Ode to the Border Weenie

I'm not a fan of "designer" breeding-- honest. But I happen to be lucky enough to have rescued a dog who is of the most fantastic crossbreed possible. Everyone, meet my dog Jormungandr, the border weenie.

When I tell people I have a border weenie, I usually get one of four reactions:

a) AAAAAHHHH that sounds so cute!
b) a WHAT?
c) How did that happen?
d) What's it look like?

And my reactions are:

a) It's so cute. So. Cute.
b) A border collie and dachshund mix.
c) In every case I've seen, the mom has been a border collie and the dad has been a very determined dachshund.
d) Like a border collie, but long.

Jormungandr isn't the only one of his "breed." I've actually seen several other border weenies. In fact, a few months before adopting Jormy, I encountered an entire litter of the little guys right in my area:

Adorbz, right? The little ones in this pic had the smooth, flat coat of their dachshund daddy, but some of their litter mates had longer fur like their rough-coat border collie mama. 

Here are some other border weenies:

Aren't they just too cute to handle? The funny thing is that this accidental crossbreed actually ends up looking a lot like the Cardigan Welsh corgi, a breed only distantly related to border collies or dachshunds that was bred to herd cattle. Cardigan Welsh corgis look so much like border weenies that it would be easy to mistake the two:

Please spay and neuter your border collies and weenies, but, should you end up with an oops litter... give me a call. I can't get enough of how cute these little guys are.

Border Collie Breed Diversity

Think you know what a border collie looks like? 

Try to figure out which of these is a real, purebred border collie.

The answer? All of them!

Border collies are bred for herding, not conformation to a breed standard. Responsible breeders select parent-dogs based on their intelligence, agility, and ability to herd sheep, without any concerns about what the resulting pups might look like. Because of that, the border collie breed is incredibly diverse. Adults can weigh anywhere between 20 and 65 pounds and can be almost any combination of colors. They can have "rough" flowing coats or "smooth" flat coats. They can have floppy or erect ears. Many border collies from true herding stock would not meet the AKC criteria to be considered border collies-- but border collie enthusiasts say that their dogs, bred for work instead of the show-ring, are the only real border collies.

Dogs bred for agility or show are arguably not collies at all, since many consider part of the definition of "collie" to be "herder." This is part of the reason that most border collie enthusiasts are very opposed to the breed's recognition by the AKC. Breeding border collies to fit a specific standard of appearance is antithetical to breeders' goals of improving the dogs' health and herding ability across generations. If you meet a border collie who doesn't look like a border collie to you, odds are that she came from an exceptionally good breeder who is keeping in line with the ultimate goal of creating fast, smart, agile herders.

If a dog is bred from two border collie parents who herded sheep, it is a border collie, regardless of what it looks like.

Old Hemp, the First Border Collie

This is Old Hemp, the great-great-great-some-odd-grandfather of both of my doggies. All border collies (and therefore all border collie mixes) are his descendants. Old Hemp was born near the border of England and Scotland to two sheepdogs in 1891.

He started trying to herd sheep before he was even weaned and was much more agile, intelligent, and work-driven than any other dogs on the farm. Naturally, his handler took advantage of this and started breeding him to his other dogs, as well as renting him out as a stud. His pups and grand-pups-- most notably his grandson Sweep-- became famous for their remarkable intelligence and their herding ability.

Within just a few years, they became the dominant herding breed. From 1906 to 1951, every single dog who won the International Sheep Dog Society's competition was a descendant of Old Hemp. Today, essentially all agility competitions and sheepdog competitions are won by border collies, to the point that many have separate ABC, or "Anything But Collie" competitions where Old Hemp's descendants aren't allowed, since they have such a tremendous natural advantage over other breeds. They're also consistently found to be the most intelligent dogs, with many of them proven to have a passive vocabulary of hundreds of words.

All because of one bad-ass mutant sheepdog.

5 Tips for Keeping Border Collies in Apartments

When I was seven, I unknowingly launched my career as a writer by authoring a little "book"-- spiral-bound and laminated-- entitled, "Molly, the Best Dog in the World." It was dedicated to my father's border collie, who I still remember as the smartest and most loyal dog I ever owned. In my little book, I recounted my favorite times with Molly: when she would go fishing with us and alert us when she noticed the bob wobbling, when she followed us miles down the road if we wouldn't let her into the car, and the time she gruesomely but heroically disemboweled a stray chow that was poised to attack me. I knew that I wanted a "Molly" of my own when I grew up, but there was one problem: my father lived with his border collie on several acres of farmland, while I as an adult live in a little two-bedroom apartment.

Border collies are undoubtedly bred for life in the country, not in little apartments, but you can keep a border collie in an apartment if you do so appropriately. With the help and guidance of a local rescue group, dog training center, and veterinarian, I'm giving my border collie-corgi mix, Maggie, a wonderful life in an apartment. It's not easy, border collies can live in apartments if you act responsibly. Here are five rules for keeping border collies in an apartment.

1. Know what you're getting into.

Do research on border collies before you adopt one, whether you live in an apartment or not. Understand that border collies are intelligent, high-maintenance, high-energy dogs. They were bred for centuries to work hard and run free, not to sit calmly in your lap while you watch TV. A border collie's herding instincts are strong and the breed has a tendency toward neurosis and destructive behavior if doesn't have plenty of mental and physical stimulation. I know one border collie who chewed off her own tail when confined to an apartment for several hours per day. These are collies, not shih tzus.

2. Get your dog a job.

For some breeds, "jobs" are optional. For border collies in apartments, they are mandatory. Your dog needs to have something that she "does." Maggie's "job" involves agility courses at our local dog training center. For other apartment dogs, the "job" might be simple daily tasks like fetching the remote or collecting all of her toys daily and putting them into a box. A border collie in an apartment needs something to do that involves intensive training and a deliberate, specific goal.

3. Give your border collie lots and lots of exercise.

When most people talk about dogs needing exercise, they're referring to the need for physical fitness. In the case of an apartment-dwelling border collie, exercise goes far beyond that: it's essential to the animal's mental health, as well. A border collie needs an opportunity to run, jump, fetch, and walk not just once or twice a day, but many times per day. That means rain or shine, hot or cold, you need to get your dog outdoors. Daily visits to the dog park or long daily walks (at least a mile or two) are minimally necessary for apartment-dwelling border collies.

4. Don't leave your border collie home alone.

If you work full-time outside the home and live in an apartment, a border collie is out of the question. That's because when a border collie can't have a lot of space, you need to be able to make up for it with a lot of attention, and that's something you simply can't give if you work outside the home full-time. I'm only able to give my Maggie a good life in an apartment because I work from home as a writer and can attend to her needs when necessary. A border collie left home alone in an apartment is bound to be anxious and bored, but they can be perfect apartment pets for people who are retired, stay-at-home parents, work from home, or have certain disabilities.

5. Make sure your landlord and breeder or shelter know.

Some landlords will not permit herding dogs in apartments, and some border collie breeders and animal rescue groups will not allow border collies to go to apartment homes. These regulations are understandable, so make sure you have a detailed discussion with your apartment's leasing office and with your breeder or rescue group explaining why and how you plan to be able to responsibly keep a border collie in an apartment. If you're clear about your intentions and ability to give your dog the life she needs and deserves, you will likely be permitted to have your border collie in your apartment, but be prepared to answer a lot of questions and to prove your ability to care for these high-need animals. Border collies are wonderful pets and can thrive in apartments if they get proper care, but be prepared for a demanding and high-need animal if you choose to adopt a border collie and live in an apartment.

Are Barbie Collies Real Border Collies?

When I was seven, I unknowingly launched my career as a writer by authoring a little "book"-- spiral-bound and laminated-- entitled, "Molly, the Best Dog in the World." It was dedicated to my father's border collie, who I still remember as the smartest and most loyal dog I ever owned. In my little book, I recounted my favorite times with Molly: when she would go fishing with us and alert us when she noticed the bob wobbling, when she followed us miles down the road if we wouldn't let her into the car, and the time she gruesomely but heroically disemboweled a stray chow that was poised to attack me. I knew that I wanted a "Molly" of my own when I grew up, but there was one problem: my father lived with his border collie on several acres of farmland, while I as an adult live in a little two-bedroom apartment.

Border collies are undoubtedly bred for life in the country, not in little apartments, but you can keep a border collie in an apartment if you do so appropriately. With the help and guidance of a local rescue group, dog training center, and veterinarian, I'm giving my border collie-corgi mix, Maggie, a wonderful life in an apartment. It's not easy, border collies can live in apartments if you act responsibly. Here are five rules for keeping border collies in an apartment.

1. Know what you're getting into.

Do research on border collies before you adopt one, whether you live in an apartment or not. Understand that border collies are intelligent, high-maintenance, high-energy dogs. They were bred for centuries to work hard and run free, not to sit calmly in your lap while you watch TV. A border collie's herding instincts are strong and the breed has a tendency toward neurosis and destructive behavior if doesn't have plenty of mental and physical stimulation. I know one border collie who chewed off her own tail when confined to an apartment for several hours per day. These are collies, not shih tzus.

2. Get your dog a job.

For some breeds, "jobs" are optional. For border collies in apartments, they are mandatory. Your dog needs to have something that she "does." Maggie's "job" involves agility courses at our local dog training center. For other apartment dogs, the "job" might be simple daily tasks like fetching the remote or collecting all of her toys daily and putting them into a box. A border collie in an apartment needs something to do that involves intensive training and a deliberate, specific goal.

3. Give your border collie lots and lots of exercise.

When most people talk about dogs needing exercise, they're referring to the need for physical fitness. In the case of an apartment-dwelling border collie, exercise goes far beyond that: it's essential to the animal's mental health, as well. A border collie needs an opportunity to run, jump, fetch, and walk not just once or twice a day, but many times per day. That means rain or shine, hot or cold, you need to get your dog outdoors. Daily visits to the dog park or long daily walks (at least a mile or two) are minimally necessary for apartment-dwelling border collies.

4. Don't leave your border collie home alone.

If you work full-time outside the home and live in an apartment, a border collie is out of the question. That's because when a border collie can't have a lot of space, you need to be able to make up for it with a lot of attention, and that's something you simply can't give if you work outside the home full-time. I'm only able to give my Maggie a good life in an apartment because I work from home as a writer and can attend to her needs when necessary. A border collie left home alone in an apartment is bound to be anxious and bored, but they can be perfect apartment pets for people who are retired, stay-at-home parents, work from home, or have certain disabilities.

5. Make sure your landlord and breeder or shelter know.

Some landlords will not permit herding dogs in apartments, and some border collie breeders and animal rescue groups will not allow border collies to go to apartment homes. These regulations are understandable, so make sure you have a detailed discussion with your apartment's leasing office and with your breeder or rescue group explaining why and how you plan to be able to responsibly keep a border collie in an apartment. If you're clear about your intentions and ability to give your dog the life she needs and deserves, you will likely be permitted to have your border collie in your apartment, but be prepared to answer a lot of questions and to prove your ability to care for these high-need animals. Border collies are wonderful pets and can thrive in apartments if they get proper care, but be prepared for a demanding and high-need animal if you choose to adopt a border collie and live in an apartment.

6 Breeds That Look Like Border Collies

It can be difficult to correctly identify border collies. Until the mid-1990s, the breed was not recognized by the AKC (nor did breed enthusiasts want it to be). It was bred entirely for function and not conformation to a standard appearance. The same is true for many breeds that look like border collies, since related dogs also tend to be function-bred types of dog, not dogs carefully bred to match an appearance. There are many breeds that look like the border collie, almost all of which are related to the border collie and perform a similar function.

Some breeds that look like border collies include:

1. The Australian Shepherd

Also known as the Aussie, this beautiful dog has a quick mind and an agile body and is only slightly less active than its distant cousin, the border collie. Australian shepherds (which were actually bred in the U.S., not Australia) usually have a rough coat, which can have many of the classic border collie patterns, including and can be black, red, blue merle, with or without white "Scottish markings." Aussies have a natural or docked bobtail, unlike border collies, which usually have full tails.

2. Welsh Shepherd

A cousin of the border collie, the Welsh shepherd is bred entirely for appearance and varies a lot in the way it looks. Usually, they have a "smooth" or short coat with black and white markings that often follow the same pattern as border collies' markings. Like border collies, they can also be red and white, blue merle, or tricolor. They tend to be extremely active and have a powerful work ethic.

3. English Shepherd

This incredibly active, intelligent, and adaptable dog can look almost exactly like a border collie, although it varies a lot in its appearance. The English shepherd breed supposedly traces its ancestry all the way back to the dogs of ancient Rome, and has changed little since then. Nevertheless, it can look similar to newer breeds and may have the classic black-and-white Scottish markings of a border collie. They tend to be larger and more muscular than most herding breeds.

4. Koolie

Koolies are an attractive, agile breed that can look like a border collie in some cases. They were bred in Australia from German stockdogs, some of whom had border collie- like traits. The breed was once characteristically blue merle with blue eyes, but these genes produced a lot of deaf pups, so koolies were eventually cross-bred with other herders to strengthen the breed. Many koolies have red-and-white, merle-and-white or black-and-white markings reminiscent of border collies. They usually have a short coat and are extremely active.

5. McNab

Also known as the McNab border collie, this very attractive breed of exemplary herders traces its lineage directly to border collies. Alexander McNab, the breed's founder, immigrated from Scotland to California in the 1800s and bred his working border collies to the best shepherd dogs in the region. The result still remains in the McNab, which often looks indistinguishable from other border collies but may have a short coat, large ears, and a natural bobbed tail.

6. New Zealand Heading Dog

Another direct descendant of the border collie, the New Zealand heading dog is a very agile and active dog that usually has black-and-white or black-white-and-copper coloration, although it's occasionally tan or red. It can have either a rough or smooth coat and it often has the classic pattern of markings seen on border collies. Like many herders, New Zealand heading dogs often don't make good house pets because they are very active and need a lot of exercise and work to be mentally healthy.

Even if a dog looks almost exactly like a border collie, it can be hard to say what kind of dog it really is, since border collies and related dogs have been purpose-bred for many years and are very diverse in appearance. The striking features that people typically associate with border collies isn't limited to one breed.

Miniature Border Collies

(A "border jack," or Jack Russel terrier and border collie mix.)

In every way, my dog Tyrion looks exactly like a well-bred border collie, with a quick, agile gait, a well-balanced, lean body, and a classic "rough" coat with white markings. However, he's not the medium-sized dog that one would expect to find in a border collie show ring-at just 17 pounds and 16 inches tall, he's well beneath the minimum for the AKC's breed standard and could not be considered a real border collie. Of course, that hasn't stopped inquisitive conversationists at the dog park from asking me where I got my "miniature border collie."

Do Miniature Border Collies Exist?

The fact is that my miniature border collie, like his "sister" who is nearly four times his size, was a rescue with an uncertain background. I have no way of knowing if he was actually bred to be a miniature border collie or if he simply has many of the breed's traits in a pint-sized form. As a trip to the agility ring of a dog training center might show you, several breeders have indeed been working to reproduce the agility, intelligence, appearance, and work ethic of the border collie in smaller dogs, but there's some question as to whether these dogs can be legitimately advertised or sold as miniature border collies.

The Breed Standard

Border collies on average tend to be medium-sized dogs, with those bred strictly for conformation stacking 18-22 inches in height and weighing 27-42 pounds. A border collie can not be registered with the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club if it is outside these fairly strict limits. This means that "miniature" border collies are not appropriate as show dogs and may not meet breed standards. By the strictest terms, a border collie who never grows beyond sixteen inches in height can not be considered a border collie at all. However, appearance-based breed standards are extremely controversial among border collie enthusiasts, with many breeders considering these standards harmful to the development of the breed itself.

Working-Dog Breed Diversity

On the whole, border collie enthusiasts oppose the use of border collies as show dogs and their acceptance by kennel clubs, instead supporting those who breed these dogs strictly for their original purpose: as hard-working, agile, fit herders. Those who breed and own working border collies consider their working dogs, not AKC-conforming "show" dogs, to be the only real border collies, and show-bred dogs to be only a vague imitation of the actual breed itself. Working border collies come in many more shapes and sizes than conformation-bred border collies, including in "miniature" forms bred not for convenience or cuteness, but for their agility. The American Border Collie Associationnotes, "Because they're not bred for appearance […] they can weigh from 25 to 55 pounds." This allows for dogs both much larger and much smaller than border collies recognized by the AKC.

The Breeding of Miniature Border Collies

Although there are no kennel clubs or border collie groups that recognize the legitimacy of "miniature border collies," there are breeders who produce border collies significantly smaller than average. Some of these may be purpose-bred as herding dogs to tend dwarf sheep or other small livestock, while others might (controversially) be bred for novelty. If they are bred from true border collie parent stock, these "dwarf" border collies come to

Mix and Designer Miniature Border Collies

Some "designer" breeders may choose to mix smaller breeds with the medium-sized border collie to attain a dog with a smaller stature than its parent breed. Depending on how its genes play out, a designer dog that is half border collie may look almost exactly like a miniature border collie. Some dogs that might be bred to the border collie include the Shetland sheepdog (a miniature breed that traces much of its ancestry to the border collie), the Cardigan Welsh corgi, and the Papillion. Those bred with other herding breeds are most likely to stay true to the border collie standard in agility and instinct.

Although there is no recognized breed or subtype known as a miniature border collie, this naturally diverse breed can include some dogs who are significantly smaller than their cousins. Furthermore, while it's controversial to breed border collies for any purpose other than herding, some breeders are also producing smaller-than-average border collie pups either through selective breeding of two small border collie parents, or through out-crossing to smaller breeds of dog. However, so far, there is no formal recognition of the miniature border collie as a distinct breed or type of dog.

Border Collies Herding Kids? What to Do

"Baa," my six-year-old daughter insists, "I'm a sheep, and I'm going exactly where I'm supposed to go."

My border collie, crouched in a master herding position and giving her the "eye," follows the chid carefully for a few moments and, content that my daughter is where she's supposed to be, backs away. Of course, not every kid knows how to control my dog's herding instincts. When my daughter has visitors over, especially younger kids, the dog isn't allowed to play with them, and for good reason: a gentle nip on the ankle of a startled kid could quickly become an "attack" in the mind of the child, which could be bad news for both the child and the dog.

I'm not the first or last border collie owner who has tried to train my dog not to herd children. It's a problem that is universal to any home that has both collies and kids. Border collies were selectively bred over the course of hundreds of years to herd sheep and other livestock. Any good breeder will tell you that herding is not a trained behavior for border collies, although it can certainly be refined through training. It is in fact an inherited trait, programmed into her DNA along with the length of her fur and the color of her eyes. Border collies are born with an instinct to herd, whether their owners encourage it or not.

Some trainers, including those who have worked with my own nip-happy dog, say that because of this, it's absolutely impossible to train a border collie not to herd. It's part of the dog's nature, like barking and running and enjoying human company. There is no fair way to completely eliminate all herding behavior from a well-bred border collie, and even those who have been trained not to herd will still have unpredictable instincts that may kick in unexpectedly. Many a "good" border collie has been seized and euthanized for biting neighborhood children, despite having no history of aggression.

If you have a border collie and a young child, your best bet isn't to try to train the herding instincts out of your dog; that's a fool's errand. It's in your better interest instead to teach your children how to respond appropriately if the dog nips them. Many children will immediately run or scream when the dog lunges or nips at them, but this is counterproductive. It will make the dog instinctively bite harder to get this unruly "sheep" under control. Teach your children to calmly and firmly respond to nipping with an assertive, "No," and then reward your dog when she follows or "herds" children without mouthing them.

If your border collie does herd a child by nipping, divert your dog's attention elsewhere by giving her another, unrelated command, like "Find your ball," or "Sit," and reward her with a treat or praise when she successfully routes her attention elsewhere. If she continues herding children, stop the behavior with a firm, "No," and separate her from the kids. Understand that your goal isn't to turn off your dog's herding instincts-- those aren't going anywhere-- but instead to divert her attention in more productive ways.

Finally, while it's just fine for a kid who understands border collies to interact with a border collie who understands kids, bear in mind that children and dogs should never be left unsupervised. Even the best dogs with no herding instincts are prone to unpredictable behaviors, especially when they're confused or don't know the child, or when the child doesn't know how to behave calmly and respectfully around animals. As a general rule, dogs of all kinds (not just border collies!) need to be separated from youngsters except with direct adult supervision.