the corner if someone in the room raised their voice. Never fully outgrew it either, but made a lot of progress.) He was more or a clown than Cindy was and wasn't too interested in agility, frisbee or dog sports. Actually he was pretty dense for an Aussie. If you threw several toys at once, Cindy would try to figure out how to bring them all back at once. Dickens would sit there, decide which one he wanted then run off with it. He was a dream with our kids. When out oldest began to walk on her own, she would pick up a dog toy. Dickens saw it and would run into the room (about 30 feet away) full steam. If it were me, he'd usually knock me down, being he was about 65 lb and solid muscle and hair. I just sat back and watched to see if he would plow into he and send the todler flying across the room, which would probably mean finding a new home for the dog. I was shocked when the dog ran right up to her full steam and stopped, gently took the toy from her and bolted back to where he was at full steam, not even making any contact with the baby. He was happy to play on his own and didn't need the constant attention Cindy did, but would be in your face and wouldn't let you go if he wanted attention. Dickens never knew a stranger. Everyone was his friend. Too focused on food though. His personality was much like Scrat, the squirrel from Ice Age.

Jake: the border collie pup. wirey little guy that has to be in the same room with you. as the evening winds down, he's more content to lay in a corner of the room, no more than 4-5 feet away and sleep. Prior to that, he will be on your lap, in your face and want attention and something to do (still working on finding him long term chores and stimulation). He loves to cuddle and chew on things (many that aren't his). He's very leary of strangers and barks quite a bit at people walking down th street, neighbors, etc. hates cats too.

When i think of an aussie i think of a hardy, muscular dog that mostly deals with cattle and large livestock. When i think of a border collie i think of a small dog herding sheep, but i do think it looks funny when they talk up on sheep.

our aussie, coco that we had to put down after 15 years was easy going and relaxed. When we told her to get it she went right after the cow's hocks. coco was smart . she sat off to the side when we were outside and watched us work or grill something. Coco would protect us if someone tried to hurt us. We mocked fought with our dad and it was funny as she was "his" dog and she was barking and nipping at him :lol-sign: , but then she would pull a u-turn a nd crouch down as if she thought she did something wrong.

Sly is a goof ball. he's a wiggle butt. sly thinks heifers and calves are scary. He also doesn't get the fact that the cats don't want to play with him.

It's when they stalk up on sheep. Yeah they are going to talk up on them. That will get them to move.

I don't have any experience with Border Collies, but I can tell you about my Aussie, Khaki. She is my first so I'm still learning about the breed...

She just turned a year old a couple of weeks ago and comes from a working line of Aussies. She is one of the goofy Aussies, always finds ways to make me and everyone else laugh. It's like she feeds on people laughing. She is a velcro dog in that she follows me everywhere I go, but she is not a cuddler. Sometimes it seems like she doesn't even like to be petted. She is also very vocal. She talks more than she barks making the typical "Chewbacca" noises. She does bark a good bit though, mostly at me when I get her from my parents house after work each day. We think she's fussing at me for leaving her while I go to work. That's the only time she ever really barks...

She is a quick learner, but it's obvious when she doesn't like to do something that I taught her. Roll over for example, she knows the trick, but will only do it when she knows I have a treat for her and after I tell her "roll over" about 5 or 6 times. It's like she gives up and just rolls over for the treat. It's not a graceful roll over either, she just flings her body over..... She is extremely food motivated. I've been trying to teach her the treat on the nose trick for months, but when that treat gets close to her nose, she's going for it. I think she is one of the hard headed Aussies in that she doesn't really seem to want to please me by doing what I ask, there are only a few commands that she will do the first time I ask.....either she just doesn't want to do them or she doesn't see the point of doing them, I haven't figured it out yet...

I socialized her a lot as a pup with people and other dogs. She is reserved when meeting new people but after about 2 minutes she's all over them wanting to play. That only happens if we're at my house. Out in public, she will go right up to everyone while wiggling her butt.....She is good with kids, so far anyway. My 6 year old niece plays with her a couple of days a week, and they get along great..

Aussie's are full of energy, which I know BC's are also. I use frisbee as a way to work off Khaki's energy. She loves to play frisbee and ball but will go after anything I throw or that moves. She will spend hours out in the back yard chasing around grasshoppers, crickets, squirrels, leaves blowing in the wind, anything....

I'm glad this thread was posted, I've enjoyed reading about the differences. Especially since I'd love to have either a Border Collie or an Aussie one day (whether that'll happen or not, who knows, but I really hope to) and was undecided on which would be better suited to me as they are often very similar. I think Aussies are more my type of dog after reading all of this, but I still really love Border Collies.