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Hey guys, My wife and I looking to adopt our very first dog. We're longtime cat owners, but you know. Dogs are awesome. We've had our eyes set on a 1 year Lab/Border "Borador" Collie mix that's currently up for adoption in a local shelter. We haven't met up with the dog, yet. We still have to complete and send the appliction. But I'm not 100% sure if this is the best breed, for us. We're looking for a smart, healthy, playful, outgoing family dog. Our living situation:
My key concern with the Lab/Collie cross is the energy level from the Collie side. We're outdoorsy and there are plenty of parks nearby, but I'm mostly concerned that I won't be able to stimulate and exercise the dog as much as they need to. How energetic are Boradors? Is it a big deal to have this type of breed home alone for an entire workday? We just want to be realistic about our decision, and do what's best for us and our future dog! melon cat fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Jul 10, 2016 |
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Jul 10, 2016 20:22
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 02:04 |
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First off, a "borador" is not a breed so you won't have someone coming in saying "boradors do x, y, and z" because there is no standard. It's a mutt, and being a mutt even of known origin it's kind of a crapshoot as to which genes from which parent are going to get passed on. Anyway. Labs are also high energy, most people don't think of them as high energy because most are family pets who don't really do anything all day. They're not as high energy as a border collie but they're not couch potatoes either. The dog is one year old, so it's in its prime "gently caress you mom and dad" teenager phase, so be prepared for it to be a destructo-dog unless it has a lot of stimulation and management. The good news is that smart dogs like labs and BCs will usually develop an off switch once they mature a little so that phase doesn't last forever. Once they mature a bit they'll be content to hang out on the couch with you in the house as long as they get an outlet to burn off energy appropriately (hikes, runs, long walks, training, etc.). I would recommend crating while you're gone or having it confined to a totally dog-proof area of your house in case it got the "eat EVERYTHING regardless of edibility" trait of the lab combined with the smarts of the BC because that could spell disaster. As for exercise in cold winter months, there's a lot of stuff you can do inside. You can teach your dog stupid (or useful) dog tricks, mental stimulation is almost as good as physical stimulation. There's also indoor body conditioning stuff you can do with them too like having them balance on a bosu ball and other core strengthening exercises. The other option is joining a dog training club, most allow members to come in at non-class times to work with their dog/burn off some energy when it's -20 degrees out. I have cattledogs and they're fine with me being gone 10 hours a day. You'll run into crazy dog people who think dogs can't go more than 2-4 hours alone but they sleep like 20 hours a day so they'll be fine.
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Jul 10, 2016 23:57
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Black labs are high energy hunting dogs. Border Collies are VERY high energy herding dogs and are also ranked the most intelligent dog breed of all time. So let me get this straight ...this is your first dog ever; it's a one-year old; you want to leave it home alone for 8-9 hours (possibly crated all day); you have a small yard; two cats to be chased and herded out of their minds; not walked when it's super cold out; and you might have children in a few years? LOL! You couldn't pay me enough to be in that situation. Do yourself a favor. Wait a few years until you have had your kids. Then wait until they are begging you for a doggy to run and play with. Then do lots of breed research and go to the shelter. Find a nice dog (preferably an adult dog because of soooo many reasons) that is compatible with the energy of the household that can be maintained all year round, not just in the nice weather. Do not inadvertently make a smart Border Collie neurotic by not giving it enough physical and mental stimulation and then putting it back in a shelter. I've heard that story way too many times from well intentioned people.
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Jul 11, 2016 02:36
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Eh, I got a high energy dog as my first dog with a full time job and I'm none the worse for the wear. I don't get why people think leaving an adult dog home alone all day is so terrible, all they do is sleep. Seriously. On the odd occasion I come home from work early my dogs stumble out from wherever they're sleeping like "WTF are you doing home?" then go back to sleep till when I usually get home then it's LET'S GO DO STUFF. They thrive on routine. If the kid isn't in the picture for another few years the dog will be pretty integrated into their routine and much more calm than it is now when the kid comes around. There's night and day difference from my ACD/Aussie mix's attitude and energy from when he was 1 and how he is today at 4. He still has the same energy level but he has the maturity to know when and where is appropriate for burning it off. I've had him for long enough that he knows I'll give him an outlet for his energy so he won't seek out his own entertainment. I personally couldn't imagine having a kid AND my dogs, but I do a hell of a lot more with my dogs than most people so it's more of a time management thing than anything for me, but plenty of people do it. I know someone who was back to competing in dog sports with their super high energy dogs with their weeks-old kid in tow.
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Jul 11, 2016 03:33
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Thanks for the responses, guys. This is all part of our research, so I'm glad to hear that I wasn't wrong in thinking that this particular cross may, or may not, be the best fit for us. Because it sounds like the dog might not be super energetic, but there seems to be an equal likelihood that it will be. I guess it all comes down to how much it retains the Collie side of its genetics, which isn't something we can make assumptions on.
melon cat fucked around with this message at 14:04 on Jul 11, 2016 |
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Jul 11, 2016 04:12
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Border collie/lab mix is just about the most generic label you'll find at a shelter (after maybe pit or chi mixes). Unless someone knows the dog's parents, the dog's mix is likely just a guess. Many dogs in shelters are mutts of mutts of mutts. (Also, if you do get it, please don't call it a borador... bleh.) I don't see any particularly huge red flags about your situation. The make-or-break will come from your desire to work with the dog, and the dog's individual personality. I'm in Ontario too, and the winters are hard for me too, but we get by okay. My dog is an awesome running buddy. EDIT: I'd make a list of things you a) NEED in a dog, b) WANT in a dog and c) absolutely CANNOT HAVE in a dog. Have it ready before you meet the animal, and be honest with yourself while analyzing it. Ideally, talk to others who've interacted with the dog for a little while. And be prepared for a dog's personality to not fully reveal itself for a few weeks/months after adoption. It takes time for them to settle in and recover from stress. a life less fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Jul 11, 2016 |
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Jul 11, 2016 15:08
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a life less posted:Border collie/lab mix is just about the most generic label you'll find at a shelter (after maybe pit or chi mixes). Unless someone knows the dog's parents, the dog's mix is likely just a guess. Many dogs in shelters are mutts of mutts of mutts. (Also, if you do get it, please don't call it a borador... bleh.) Sup Ontarigoon?  That list idea is a good idea. I'll put one together. We'd definitely like a running buddy, and absolutely want to work with the dog and keep him busy. No problem at all with dedicating time to lots of play. But in our neighbourhood, there seems to be a lost dog every few weeks because some unprepared dog owner got a higher maintenance dog, left it unattended for half the day, so it jumps the fence and runs off ("What do you mean Huskies are energetic?"). I don't want to be that person. melon cat fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Jul 11, 2016 |
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Jul 11, 2016 19:54
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I recommend against leaving your potential future dog alone in your yard unattended then. 
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Jul 11, 2016 20:06
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melon cat posted:Sup Ontarigoon? You're already leaps and bounds better than those people by actually doing research instead of going out and impulse adopting a dog that doesn't fit your lifestyle then going "oh god what have I gotten myself into?!"  If you're not too particular about breeds most young adult medium-sized herding or hunting breed shelter mutts would fit your bill. Just avoid anything with a squished face or weird proportions. Most shelters have adoption coordinators that have a pretty good idea of each dog's personality/abilities that could help match you up with a good dog buddy, so you could go in and sit down with them and tell them your list and they can point you to dogs you might like or keep an eye out for something that'd be a good fit if none of their current dogs would be a good match. I would avoid puppies and dogs less than a year old or so since their joints aren't done growing and running long distances with them before they're done growing can mess up their joints.
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Jul 12, 2016 00:49
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If your dog doesn't get along with your baby, are you going to get rid of the dog? If the answer is yes, don't get a dog.
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Jul 31, 2016 19:55
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You can always ask the shelter about a dog who has a known history of being cat and baby/small child friendly. Wouldn't work for young puppies though because not much of a history and their personalities aren't fully developed. Good luck OP with whatever dog you and your wife choose. There are so many Border Collies and mixes in shelters in my area and I have heard sooo many stories from well intended people. Sorry for the freak out. You are tons ahead of all of them by researching and considering how a dog will fit into your future life changes. If you do end up with a BC or BC mix, I hear they are the top breed for agility training. You could see if there are any groups in your area, so if it's too cold out for running in the winter, maybe there's an indoor arena you can work the pup's energy/mind out with.
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Aug 1, 2016 06:18
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If you have the time for a mile or so run in the morning I find that tides my border collie over well, more so because I use a canicross harness which causes him to throw a lot of energy into pulling me when I'm too slow for him Other than that I would say try leaving it alone and see how it does, if it's too much you come home consider a walker some days.
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Aug 16, 2016 11:14
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 02:04 |
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DerVerrater posted:If you have the time for a mile or so run in the morning I find that tides my border collie over well, more so because I use a canicross harness which causes him to throw a lot of energy into pulling me when I'm too slow for him I make mine tow me on my bike at least once a week, he's down for the count for at least a few hours after we do that. For a reference of how much goddamn energy this dog has, that's pulling almost 5 times his body weight at an average speed of 7 mph with a max speed of 14 mph (I have my Strava app going while he pulls me) for 4 miles. Last time we did it in 31 minutes. I only help him out by pedaling a little bit on the uphill bits. And he's only tired for a few hours after that before he's ready to go again. If this seems like something you'd be into, OP, the Ruffwear Omnijore system is awesome. It's a little pricey but it's really good quality. I use the full system when I take the dog hiking and just the harness and a separate bikejoring setup when we bike.
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Aug 18, 2016 00:48
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