Jescano Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Does anyone else's border collie seem to not play with certain breeds. Mine will get along fine with other dogs and sort of interact with them, and get distracted by them.... but he doesn't play with other non herding breeds.... He gets on well with other border collies, heelers, and some aussies.... but other than that.... he doesn't really play with them. I do take him to the dog park(the dog part I go to is great with a real sense of community, tons of "regulars" and everyone knows all the dogs and people. Only during the summer though... the rest of the year I live in the mountains and there's no dog park so we just go on adventures and see lots of other outdoor dogs...In mammoth there was about 7 border collies and he played great with them and a few heelers he got on well with ) And he won't really play with any of the dogs there... the few border collies that do go there, there's three of them there regularly, are fat and lazy, so they don't really play. Oh and on a completely OT note... I haven't really had much interaction with non-high energy breeds.... I had a bc mix and small poodle as family dogs. One of my coworkers has an 11 week old boston terrier and I was interacting with it and it didn't really do much... It just let itself be held or slept in a bag... at eleven weeks Jinx could not sit still for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher7151 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Funny enough, I've actually found my dog to be UNcomfortable around border collies or other similarly high energy breeds. Small fluffy dogs are his absolute favorite, but any high energy dog sends him running under my legs. Other border collies in particular make him really worried. But I do think it has to do with the fact that most border collies he's met have been over the top excited. I'd like to think that he's learned how to keep himself calm and is uncomfortable with being as excited and overwhelmed as the other dogs. He lives with a boston terrier though, who is absolutely NOT a 'do nothing' dog like the puppy you described! Keeper and Slider get along fantastically, even though Slider has an iffy temperament at times. I think it's far more likely that Keeper reacts to individual dogs rather than breeds, it's just far more common to see certain traits in different breeds. The big mushy golden we met today was his best friend, but the 6 month old golden that was hyper as all get out had him hiding under my legs giving panic barks. Slider is an absolutely 100% positive boxer racist though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Dear Doggers, Yep, they're racists (breedists?). Yesterday I was talking with a professional horse trainer/breeder about this and he said horses tend to self-segregate by colors too. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Dear Doggers, Yep, they're racists (breedists?). Yesterday I was talking with a professional horse trainer/breeder about this and he said horses tend to self-segregate by colors too. Donald McCaig Our collie is most comfortable with b/w collies like himself. Apart from the variety of dogs he lives with, the more different a dog appears from him the more likely he is to object to it. Not surprising really as his early experiences with other dogs will have been with other collies and I doubt that he got out and about to socialise before we got him at 8 months. As for colour coding generally, yes. I have had several ginger dogs and they have all had a preference for others of the same colour. The medium sized ones particularly like vizslas. The collie hates them with a passion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Does anyone else's border collie seem to not play with certain breeds. Mine will get along fine with other dogs and sort of interact with them, and get distracted by them.... but he doesn't play with other non herding breeds.... He gets on well with other border collies, heelers, and some aussies.... but other than that.... he doesn't really play with them. That's really pretty typical. I discovered it many years ago with my first border collie, Mirk. He'd give a warning growl to most of the other dogs in obedience class, asking them to keep away, but when we'd go to a sheepdog trial with dozens of border collies around he was just fine, wanting to run and play with them. I called him a breed snob, and compared notes with many other people who experienced the same thing. Herding breeds tend to have a different play style than may other kinds of dogs, preferring chase games to other kinds of play. They'll definitely wrestle with other dogs at time, mostly dogs they know, IME, but prefer a racing kind of play that definitely has rules but isn't necessarily about who's the fastest. And border collies often really don't appreciate the in-your-face kind of greeting and play styles of certain breeds like retrievers. That's more likely to be met with a Back-Off! warning than it is to result in play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camden's Mom Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 My bc seems to think he's a pro-wrestler more then a chaser. He likes to wrestle *hard*. I have to be extremely careful when he interacts with puppies because he takes absolutely no steps to restrain his play or intensity with them. He gets along marvelously with dogs who want to bounce around and wrestle, usually tending towards play with boxers, labs, and pitties. He actually doesn't seem to care much for typical herding breed play so I've never noticed him having any affinity towards his own breed, although he doesn't appear to actively dislike them either. Camden just turned two a couple weeks ago and I am seeing his interest in playing with other dogs begin to wane dramatically. As a puppy and in adolescence he loved to play with other dogs. I'm noticing a lot more often that when an exuberant young dog tries to force the issue of playing with him Camden will, in no uncertain terms, let the other dog know he's not interested. I'm still not sure what to think of this given his unbounded enthusiasm for playing with other dogs not so long ago. Oh... and he hates huskies. I have no clue why. He's never had a bad experience with a husky that I know of but I have to watch him like a hawk or he'll go up and start posturing and acting like a total as$h*le wanting to pick a fight. So, my dog is def a husky-racist... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 My dogs are comfortable around other Border Collies in a way that are not comfortable around other breeds. With small (toy) dogs that they meet, they seem to wonder really what the other dog is, a varmint, maybe? Surely not a real dog! Mine don't like the flat-faced, round-eyed, dogs that tend to stare - particularly Boxers and other upright, stare at your face dogs. Also they don't seem to like dogs whose facial hair obscures their eyes or face, so that they can't really "read" the dog's expression. We had a dog, Rocket, who was once jumped by a German Shepherd. He became very visually-impaired and then blind in his later years. But his nose was still keen and could "recognize" a dog as being a German Shepherd or a GSD cross even when he could not see them, and his reaction and posture made it obvious that just smelling whatever was distinctive about that breed was making him anxious. As pups in puppy class, during socialization, they had no issues with other breeds. With adulthood, they seem to all recognize "their" breed and be rather discriminatory towards certain other breeds. I can take one to a sheepdog trial and let him loose with other dogs loose, and it's no problem. I would not expect the same at a dog park with other breeds, although Celt pretty much ignores other dogs in that sort of social situation and Dan can be uncomfortable around other dogs unless he and the other dog decide they want to be friends and play. My dogs are breed snobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Border collies are very bigoted. It's extremely common for them to prefer other herding breeds and they seem most likely to dislike the very forward, bouncy, overly-happy types like labs and golden retrievers. They also often dislike the very forward, bold-seeming dogs like the bully breeds, rottweilers and hound/bird dog types.In all seriousness, I think it's because fellow herding breeds generally "speak" the same language. They are more apt to be respectful of another dog's personal space or a growled request to back off, where some of the more forward or over-friendly breeds just ... miss the memo entirely. I'm generalizing, of course, but it often seems that way, to me.Oh, and my Aussie is totally a bigot, as well. She only likes Aussies, BCs and corgis. ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Oops, double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 my BC really doesn't like most breeds. there are only 2 breeds she likes: Boxers, and Aussies. with these 2 breeds she will actually play with them. she never EVER plays with any other kind of dog lol, she is not mean to other breeds, she's just indifferent to them. Gypsy though is totally breedist lol she HATES German Shepherds(kind of funny given she is half GSD lol) and Husky types. Husky types she will kind of hide on sight and snarl if they come any closer. but GSD's..I dunno, if she see's a GSD she will nail them if she has the chance. I didn't quite realize what was happening at first, she was fine with other dogs, so I was shocked the first time when she charged and threw a GSD to the ground that was not even looking at her, I thought maybe it was larger dogs that she suddenly decided were a problem for some reason so for a long time I never allowed her near a larger dog without careful introductions first, but there never seem'd to be any issues. then 2 if my friends started getting GSD's, and as far as Gypsy was concerned they all have giant targets on there backs, no amount of careful intro's makes her not want to shred them. other kinds of dogs? she is the friendliest most playful and gentle dog in the world lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJTRAS Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Not seeing Our BC being too selective. The Huge male lab golden that hated her as a puppy well the little BC plays him carefully. She seems to interact cautiously and will steal from him when he is not paying attention. The male terrier she totally controls him she makes him do whatever she wants. The Rotti coonhound mix female is like a big sister to her . She keeps her on a path and scolds the little BC girl when she needs it. The little girl shows no selectiveness she has a plan on how she interacts with each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 ^^ I've found that within their own family pack they're fine regardless of what breed they are. Of course, my experience in this regard is somewhat limited. Where I find them to be breed snobs is with dogs outside their own circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJTRAS Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Except for the lab golden mix all my dogs are a snob outside the group. Haven't had the BC long enough to work that aspect yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess's Girl Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 When I first got Tess she loved to play with any dog, in the past year she's gotten more selective, which I expected her to do as she matured. I joke that she has doodle-phobia now. She got into it unexpectedly with a goldendoodle that lives at my apartment complex (there's something weird about the dog, I can't exactly place my finger on it, but I don't like to interact with it if i can avoid it.) After that she wants nothing to do with any type of dog that is doodlish, mostly big and fluffy. She also doesn't get along with boxers very well. Otherwise she does really well with other dogs. She is a little more reserved about dogs larger than her but warms up quickly. She adores little dogs and I'm pretty sure she thinks she part pug. She definitely has a "you can chase me, just don't touch me" play style. She loves to just sprint circles around the dog park, after a couple of laps most dogs quit chasing her and just look at her like she's crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Gibbs is polite with any dog who is polite with him. Polite does not include bounciness right in the face. He met 2 large-ish dogs at an off-leash park once, (these dogs were shaped like and had the coats of GSD, but were all white). He stiffened as they approached, but their doggy manners were lovely and he relaxed very quickly. He does still love to romp with smaller dogs and young dogs, he's very tolerant of puppy high spirits. He's also really good on leash with other dogs. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Anne Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 It must start really early for some too. My Rose is now 15 months old. When I brought her home at 8 wks. the very first dog she made a bee line for was my BC boy Phoenix.....not my Terrier mix Bree, who is much more docile and gentle! Her and Phoenix are pretty much Velcro dogs now! It is very cute actually. Phoenix is almost 10 y/o, not good with other dogs but is really tolerable with Rose. He does have his limit and he lets her know, but all in all he has seriously surprised us with the way he is with Rose. Hmmmm, so suppose it could be a case of "breed-ism" LOL! Also even though he seriously does not like other dogs, he does pretty good for the most part when we are at a herding clinic with all the BC's ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Dear Doggers, Some years ago June and I gave a sheepdog training demo at a dog trainer's conference in Texas. Afterwards, we milled around in a big Butler building, maybe four hundred people, most with mannerly dogs on leash, some ill mannered. Quite a few purse dogs. June had a real predator streak (never allowed to blossom) and across the room, a dog toy booth opened up. June had never had a dog toy which, when squeezed, make a sound like a small prey animal in terrible distress. June's ears went to full alert and I grabbed her. June'd never met purse dogs either and I had this bad feeling. "Small animal being killed" and "small animal" June might put doggy 2 and 2 together. So I leashed her. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizabeth Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Gidget loves hearding dogs of all kinds and sizes, she dearly loves to wrestle with pitbulls! But huskies, german shepards, and very big dogs even the lovable nufies she fears! She doe's not play nice with them she thinks they want to eat her. So have just kept them away from her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Molly - at four months old - loves her "family" of dogs, cats and people - BCs, Whippets, Berners, shelties and NS duck tollers and will play with any or all of them according to their individual play style. She and the duck toller (also a puppy) are the most alike in play style and she gravitates to him when he's around - but she will happily lie in the shade and watch things happen with the Berner, run around like a looney tune with the Whippets, play stare with the Shelties ... but when she gets a chance to play with or be around one of the BCs (all working dogs who are not available often) you can see the difference in her play style and general level of pleasure. "Now this is a REAL dog" seems to be the subtext. Around strange dogs she absolutely avoids and aggressively discourages anything too fluffy, small, barky or bitey (which more or less describes her presently) and seems to think she should be able to play with the big dogs ... you know ... just because. That all said, we took a trip to another city last week so she could meet my daughter's BC/boxer cross. Those two dogs were like soul sisters. Velcro from the moment they connected until I took her back home. Got me thinking maybe it's owner related - they're reading owner vibes. Frankly, she seems to like the same breeds that I do and dislike the same ones as well. This is NOT a scientific observation or empirically sound based on scant evidence - just a notion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Years ago, I was one of several folks doing a sheepdog demo at a 4-H farm days. Between doings, a friend and I took our two dogs for a little walk around the park, where we met a woman with some little terrier/step-on thing. Both our dogs instantly went into "stalk" mode - and not in a good way! We grabbed them and skedaddled before either dog could manage to find out if that was a dog or a very big rat. ~ Gloria Dear Doggers, Some years ago June and I gave a sheepdog training demo at a dog trainer's conference in Texas. Afterwards, we milled around in a big Butler building, maybe four hundred people, most with mannerly dogs on leash, some ill mannered. Quite a few purse dogs. June had a real predator streak (never allowed to blossom) and across the room, a dog toy booth opened up. June had never had a dog toy which, when squeezed, make a sound like a small prey animal in terrible distress. June's ears went to full alert and I grabbed her. June'd never met purse dogs either and I had this bad feeling. "Small animal being killed" and "small animal" June might put doggy 2 and 2 together. So I leashed her. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cass C Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I've found Lily will only play with Border Collies. She used to cower from other breeds, but now she mostly ignores them and does her own thing. She does however try to herd the in-law's corgi and my uncle's overweight lab for some reason. It is a little funny to watch, because the corgi and lab haven't a clue what she is doing and usually ignore her. Lyka on the other hand will play with anything and everything that will play with her, be it dog, cat, or even human. She is highly dog driven and was a part of the reason I decided to get a second dog. She has played with Chihuahuas, Toy Poodles, Huskies, Labs, German Shepherds, Corgis, and even a huge golden when she was only 12 weeks old. She however was a shelter puppy, and they thought she may have some golden in her because of her coloring. So it's possible she is a mix, but I doubt it based on her behavior she fits right into the border collie breed. Except for the loving everyone\thing she meets... Well she doesn't much like the in-law's Llamas and thinks they are to be herded, which almost got her hurt as a puppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallers Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Piper likes all dogs, but he really has a thing for golden doodles and labs. It's the funniest thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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