A loyal, hardworking breed of dog, the Border Collie certainly gets along with people very well.
Indeed, many Border Collies and their owners seem to share an almost telepathic bond, that aids them greatly when working together. But, are Border Collies good with other dogs?
Should a Border Collie live with other dogs, and does a Border Collie play well with other dogs? In this blog post, we take a look at this and answer these questions and more.
So, read on to find out more about the obedient, friendly, and loyal pooch that is the Border Collie:
Are Border Collies good in a family with other dogs?
The Border Collie is a loyal, hardworking dog. Just like the Bichon Frise and Labrador, the Border Collie is very obedient, too, so a Border Collie would typically enjoy working together with another equally-obedient dog, on tricks and skills.
You should introduce your Border Collie to the other dog as early in the Border Collie’s life as possible, however, so that they will get used to the idea that the other dog is their sibling. Your Border Collie should at least tolerate their canine housemate.
Don’t be surprised if you catch your Border Collie outsmarting the other dog, like barking at a window for a minute, before moving in on the freshly-vacated warm basket or abandoned treat!
This is standard behavior for the intelligent Border Collie and is nothing to worry about.
Can Border Collies be aggressive with other dogs?
Though this is possible behavior for this loyal, protective dog, the Border Collie is not usually an aggressive dog. However, some behaviors are typical for the Border Collie, which are often misconstrued as aggression.
One of these is barrier frustration, where an on-leash Border Collie is friendly and wants to greet other dogs, but can’t, because of the leash.
In this situation, a Border Collie with barrier frustration will bark excessively and lunge at the other dogs they want to greet, out of annoyance that they cannot get as close to the other dog as they would like.
Tugging back or shortening the leash every time you come across another dog is not a good idea in this case, as this tactic merely teaches your Border Collie that an impending danger is coming and that your pooch should brace themselves, reinforcing the idea that your Collie ought to bark and ward off the danger of the other dog.
So if you are experiencing a situation like this, why not try training your Border Collie to do an emergency u-turn? Teach your Border Collie how to walk around you in a semi-circle, off-leash at first, and then on the leash.
Then there’s also true leash aggression, in which your Border Collie lunges and pulls you towards other dogs, but your pooch does actually appear to want to bite the other dog and growl at them when your pooch reaches the other dog.
If your Border Collie is genuinely aggressive towards other dogs, this could mean that they are trying to protect you.
After all, the Border Collie breed has previously similarly protected its herd for centuries with great success, so why wouldn’t the breed continue this behavior with the herd they have today?
If this is the case, you need to establish yourself as the leader, rather than letting your Border Collie feel like they need to be responsible.
Do Border Collies like to live in a pack with other dogs?
With the breed’s long history as a working dog, today’s modern Border Collies love getting the opportunity to form a pack with other dogs. If you try to walk a Border Collie with another dog, don’t be surprised if the pair suddenly start to pull you like sled dogs!
Around the house, the intelligent Border Collie along with another dog can make good co-conspirators, working together to escape the yard or figuring out how to play with a puzzle toy.
Usually, there’s a risk that the loyal Border Collie would develop separation anxiety, and might protest at being left at home alone for any period of time.
But with another dog for company, a Border Collie may not mind this so much and will spend the time playing or relaxing with their buddy.
Will a Border Collie interact well with other dogs?
Do be aware that the adult Border Collie can be a discerning dog, and may suddenly start to reject in-your-face invitations to play from dogs whom they had previously welcomed when they were younger.
They may even nip other dogs who are being too boisterous for their liking.
This is not necessarily an aggressive behavior for a Border Collie, though. Your Border Collie may just be correcting behaviors in other dogs that they see as rude. The other dog should understand and will behave differently in the future.
That being said, the Border Collie breed itself is often the more boisterous breed. Collies are dogs who love to run around all day long and will expect others, whether human or canine, to be able to keep up.
They can often be the overly friendly, excessively excited dog who pounces on smaller dogs that may not appreciate the advances.
However, this is all done in the spirit of fun. The Border Collie is hardly ever truly aggressive with other dogs and will only stand their ground and correct other dogs.
What games do Border Collies play with other dogs?
When they are an adult dog, many Border Collies do not directly play with other dogs. Sure, as a puppy, you would likely often find your Border Collie wrestling with or chasing another dog.
But when your Border Collie is a bit older, they might be more into playing parallel Frisbee or fetch alongside other dogs.
Considering how intelligent the Border Collie is, a Border Collie and another dog would likely enjoy working together to figure out how to unlock a big puzzle toy that dispenses treats.
Toys like these take a lot of mental effort, and are quite exhausting to dogs, but are worth it for the reward the dogs get at the end.
Some Border Collies love tug of war, too. With little prompting or training, some Border Collies pick up sticks, socks, or anything else lying around, and show it off to you or to another dog until a tug of war ensues!
If you don’t want your Border Collie to ingest any tree bark fragments or ruin all your socks, it’s worth considering investing in some good rope toys or tug of war toys that will stand the test of time, for dogs who love playing tug of war together.
