They are beautiful, intelligent, popular … but totally incompatible with a large majority of households, according to a canine behaviorist. If you are looking for a family dog, it is better to think twice before adopting this breed.
Many dog owners choose by relying on appearances. A crunchy boil, an obedient reputation, viral videos on the networks … and presto, the crush takes over the reality of everyday life. Result: unhappy animals, overwhelmed masters and behaviors that turn in the nightmare. Will Atherton, canine behavior specialist, alert: some breeds, as popular as they are, are simply not made for family life.
Will Atherton is 34 years old. He fights to prevent thousands of dogs from ending up in refuge. His advice: never adopt a dog only because he is fashionable. “The most important factor is to find a breed that sticks to your lifestyle”, he insists. And in its sights, there is a particular breed, much appreciated in France, which returns regularly in the dog profiles placed in foster family after abandonment. This dog, almost everyone believes it ideal. He has the reputation of being intelligent, kind, easy to train. On paper, a flawless. But in real life, it’s another story.
Where it gets stuck is in terms of energy. Because this dog needs to move. A lot. To think. All the time. He does not support boredom or inaction. And in a family life, it doesn’t work. Not for lack of love, but for lack of availability. Because a dog that does not spend its overflow of energy will necessarily find another way to take care. Will Atherton has seen many cases pass by this dog began to destroy furniture, constantly barking or digging in the garden. Some end up becoming aggressive, not by wickedness, but by frustration. The behaviorist even says he followed several cases where the animal started to bring the children like a herd, to the point of biting them slightly with the heels or pulled them by the clothes. Logical behavior for this breed designed to guide, group, supervise. But problematic in a living room.
Another concern: the place. This dog needs space. What run, gallop, play, feel, track down. Not just a 20 -minute walk in the neighborhood. If you live in an apartment or in a house without a garden, cohabitation is unlikely to be harmonious. And that, many families only discover it once the dog has arrived at home. As you can see, Border Collie is a breed reserved for a certain group of people.
The specialist concludes by specifying that it is important to adopt this dog knowingly. Because an intelligent dog is not an easy dog. And because to love an animal is not just a place on the sofa. It is also giving him the life he needs to flourish.
