I find this in all breed groups really. The truth is it does take a pretty specific person to own a herder... but the same goes for any other group. I love herders because I grew up surrounded by them and they suit me just as MANY other types would not suit me at all. BC's are one of the breeds I most see up for adoption here and I think it is just a simple case of people not doing their research before getting a puppy, not that herders are tough keepers.
Herders are energetic, and demand mental and physical activity, they can be LOUD and reactive and obsessive, as a result many people interpret this as you have to be engaged in multiple dog sports and live on a farm to own one. Maybe that is true for a very high drive example of a herder but there are plenty of others who would do fine in a good pet home. Ours as kids certainly never had sheep to herd and never attended any formal classes. However they had hours a day of frolicking on a decent chunk of land with a herd of kids and being trained to do random tricks by everyone. I guess what I am saying is that there seems to be this elitist attitude and view that there is one set circumstance that people seem to think fits the groups needs of mental and physical exercise when there are several different ways it can be achieved.
Herders are energetic, and demand mental and physical activity, they can be LOUD and reactive and obsessive, as a result many people interpret this as you have to be engaged in multiple dog sports and live on a farm to own one. Maybe that is true for a very high drive example of a herder but there are plenty of others who would do fine in a good pet home. Ours as kids certainly never had sheep to herd and never attended any formal classes. However they had hours a day of frolicking on a decent chunk of land with a herd of kids and being trained to do random tricks by everyone. I guess what I am saying is that there seems to be this elitist attitude and view that there is one set circumstance that people seem to think fits the groups needs of mental and physical exercise when there are several different ways it can be achieved.