What to look for in the Border Collie

Temperament is very important and should be put before looks.  Well reared Border Collies will be outward going and friendly but very sensitive to new things.  Some can be very submissive (which can be mistaken for nervousness) and these tend to make the best pets, obedience or agility dogs as they will usually be very biddable.
The bold, aggressive and hyperactive pups generally do not make goods pets etc. as they will usually continue in this way and will always be trying to out think their owners.
Most Border Collies are very good with children but it must be remembered that their herding instinct may surface when confronted with running children. If the dog cannot “herd” the children where it wants them it may resort to biting.  Border Collies can be excellent watch dogs but can tend to be sneaky with strangers by coming out of nowhere to nip at their ankles. Most Border Collies require careful and methodical socialisation from an early age to enable them to accept all environments, they can appear nervous of strange situations and can be noise sensitive especially of frequencies we humans are unable to detect.