Updated 08/01/2023
Are you looking for a good guard dog? Or, perhaps you have always wanted a Border Collie, and now you are trying to decide if they meet your needs and your lifestyle?
Adopting a dog is a big decision, and plenty of different factors go into selecting the perfect breed to bring home.
For many new dog owners, a big factor in selecting their furry friend is how well they can protect themselves, the owner, and the family home.
As we all know, several dog breeds are praised for being the best guard dogs for their protective and aggressive nature. Others are far too relaxed or excitable, and would gladly escort strangers right into your house with a wagging tail.
However, Border Collies tend to lie towards the middle of that spectrum.
Here, we will break down for you exactly with qualities your Border Collie has, and how that would effect their ability to be a good guard dog for your family.
Are Border Collies good guard dogs?
Generally speaking, no. Border Collies do not make good guard dogs.
As with any breed, individual personality will play a big factor; some dogs from the same litter may be more aggressive than the others.
But, as a rule of thumb, a Border Collie is not the best breed choice if you are looking for a reliable guard dog.
To understand why Border Collies are not known to be the best guard dogs, we must first understand the purpose for their breeding.
Since Border Collies were trained for livestock herding, their natural instinct is to move the livestock, not to protect it, or to injure it. This means that while a border collie may bark, their instinct would not be to hurt a stranger or to attack.
Border Collies are also extremely intelligent, high-energy dogs.
Generally speaking, this is the cause of boredom unless they have extensive opportunity for exercise, and plenty of activities and games available to them inside the house.
Unfortunately, guarding the house is not a mentally-stimulating activity and is unlikely to hold your Collie’s attention for very long.
Are Border Collies naturally protective?
Going back to the basics of their breeding, Border Collies were designed to herd livestock, not protect livestock.
So, no, they are not naturally protective. Border Collies are known, however, for becoming very attached to their families.
While this does not necessarily mean they will be good at protecting you, it is likely they will try. Especially if not well-socialized, Border Collies can be shy and not overly great with strangers, which means they will likely bark at people they do not know.
Unfortunately, this only makes up one-half of the needed traits of a good guard dog.
Are Border Collies naturally aggressive?
Due to Border Collie’s herding instincts, it is not uncommon for them to be perceived as aggressive. These behaviours can include barking, chasing and nipping.
However, unless this is an ongoing issue, you do not have inherently aggressive dog. You just have a dog who likes to herd.
Besides having a rather limited display of aggressive behaviour, their herding instincts cause Border Collies to display progressive aggression, meant to inspire livestock to pay attention.
The intent is not to hurt and only gets more forceful the longer the animal does not pay attention. This means the dog with likely try glaring and snarling, before chasing, chasing before nipping, and nipping before biting.
So, when translated to guarding the family home, it is obvious that this would be an ineffective instinct.
Chances are, by the time a Border Collie was forceful enough to inflict any damage, an intruder would have had time to injure or make it past the canine.
Can I train my Border Collie to be a better guard dog?
Since Border Collies are highly intelligent, most behaviours are trainable. However, personality is not.
You could certainly be successful in teaching your Border to Collie to bark, or come to your side if someone approaches the door, especially since they are vocal breed anyways.
That being said, you will probably not be able to teach them to aggressively attack or continue barking at, said person.
While there are some training programs that teach this, it is important to remember the root cause of aggression-fear. Please beware that often times, teaching aggression is done through the use of fear tactics, which is highly unethical.
Especially when teaching an otherwise friendly dog to “attack”, this is often a traumatic experience for your dog and we wholeheartedly do not advise partaking in these programs.
Will my Border Collie become more protective of its family over time?
To a degree, yes. As with any dog, your Border Collie will become more and more bonded with you overtime.
Border Collies are also known for being a bit noisy, so especially as time goes on, you may notice that your Collie barks at strangers who are approaching. However, this is more functional as an alert system than anything else.
Collies are a species that is more bark than bite. So if all you need is someone to let you know when there are strangers at the door, then your Border Collie might get there naturally, without much training.
However, you should not expect a natural evolution into an attack dog. Unless your Border Collie is an anomaly, chances are they will not become overly protective on their own, no matter how much time you give them.
So, are Border Collies good guard dogs?
In short, no, Border Collies are not well pre-disposed for being a guard dog. If its really important to you that your Collie is protective of the home, you can always invest your time into training guard dog behaviours, but don’t be too surprised if it isn’t successful.
After all, even though Border Collies can be perceived as aggressive in their interactions with strangers and other dogs, most of this is due to a herding instinct and will ultimately not ensure your dog will provide adequate protection when compared to other breeds.
What makes a good guard dog?
A good guard dog is one that is able to protect its owner and property, while also being reliable, trainable, and safe. Some of the characteristics that may make a dog suitable as a guard dog include:
Size and strength: A larger, physically powerful dog may be more effective at deterring intruders or attackers.
Intimidating appearance: Some breeds, such as Dobermans or Rottweilers, have a reputation for being intimidating, which can be useful for guard dogs.
Alertness and attentiveness: A good guard dog should be alert and attentive to its surroundings, able to detect and respond to potential threats.
Loyalty and protectiveness: A guard dog should be loyal to its owner and willing to protect them if necessary.
Intelligence and trainability: A guard dog should be intelligent and able to learn commands and tasks quickly, in order to be able to respond to different situations.
Temperament: A guard dog should have a stable temperament and not be prone to aggression or fearfulness.
It is important to remember that any breed of dog has the potential to make a good guard dog if they are properly trained and socialized.
Article By: Brenna Harris
