Some facts should be known before choosing a guard dog. Are Border Collies good guard dogs? In this article, we’ll answer this question and similar ones like ‘Are collies good guard dogs?’.
We’ll study their protective instincts, smartness, and natural behaviors to make things simple for you to understand.
Often, myth shapes the opinions of the people.
But we’ll discuss with facts. We shall study how their training, alertness, and herding heritage can affect guard duties. We shall also use expert insights to guide whether their energy and intelligence make Border Collies good guard dogs.
Contents
Are Border Collies Good Guard Dogs- Temparament And Protective Instinct
Knowing border collies very well is the key factor to knowing if they make good guard dogs. They are different from other traditional guard dogs due to their alert nature and sharp minds.
Let’s see how collies’ instinct goes with their protective roles.
Intelligence Factor
Border Collie is the smartest dog, or it is one the smartest dog breeds in the world. Due to their intelligence, they learn commands faster and can adjust to new situations smoothly. The problem-solving skills of the border collie become more impressive when they are particularly trained for protection.
They can read a human face and emotions efficiently and assess risks and respond smartly. Are border collies good attack dogs? They’ll prefer a thoughtful action over a brutal attack.
Territorial Behaviours
Border Collies are known to form bonds with people and the environment around them. And on farms, they patrol their boundaries occasionally. But they don’t confront threats or intruders physically, instead, they use barking as a deterrent.
This shows their mark of territorial behaviour, displaying a different protective style rather than aggression.
Alert and Aware
Border Collies are very mindful of their surroundings. Their alertness is almost next level, they observe every single moving thing around them. Now, this happens because of their centuries of breeding for alertness, one of their amazing traits.
Whether it’s a human or any animal, even rustling of leaves. They notice. They can’t help it, its just in their nature. Hence, natural response towards an outsider will be to bark and alert the owner.
Here, too, there is cautiousness and no confrontation, so you can guess border collies’ nature from it.
Protective Capabilities
When we ask if Are Border Collies Good Guard Dogs, their physical traits should be taken into account. Though they are medium in size, they are agile and incredibly fast, making them quick to respond. In agility exercises, they are the top performers.
Their strong historic base supports them to herd sheep efficiently on the farms, but guiding is their main instinct, not confrontation.
When an unknown person approaches, border collies’ first response will be to bark and alert, and then second thing they will do is to herd the outsider instead of confronting him. Simply, it means they are good at alerting and not protecting or attacking.
When giving a thought that, can border collies be protection dogs, we’ll say training is a key. Being very good at learning and following commands, their natural caution unfortunately limits their role in aggressive protection.
Proper socialization can help them to distinguish between a threatening person and a harmless visitor. They cannot be aggressive but cautious always.
Though they are not traditional guard dogs, with proper training, they can be excellent alert systems and good companion dogs in security tasks. They can be great choice as a watchful and trainable partner.
Success Stories
Farmers in the rocky mountains praise border collies for keeping coyotes at bay from farm and barn. Using thier herding skills and the ‘Hypnotic eye‘, border collies watch and warn of dangers. There is a 40% drop in animal loss in ranches of oregon.
Border collies are quicker to learn protection skills than other breeds at the K9 Solution Academy.
For tracking and finding evidence, police forces in Colorado and Washington are using border collies effectively. Are border collies good police dogs is a debate but collies are doing good job for scent work.
Border collies and Guard dogs
Are Border Collies Good Guard Dogs? Unfortunatley No. We wish they were. Compared to German shepherds, dobermans, and rottweilers, border collies are are smaller and friendlier, not very intimidating. But they are good problem solver.
Training them as protection dogs reveals big differences. Traditional dogs are capable of fighting, while collies do the job of alerting better. The size of a dog plays an important role when keeping intruders away. Collie can only use speed and bark.
They are good at home as a watchful dog but not guard dogs. If you want a smart and alert dog, then a border collie is the man. This is how border collies are different from typical guard dogs.
Are border collies good police dogs?
Yes they make good police dogs.
Will a border collie protect you?
Border collies are protective of their surroundings and territory. But they will not confront physically.
Can border collies be protection dogs?
Yes they can be trained to protect.
Are border collies good attack dogs
Unfortunately No. They are not attack dogs.
Conclusion
A smart and alert collie is a great companion. But if you want a typical guard dog, then a border collie is not the right dog for you. But they can be protection dogs with the right training, and they will keep your home safe by alerting you of an intruder and can watch over your territory.
Border collie is a perfect dog for a family that wants an alert and watchful dog. They are perfect for spotting dangers. We hope you have found what you were looking for in the article ” Are Border Collies Good Guard Dogs.
But if you are looking for something physically defend you then a bigger and more assertive breed best like rottweilers.
It’s all about what you need in a guard dog.
