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.