Border Collie, Smartest dogs I have ever owned. Never had any real training and they will keep kids from getting in the pool unless I say it is OK. Keep the gardener from getting in the back yard until I said it was OK then never bothered him again. There is a path around our property from the 2 of them policing the property. But once we introduce someone to them as OK they want nothing but to get some attention from them. Great dogs but they shed ALOT. we had to get a hair trap for the pool filter to keep them from clogging it up. They love to swim and shed at the same time. Neither is a pure bred. Given to us from a breeder who had a couple fence jumpers.

Wayne

Yup a border collie is billed as the smartest of the dogs. A friend of mine has one too, says he is a handful, very active, but the best dog he has had. They are doing agility training with it.

But whatever you get, and I know I said this already, getting professional training (that you can get at any Petsmart for very little $$$) is the best thing you can do. It's as much about training the dog as it is training you on how to properly train the dog.

IE: I would neverr have known swatting a dog with the newspaper is going to do nothing but make the dog confused, and hurt, he won't know why you did that.

On the other hand, when a mother dog wants to chastise her young pups she grabs them by the scruff of the neck and gives them a firm shake and stern growl.

And so "the shake" is the proper way to chastise a dog when it is doing something it shouldn't. (like barking for no reason). Worked wonders on our dogs.

But there are lots of little tricks that make training the dog a lot easier. And having a dog that doesn't have to be on a leash and is not going to go anywhere makes going out camping, and trail riding a LOT easier then constantly having to watch the dog, and having to have a hand on a leash.