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My wife is disabled and in a wheelchair and we have a border collie whom was kicked by a cow and broke her nose and the people we got her from said she wouldn’t herd any more. We’ve only had her for a few months and she seems like she might have been abused. Very timid so we have been showing her love. I would like her to be my wife’s service dog and I think it’s possible but would like some input.
Some border collies are naturally timid. My parents current collie is very very timid. She comes to you with head down and won’t look at you with her eyes. She is 10 years old and never grew out of it. Really great at herding or working, then does not show any timidness. Soon as she is done she acts again like we beat her, when she is the most spoiled of all our collies.
Border collie can be very shy, I have a 2 years we got since she was 4 weeks old and for people who don’t know her or us you could think she had been abused when in fact she was never touched or screamed at once. She is super sweet, super smart very obedient and just a change of tone is enough to make her realize. She knows right from wrong, the best dog I ever had.
Personally, I’d say that you give her training a shot. Take note of her past and how that might limit her, and how those limitation may affect her service life. If you are willing to care for her if she fails as you currently are, then it might be worth giving her training a go. But keep note of the fact that she has a greater chance of faling out.
If she stopped herding due to an injury, I’m sorry to say that’s not a dog who can make it through public access training. One of the important aptitude tests for potential SDs is bounce back, or their ability to not be aggressive or timid after something frightening or even painful.
Not correct!!!!!!
She will in time, with lots of love and trust. They are so intelligent and if harmed takes time to heal. I got mine when he was 8 months old. Jake has been in two homes, abused and starved. Jake will be 17 if he lives to May.
I became ill and did not walk for two years. Jake became the perfect service dog without training. I cannot stress enough though that your Border needs constant love to heal. Jake went everywhere with me. I realize he was exceptional in his incredibly good behavior, so if it is needed get him some professional training. They are dogs that badly want to please and love you. Jake has been a blessing beyond measure to me. Best wishes !
…also commit to keeping your Border active. It is a must for their mental and physical health.
Looking for a service dog for my 6 year old autistic son, he has the eloping tendancies or at least it’s been increasing. Which is a huge push to get a service dog. I have always loved the border collie breed or even Aussie shepherds, I would love any extra input on getting a border collie as a service dog that you might have. Thanks.
Krisitne
Hey there! I currently have an 8 month old, female service dog in training named Remmi who is a purebred Border Collie. Here’s my advice on the pro’s and cons of Border Collies working as service dogs, written by someone who has first hand experience with training and raising a dog of the breed.
For context, my girl is primarily focused on PTSD based tasks. I have panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety, social anxiety and an eating disorder. Remmi aids me during panic attacks by performing deep pressure therapy, alerts me of nervous behaviours, helps me regain focus when I find it hard to concentrate, wakes me up from nightmares, interrupts flashbacks, performs redirections, helps guide me through busy environments as well as many other things.
When considering getting a Border Collie as a service dog you MUST be prepared to give them proper exercise and it’s usually ideal that you have a garden. My Border Collie and I compete in multiple dog sports to keep her fitness up and to direct her working and athletic drive onto something positive. We currently do trick training, stunt work, disc and once she’s older we plan on doing agility and freestyle. You don’t need to do sports with your Border Collie but if you can get them into one just for fun (you don’t have to compete) then it does help to give them the mental and physical stimulation that they require. Never get a Border Collie if you aren’t willing to give it the exercise that it requires as they will redirect their boredom and excess energy into negative behaviours.
Border Collies are a unique breed in the sense that they have quite a few special quirks. This can range from herding children, cats or dogs around the house, feeling the need to carry something in their mouth such as sticks or socks or them patrolling the house and garden to check on family members. These aren’t necessarily bad things and won’t always apply to the entire breed but you’ll usually find that a Border Collie will have at least one unique habit.
You should also know that Border Collies are prone to feeling the instinct to herd which can not be trained out of the dog but rather redirected into something more positive as a collies herding instinct is biological in the same way that a retrievers instinct is to retrieve objects.
When picking a Border Collie puppy for Service Dog work always try to pick the most confident puppy in the litter and the one that seems to not be phased or scared as much as it’s siblings as this will help a lot with later training. Although it may be difficult to observe during puppyhood, also try to look out for which puppy seems the most laid back and calm as this will also benefit you in the future.
Onto the pro’s of having a Border Collie as a service dog!
They learn extremely quickly and are incredibly smart with an above 95% success rate of listening to mastered commands on the first cue which makes them very reliable once they have been through the correct training and understand their physical and verbal signs that relate to a certain behaviour. This makes them the most intelligent breed in the world currently.
Border collies also have an amazing cognitive ability to remember countless commands without forgetting them or confusing them with other learned behaviours once they have been taught. If you need a service dog to perform multiple tasks quickly and without confusion then a Border Collie is a good candidate to consider since they have a high accuracy with understanding specific tasks on the first cue and are capable of memorising many behaviours which personally helps me out a lot in my day to day life as I am yet to experience my Border a Collie pup confusing tasks or performing the wrong task. She’s also incredibly quick to pick up on my behaviour and respond accordingly. Far faster than my multiple German Shepherds are. One of my nervous habits as I go into a panic attack is scratching at my hands and wrists. Remmi recognises this behaviour in seconds and immediately begins to redirect by pushing my hands apart and performing distractions such as getting me to pet her. If the situation escalates she’s instantly moving herself into the deep pressure therapy position which comprises the nervous system. We’ve only been practicing DPT for a month and she’s already extremely accurate and reliable in most situations although she is still a puppy and most dogs won’t become fully trained service dogs until 2 years of age.
Another good thing about Border Collies is that they are people pleasers and eager to impress as well as having a natural habit to follow ‘their human’ around an environment. This means that typically Border Collies are an attached breed that like to be around humans and rarely distance themselves, making their reaction times very quick. They also learn human behaviours very quickly which makes teaching them tasks easier as they can differentiate human emotions.
Another reason to choose a Border Collie would be their low grooming maintenance and convenient size. An average Border Collie will not shed much compared to other breeds and are relatively low-mid maintenance in terms of grooming depending on the coat type of the collie you choose. My Border Collie Remmi has from my experience so far barely shed at all. She leaves the occasional couple of hairs on the sofa which is hardly noticeable and only takes around 5-10minutes to brush once every 1-2 weeks being a mid-coat slim Border Collie. An issue that a lot of larger breeds experience with being a service dog is public access as they can be inconvenient in certain situations and make access for both handler and the general public more difficult. You can encounter problems such as single doorways, small shops/cafe’s , lack of room for them to fit under chairs and tables and also find your dog blocking areas that other people need to pass. Having a Border Collie, she has been a very good size and totally convenient when accessing things such as supermarkets, restaurants, schools, city centres, markets etc and doesn’t take up much room at all.
There are a lot of bonuses to having a Border Collie as a service dog but ultimately you have to decide whether the pros or cons will outweigh each other. Find the right dog for your family and having a Border Collie is an incredible experience, you just have to figure out whether your willing to give them what they need. I know that I wouldn’t trade my girl for the world but I also enjoy teaching her dog sports, find the highs and lows rewarding and am willing to put up with the set backs and victories as well as the random spurts of puppy energy. They can be a nightmare or a total dream, it depends on the owners, environments and enrichment the dog is given. I hope this helped!
Thanks for your detailed post! These pros and cons are great. And Remmi sounds awesome! I’m sure she’ll grow to be an awesome service dog to you.
I’m a veteran in a wheelchair. I’m trying to get a border dog service dog. I had one during my childhood. Loved her. She was smart and loving. I drove trucks over the road for years to help folks get supplies. I was proud to do it however I couldn’t have a dog with me. It wouldn’t be fair to the dog. Now I’m retired with lots of time and love for them. I’m hoping you are non profit organization cause I can’t afford it. Please help me if possible. Thanks.
Some of the BEST dogs trained for MANY things such as herding, TV work, service etc are MIXED breeds. You don’t HAVE to have a BC because ANY herder BC/mix will do nicely. Just make sure the personality you seek is there. I had an English Shepherd (a dog that the BC comes from breed wise) and he NEVER grew out of being timid around MEN. A kind, calm, dog is the BEST bet for you. You don’t have to have a purebred dog to get what you want. I would much more concentrate on mind over matter. Some dogs are BRED for service and kindness and temperament – NOT herding animals. Get a kind, good personality sog that WANTS to help you – not a dog bred for a job. You will BOTH be frustrated endlessly!
We have a border collie as a service dog for my husband who has advanced dementia. Our dog takes him for walks every day and brings him home when he doesn’t remember. This dog is highly intelligent, very playful BUT extremely calming and sensitive to being careful with my husband!
My daughter has anxiety she is 11 years old. We have tried everything from concealing to medication for her anxiety. About 6 months ago I came across a border collie and bought her for my daughter. We have been working with a trainer for her to be trained to be my daughters service dog. Best decision I have made for my daughter. Our border collie is named Cali and she has been such a blessing to my daughter. Cali is very smart and very loving. She has been very easy to train for service. My daughter works hard with her daily and we take her to the dog park often to run her little heart out. Collies definitely need time to just run. I wish everyone luck with service dogs I know it has helped my daughter.