BCs easier than Aussies?

[Sekah]

I was speaking with a sport BC breeder this weekend and after I mentioned a) I had an Aussie and b) I was concerned with potential reactivity issues in a potential future BC puppy she mentioned that she has found that BCs are much easier than Aussies (I think she'd had an Aussie and her wording was something like, "never again...").

I could see how much Aussie is quite a handful, but I sort of imagined a future BC pup to be just like her and MORE. Granted this is just one person's opinion thus far, but I'm wondering if generally the breed is a bit more difficult to manage than BCs.

What are other people's thoughts and experiences?

I suppose it depends on what makes a dog difficult in your eyes. Energy levels? Reactivity? (Non)-Biddability?

[Linds]

I don't really have anything to say to the comparison but just it could very well just be she didn't mesh with an Aussie so everything seemed harder. More of a right fit a dog is for you less hard it is it seems. I mean, I find Traveler and Didgie pretty easily but my parents dog frustrating. Believe me, they don't feel the same way.

[AllieMackie]

Originally Posted by Linds

I don't really have anything to say to the comparison but just it could very well just be she didn't mesh with an Aussie so everything seemed harder. More of a right fit a dog is for you less hard it is it seems. I mean, I find Traveler and Didgie pretty easily but my parents dog frustrating. Believe me, they don't feel the same way.

I was going to say something similar. I think a lot of it depends on how you mesh with your dog.

[AdrianneIsabel]

IME with both breeds I found Aussies to be more difficult, neither had more or less energy but their drives and biddability differed in a sense that made border collies a better fit for me.

[Flyinsbt]

It probably does depend somewhat on how you mesh with the breed. My experience, as someone who is not interested in owning either breed, is that there is definitely more of a tendency to be reactive in BCs than in Aussies. So if that's what you define as difficult, BCs are more difficult. But not all BCs are reactive, so then it comes down to the individual dog. There's a really wide variance in temperament in BCs, so it's hard to generalize about the breed.

[xpaeanx]

I think that was probably a wrong dog, wrong person. Once you get used to how a certain breed tends to operate you get used that and switching is hard.

From my observations as an outsider, BC tend to be more "intense" than Aussies. So for most people that makes Aussies easier. When you are used to training an "intense" dog you are likely to get frustrated when the communication isn't what you are used too.

However, I have never personally owned either breed so I can't give a "from experience" opinion, but just a "from observation" one.

[Beanie]

I agree that it's probably a difference in person and type of dog. I like Aussies plenty but I mesh far far better with BCs, definitely. I wouldn't say Aussies are more difficult necessarily, but I can see where the personality differences might cause that problem.

[SaraB]

Originally Posted by Linds

I don't really have anything to say to the comparison but just it could very well just be she didn't mesh with an Aussie so everything seemed harder. More of a right fit a dog is for you less hard it is it seems. I mean, I find Traveler and Didgie pretty easily but my parents dog frustrating. Believe me, they don't feel the same way.

This. I had a hard time with danes mostly because they just didn't quite fit me. Went back to herders and I think they are the easiest things in the world.

[CharlieDog]

I love me an Aussie, but sometimes I really appreciate the seriousness of a Border Collie who's working and focused.

It really depends on the dog, the person and how well they work together though.

[OwnedByBCs]

Originally Posted by Sekah

I was speaking with a sport BC breeder this weekend and after I mentioned a) I had an Aussie and b) I was concerned with potential reactivity issues in a potential future BC puppy she mentioned that she has found that BCs are much easier than Aussies (I think she'd had an Aussie and her wording was something like, "never again...").

I could see how much Aussie is quite a handful, but I sort of imagined a future BC pup to be just like her and MORE. Granted this is just one person's opinion thus far, but I'm wondering if generally the breed is a bit more difficult to manage than BCs.

What are other people's thoughts and experiences?

I suppose it depends on what makes a dog difficult in your eyes. Energy levels? Reactivity? (Non)-Biddability?

Did that person's name happen to be Kim? LOL. I know this lady who breeds sport BCs and her husband had a horrible Aussie who pretty much gave her non stop hell. I just thought it might be her because she also lives in Canada.

Anyways, it depends on the dog! I've met some Aussies that were insane, and I've met a lot of Border Collies who were insane. The thing is, like with most things when buying a dog from a breeder- the lines matter! If you want a dog who is calmer and less reactive, just look for that in a breeder. Meet their dogs, outside of the home (at a show or agility trial) and see how they deal with high stress situations. Most sport breeders tend not to breed highly reactive dogs, because their main focus is agility and flyball- high stress environments where reactivity would really hinder their abilities.