Beautiful Banjo, smart, playful & loyal.

15 weeks old. Going through a serious biting season!

Turns out my 3 month old great pyr mix has collie in her and I want to make sure I give her enough enrichment and activity. What jobs do your pups have and how did you start to train them on it? Any tips for a first time border collie parent?

I'm gonna end up getting like 6 of them cos idk which colour I like most lol

i have a 7 month old pure bred border collie, who has always been a nervous dog. ever since the day i got him he had run under the table and hid. he does not like meeting new people and WILL growl at them in an aggressive manner and go up to them voluntarily and give them a “warning nip” sort of an air bite and just miss them, it’s certainly scary and not ok. he has recently gotten really aggressive with myself, for the first time since i’ve had him (5 months) he bit me. he has never bit me and had always seen me as his safe person. he wouldn’t stop when he bit either, i couldn’t even just sit in his presence or he’d give me an extremely intense stare and eventually come up to me if i made eye contact and air nip me or actually make contact but not bite down super hard. i can’t even walk past him right now without him lunging at me. it’s heartbreaking and it’s really becoming so hard, i’m at a loss. any help please? he is getting worse and worse. we have seen multiple vet behaviourists but all they did was give us medication that’s “never been used on puppies before” like i’m going to give him that?! he was in puppy school when he was younger but now im too scared to go to any because of how aggressive he gets with strangers and i dont want him to bite anyone. normally he’s scared at first and aggressive then he learns you’re safe and will be your absolute best friend and all over you no fear at all, but he’s gotten worse lately and doesn’t settle down just stays aggressive, even with myself. does anyone have a collie who had been aggressive/nervous and they’re okay now and meet other people/dogs no issues? did you need to go on medication or was he trained out of it?

please
pic of my world. 💔

We have a 6yo border collie. From a couple who had an « accident litter ». I thought back then that all puppies were born a white page. I was so wrong.

She’s always been so difficult. She was such a difficult puppy, always challenging everything. Even though she’s super smart she took so long to be potty trained. She’s been a super difficult teenager making sure to challenge every single behavior. I can say now that she’s really well trained and reliable and has been for a few years. Her recall is incredible. She’s so obedient. And knows a lot of tricks. We did agility with her but had to stop because 1. Group classes made her behavior issues worse and 2. She has a wrist issue that means she’s not allowed anymore so no more 1to 1 classes either.

sometimes she makes me feel so depressed and lonely. I have to say Carole’s price books on BC behavior saved my sanity because for once I didn’t feel like I was alone in this, or I was the issue.

Our BC is not really loving. She likes being at the opposite end of the house from us. Rarely she’ll want to bz in the same room as us but when she does it’s always far enough so that we can’t touch her. It feels like she loves random people we see on walks more than us. She’ll be all over them. She does greet us nicely when we’re back from somewhere but nowhere near the show she does to random people. She likes cuddles but when she wants them. Maybe once a day. Qnd it’s often when she wants something from us like a walk or food or whatever. It’s not really just for the cuddle or for us.

She’s super noise sensitive and is scared to death of woodpeckers, army helicopters, gunshots and other loud noises like that. It’s onna be firework season soon and I know that she’s gonna take a good few weeks to recover. She might get scared of walking in the dark soon because of the firework and obs it’s gonna be super hard for us because we have to work and can’t just wait for daylight to walk her because of her « irrational fears » (I know they’re rational for her…).

When she is in a down period (like after the firework season), she gets into the mood of « I need a walk but im scared » and it’s the worst. Like there’s nothing we can do. She’s desperate to go out running and exercising but scared to go. Nothing will satisfy her (no training or anything indoor will be what she wants). So we’re stuck with a unhappy dog that we can’t do anything for.

We’ve done so much to help her with that noise sensitivity and tried so hard for her to get better. Spent a fortune on good dog behaviorists. We’ve adapted our whole lifestyle around it. She is legit so much better now even though she has up and downs. I’m both proud of our progress and the fact that she seems happy most of the time and also desperate that I don’t think she’ll ever be « normal ». When we got a BC I imagined we’d take her on long hikes and adventures but the reality is she can’t really emotionally handle long walks because the longer the walk is thz higher the chance is gonna be for her to be scared of something and then she’ll run back to the car (we always park somewhere safe, never take her places where we have to cross a road,m etc) and take forever to recover. We live in England and she got scared of rain one time for weeks because of a bad thunderstorm. It rains a lot in England… we always push her limit every so slightly but then something will happen (like march - woodpecker season or November, firework season) and all progress will be lost for a good few weeks.

Shes so hard. We’re putting so much effort and doing so much for this ungrateful and demanding dog. I do love her but she’s also so hard to love sometimes. Tonight she was on our bed even though she’s not allowed and was so grumpy when I asked her to get off it. She went to lay down far from me. Even though we bought a house with safe walks for her, even though I took her for walks today that were safe and nice for her (while I wanted to walk around the neighborhood cause it was pissing rain). Even though I have such a crazy mental load thinking about her.

. We also have a golden doodle who is sleeping in her bed next to my bed right now. we’ve trained her the exact same way (well almost since we adapted to thz breed). she’s the easiest and sweetest dog in the world. She was potty trained in 10 days. Had like 6 accidents in the house. She’s so cuddly and follows us around the house. She is so uncomplicated. She’s scared of nothing, always so happy and excited about life. She’ll cuddle on the sofa with us for hours, she makes us feel like we’re the only ones in the world. Thank god for her because she brings me what my BC doesn’t and it keeps me sane (ie. Love and affection).

I just needed to vent I’m tired.
We won’t abandon our BC. I do believe even if we’re not perfect we’re really committed to making her as happy as she can be. I love her and I don’t want to rehome her. But sometimes she makes me so sad and tired

Having the homie along makes mtn hunting just a bit easier. Didn’t get a blacktail but it was the best quality time I’ve spent with my dog in years.

That little chin lift 😂 Even the miniature looks like someone just offered a very disappointing treat.

For this needle-felted pet portrait, I focused on the side profile and the way the white chest fluff frames the face. The black and white markings help with the likeness, but I wanted that slightly unimpressed expression to come through too.

Second photo has my wool sculpture beside the reference. Did I capture the same attitude?

He helps me everyday. My Koda bear.

This is my baby girl, Branca! She’s a blue heeler/border collie mix and has been the best dog a man could ask for!

Had to say goodbye to my sweet, sweet Fenrir. I really thought we had more time together, I never got to see his face turn grey. I had always hoped to take care of him until his joints ached and his walk became slower. I love you so much Fenrir and I’m sorry.

I’m going to miss your kisses - the ones that covered our entire face, even our eyeballs, and the kisses you gave to ears because you loved how they smelled. How your little teeth would catch the tip of my nose because your kisses weren’t soft, you put all your love into them. I’m going to miss your wagging tail and soft whines, how your whole body shook with excitement when you saw the people you love, but especially with me because you could hold both calm excitement for me and also shake the entire house if you wanted. Even sleeping in the same room and waking up together, you were so excited to see me. You had so much love in your little body. All of the kisses, all of the wiggles, all of the paws asking for more pets.

And I knew I taught you “paw” too soon because you used your paws for everything. You used them to hug me, to grab my hand, to hold your toys, to wack, to push your ball even further under the radiator. You were the smartest boy, never patient, but eager to learn. You loved “middle” because it meant you got to be closer to me and feel the satisfaction of praise. You came out of your shell so much, approaching what scared you with curiosity, trusting me to take care of you and save you if it got to be too much. I wish I could have saved you when everything came to be too much.

I’ll miss the stare you gave when you had to go to the bathroom and how you would either go quickly or have to stand on the bench to watch whatever it was the neighbors were doing. I’ll miss seeing you in a field of green, running after your ball and dropping it ten steps away from us because you wanted to herd us towards your ball, stubborn too - you’d wait all day for us to fetch that ball and I would have done it any time, any where, no matter how far you dropped it.

I am going to miss you following me into every room, including the bathroom. And if you couldn’t see me, you’d look for me and get so excited as if I’d been gone a week. I’m going to miss seeing you with your toy, a little plush dumbbell that fit so perfectly in your mouth, that you carried when you just couldn’t contain yourself and the squeaks you made from joy.

I am going to miss the way you would try food but only after I took a bite, then it was worthy enough of your attention. You loved turkey, I found out, went crazy for it. And those Wild Weenies, I would buy out the whole company for you, I hope you know. We never ran out and you never got tired of them.

I will miss you sitting on the sofa, all stretched out. The picture of beauty, you were the most beautiful dog with the prettiest golden eyes and the softest fur that never seemed to clump. There was still so much I wanted to explore with you, so much love I have that I don’t know where to put. I love you and I miss you and all of your quirks. There is so much more I wish I could have said to you and so much more I am going to miss about you. I love you. I love you. Even that doesn’t feel enough to describe just how much you meant to me.

Fenrir, I love you and always will. I hope that it is so warm, so safe where you are and you never have to fear anything ever again. I hope that you can find me if that is where you wish to be and know that I will never leave your side. You are always going to be a thought in my mind. I wish you weren’t gone, I can’t believe you are. But I hope you are happy and never, ever have worry in your soul.

From "I hate my puppy" to "I'm keeping him": My experience with puppy blues
A little while ago, I made a post saying that I deeply regretted getting my Border Collie puppy and that I genuinely hated him.
Well, here's how things have been going since then, what I've learned, and what actually helped me.
For some context, I'm a 24-year-old active guy who had previously raised two Jack Russell Terriers. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to get a Border Collie. I did my research, I knew they were high-energy dogs, and I was more than willing to put in the work.
Or so I thought.
I got him when he was 2.5 months old, and those first couple of weeks were honestly some of the most miserable days I've had in a long time.
The biting was CONSTANT. And I mean 24/7. My hands were covered in scratches, I was barely sleeping, and I felt like I couldn't get a single moment of peace in my own home.
I tried everything I could think of. Redirecting him to toys, putting him in his playpen, reverse timeouts, leaving the room, trying to teach him to settle down. Nothing seemed to work.
At one point, I took him to my girlfriend's house, and in the five hours we spent there, he didn't settle down ONCE. The only peace we got was when I tethered him to the couch and he finally slept for about 30 minutes.
The funny thing is, he's actually a really smart puppy. He picked up potty training almost immediately. But for some reason, I took that as a sign that everything else should be relatively easy too.
Boy, was I wrong.
I started resenting him. I couldn't look at him without feeling frustrated. I didn't want to play with him, I didn't want to be around him, and I honestly just wanted him to go away so I could have some peace.
I even seriously considered returning him to his breeder.
That's when I made my original Reddit post.
Looking back, I wrote that post at an EXTREMELY low point. Three days of sleeping like absolute crap, scratched-up hands, constant stress, and feeling like nothing I did was working had really gotten to me.
And the comments were... interesting, to say the least.
Some people gave me genuinely helpful advice. Others told me I was a terrible owner, that I had no business getting a Border Collie, and that I should return him immediately.
And honestly? I can't even blame them. If I had read someone saying they hated their three-month-old puppy, I probably would've reacted the same way.
But something about reading all those comments, both the helpful ones and the mean ones, made me realize that I needed to change my approach.
So, what actually changed?
First, once he was able to go outside for walks, things got SO MUCH BETTER.
I started taking him on short, 10-minute walks about 2–3 times a day, and I genuinely cannot overstate how much that helped.
It wasn't even about physically exhausting him. Just getting him outside, letting him explore, sniff around, and experience something other than the same four walls made a huge difference.
Second, I stopped relying so much on physical play.
Before, I was doing a lot of tug-of-war, thinking that if I could just tire him out enough, he'd finally calm down.
Instead, I started focusing more on mental stimulation. I got him a lick mat and a fillable Kong, and HOLY CRAP, those things are amazing.
They keep him entertained, give him something productive to focus on, and give me some much-needed breathing room.
Third, and probably most importantly, I started changing my expectations.
I think that was my biggest mistake from the beginning.
I knew I was getting a puppy. I knew Border Collies were intense. I knew raising a dog required patience.
But somehow, I still expected him to behave like a dog that already knew how to live in a human household.
I was getting frustrated at a three-month-old puppy for acting like... well, a three-month-old puppy.
And the more frustrated I got, the more miserable the whole experience became.
Now, does this mean everything is perfect?
Absolutely not. He's still a puppy. He still bites, he still gets overly excited, and there are still moments when I want to pull my hair out.
But things have gotten SO much better.
I don't feel that same overwhelming resentment anymore. I'm starting to actually enjoy spending time with him, and instead of constantly thinking about how much I regret getting him, I'm thinking about what I can do to make things better for both of us.
And I've made my decision.
I'm keeping him.
I know I need to be more patient. I know I have a lot more to learn about training and raising a Border Collie. And I know I need to become a better owner, for both our sakes.
I'm not pretending I've suddenly become an amazing dog owner or that I've figured everything out. Far from it.
But I'm willing to learn, and I think that's a pretty good place to start.
I also want to thank everyone who commented on my original post. Whether you gave me helpful advice or told me I was being a terrible owner, you genuinely helped me reconsider how I was approaching this whole situation.
And to anyone currently dealing with puppy blues, feeling overwhelmed, or even regretting getting their puppy: I get it. I really do.
I'm not going to tell you that everything magically gets better overnight, because it doesn't. But sometimes a few small changes in your routine, your approach, and your expectations can make a MUCH bigger difference than you'd think.
A little while ago, I genuinely thought I couldn't stand this dog.
Now, I'm actually looking forward to seeing the dog he'll grow up to be.
I'll keep you all updated! :)

I broke her heart today. Luckily i think she forgives me after i gave her some peanut butter.

I was at the park recently and watched a Border Collie run laps long after every other dog had flopped in the shade. It got me curious.

I know coat color doesn't decide personality, but a lot of breeds that come in black and white, like Collies, Huskies, Dalmatians, and Aussies, seem built for real work.

For people who live with them: how much daily exercise does your dog actually need? And what do you do to keep their mind busy on days the weather ruins your plans?

That much energy honestly looks a little overwhelming from the outside. I'd love to hear what it's really like, challenges included.

I'm not sure if this is right thing for this question but I was wondering what the thoughts are with my collie, she is 9 weeks old and I was wondering if she would be smooth coated or have longer fur like medium? I know it looks likely to be smooth but i want to check other people's thoughts

Hi everyone!

My 2.5-year-old Border Collie, Max, is scheduled for frontal sinus trephination with local antifungal treatment tomorrow to treat a fungal infection in his nose.

He’s been dealing with nasal discharge, sneezing, and occasional nosebleeds for quite some time. After a rhinoscopy and biopsy confirmed the fungal infection, our vets recommended this procedure.
I’ve spent hours reading veterinary articles, researching the treatment, and discussing everything with our vets. We’ve decided to go ahead with it, but there’s one thing that’s surprisingly hard to find: real recovery stories from other dog owners.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone whose dog has undergone this procedure.

How did your dog feel immediately after surgery?
What were the first 24–72 hours like?
Did they experience nosebleeds, increased nasal discharge, pain, or swelling afterward?
How long did it take before they were back to their normal selves?
Did the treatment successfully eliminate the infection, or were additional procedures needed?

We’re also trying to understand how much supervision Max will need during the first few days.
I know every dog is different, and I’ll obviously follow our vet’s instructions. I’m not looking for medical advice, just genuine experiences from people who’ve been through something similar.
I’m pretty nervous about tomorrow. Max means the world to our family, and I just want to be as prepared as possible.

Thanks so much to anyone willing to share their story! ❤️🐾