This is Arthur.

He’s an adopted Border Collie from the county animal shelter. I rescued him in 2019 on National Dog Day when he was 10 months old. I didn’t know it was National Dog Day, but the coincidence was convenient because the shelter waived a whole bunch of fees and I could actually afford him. Let me tell you, don’t be fooled by what you read online, Border Collies like Arthur make the best family dogs.

Not all dogs are the same, even within a breed, so you should evaluate each dog you meet individually. I’ll just tell you about Arthur.

Great with kids

I don’t know if you knew it, but raised properly Border Collies can be fantastic, protective, and loyal to children. They’ve even been known to want to heard them together like sheep in their care. When he was first adopted, Arthur would get nervous when kids would touch him, but after playing fetch with my nephews, he learned that kids were even more fun than adults because they’d play fetch for as long as he wanted to, or even longer, which is insane if you know the endurance of Border Collies.

Built for Adventure

Border Collies are made for the outdoor lifestyle. They love open fields and long hiking trails. Being very obedient dogs, you can take them with you off-leash (where it’s allowed, of course.) They’ll love to go with you almost any place you can imagine. Go ahead and read my article about off-leash hiking for more information. In addition, as herding dogs, they’ll likely see children as sheep they need to keep together, so they’ll help make sure the family stays accounted for on long expeditions.

Well Behaved in the House

As natural working dogs, many people have the misconception that Border Collies are bad house/apartment dogs. My dog Arthur had a hard time settling down at first indoors, but he’s since learned to be very comfortable. We’ve lived in both houses and apartments together, and he knows how to behave. I would recommend crate training, at least for young Border Collies at first because they tend to get extra bored when you’re not around. They’re little smart escape artists and food finders.

Border Collies are extremely attached to their families, so they want to be wherever you are. If you are in the house, they want to be in the house. If they want to be outside, they’ll want you outside with them.

They Love to Cuddle

The heading speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Photo by Undine Tackmann on Unsplash

Get Down to the Shelter and Adopt

Of course raising a dog from puppy on up is a wonderful experience, but remember to consider adopting from your local shelter. Border Collies are often left in rescues by their owners who don’t understand what kind of amazing companions they can become. Adopting Arthur was the best decision I ever made. So, if you’re on the fence, head down to the shelter and take a Border Collie mix into the playroom. I bet you’ll like what you find.