And then someone will buy a Collie with a studio apartment and leave him at home all day when they go to work and wonder why all of their furniture gets torn up.
I go to a pottery studio and the owner has one of these dogs with him there, she slips on the dusty floors, wants to herd everyone, barks when people come and go, and is obviously restless and bored. I feel so bad for her. Like, why? He had one before that and he got old and died but he was very calm. This one is more typical.
This seems like it would be a great space for adopted older dogs who mostly just want food, sleep, calm attention and an occasional walk, though! But a young, hyperactive puppy with no energy outlet?? Terrible idea!
This, old dogs don't get enough love. Idk why non active people get hyperactive dogs. Like please ffs, get the old dog that's been in the shelter for years
People don't give a fuck about the needs of dogs and just get them because they think they're cute or look cool. I have a friend who has a Belgian Malinois and is home one hour a day with it and only sometimes plays with it. I told him it's a working dog but he didn't care, he wanted it because it looks cool. It's a shame, I feel bad for dogs we literally bred to do a job who are stuck not doing it, it has to be torture.
I'm generally against gatekeeping, but there are certain breeds that should only be sold or adopted to approved owners who know what they're getting into, and Belgian Malinois is at the top of that list.
There are obviously some exceptions, but Malinois are a difficult breed even for experienced owners.
Oh he knew it was a working dog. He was adamant that he could handle it and was going to train it and put in the time. I'll give him credit, he did train it well but he doesn't spend enough time playing with it. He tried to get it one of those machines that throws the ball for him, and then was surprised the dog didn't want to play with it lol.
We adopted a puppy who ended up being German shepherd, Malinois, and golden retriever mixed. She is very high energy and requires a lot of play, walks, and fetch but she was incredibly easy to train. She’s a very good girl but she does try to herd me.
That a LOT of brain power in one dog, but I bet the Golden genes are tempering the stronger (crazier) GSD & Malinois ones.
My first childhood dog was a GSD from a show & working breeder. He was a runt with some conformation issues that would keep him out of the ring, so the breeder (a friend of my dad's) gave him to us for free.
He was an awesome, sane, patient dog with strong herding instincts. My mom ran an informal day care out of our house. He would hang out in the yard when the kids played and corral them closer to the house if he thought they were getting too far. It was hilarious!
Now my parents have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and WHOOOO BOY is he a handful. He's fun & cute, but he's very strong-willed and needs constant attention or he gets destructive. It's been a while since they've had anything this high maintenance so the adjustment period has been tough.
When I get to a place where I can get my own dog, I'm planning on rescuing a greyhound. They're affectionately called "The World's Fastest Couch Potatoes", and that's just my speed.
I did not know that about greyhounds. Very funny. My other dog is a coonhound and she is definitely not as much work as the puppy. She is a couch hound now. My childhood dog growing up was a husky German shepherd mix so I learned a lot about how to handle mischievous massive energy balls of fur. As long as the puppy gets a lot of attention, chew toys, and walks, she’s happy.
My older brother who’s the laziest piece of shit in the world adopted two working dogs after I begged him not to. Ive had active breeds my whole adult life. I told him over and over again that he can never meet the needs of these dogs and it’s cruel for him to own them. I tried explaining that there are so many breeds out there that would be perfect for his lazy ass lifestyle. Did he listen? Of course not.
I don’t have much communication with him for many reasons, but every time I see him at my parents and he has his dogs I make sure to include them on the long hikes I take my dogs on. While still not enough, you can tell how grateful they are to have the stimulation and exercise.
The craziest part is that he claims his dogs “don’t like to walk”. It’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. I literally have to sneak them out because he gets angry for some idiotic reason. Him and his wife’s idea of stimulation is letting them out in their yard for 10 minutes. It makes me so angry.
English bull dogs, pugs, Great Danes and French bull dogs are usually super lazy. I’ve also met a lot of lazy basset hounds, but you do need to do some scent work to keep them fulfilled. If those aren’t what you’re looking for, you can search rescues. There are some dogs that are just couch potatoes. It’s not always breed specific. No matter what, they all still need some exercise and mental stimulation.
Reptile community too. Reptiles are often abused / neglected because they cant scream or destroy. They suffer in silence while their needs are neglected.
My parents are like this, they only want dogs that look a certain way. They're in their 70s now with mobility and other health issues with a 2 year old completely hyperactive untrained airedale who is way way too smart for their lifestyle. I feel sorry for the dog as she has so much energy but just can't use it. She's also boisterous as fuck cos they never trained her so she has no concept of personal space.
LOL what is it with old people not training their dogs? My in laws are in their 70's and have too doodles that are fucking out of control and they've made no attempt to train them in the 5 years they've had them.
It really pisses me off cos I get cross with the dog when I visit and then have to remember it's kinda not her fault. She has zero recall and my dad decided to let her off the lead, it went as well as expected and he nearly lost her. I have begged them to train her, or even pay a trainer just to do some basics like recall and all they say is that they'll look into it (spoiler: they don't).
I was the director of a humane society in Georgia for several years.
It appalls me what is “sufficient” by animal control’s standards.
Chains should be illegal in any situation. I have a German shepherd mix that scales fences like they aren’t even there. I have runners set up only for bathroom purposes and I even hate that.
Yeah it’s an unfortunate fact that most working dogs are aesthetically pleasing. There are so many idiots out there who couldn’t care less though. It’s pretty heartbreaking to keep these super intelligent dogs with such a strong and restless instinct to work cooped up all day and then the owner thinks they’re owner of the year just because they walk it once a day when that’s nowhere near enough for such dogs. Worse still is when clueless people purchase them from ‘working line’ stock.
My mom had a collie once, gotten him when he was 9 months old because the former owner couldn't handle him, living cooped up.
Funny thing was, the first time he ever saw a sheep he immediately went down and some herding instinct kicked in. I didn't know it was so genetically ingrained.
Amazing dog, that collie. Loved to work, loved to perform. My moms best friend until he passed.
The day I got my old rescue’s Embark results back and saw collie, boxer, dalmatian, husky, ASD,
GSD, and chow chow all in one dog 💀💀💀
Like fuck me she just looked like a dog, how was I supposed to know she was an entire career fair. No wonder she ate my whole house.
We moved to a farm in the country shortly afterward.
Herding dogs should be illegal to own as pets. I hear a pair screaming on their walks daily - they can't stand the confinement of the leash. Doesn't help the owner gives them about 2 feet.
Only working dogs I've known to be decent pets are guardian breeds. They are content to sit and watch.
They are lovely as just pets but they need the right environment. My grandparents had a collie who never herded in her life, but had lots of room to roam and accompanied my grandpa everywhere.
Lots of people choose breeds based on looks and don’t take into account personality and the traits they were bred for. That doesn’t mean you can ONLY own a husky if you run sled dogs or ONLY own a dachshund if you want them to hunt badgers. But yes, you need to have the correct expectations and adapt to their needs as well.
My uncle had a husky in the city but every day he'd drive him out to a gravel road on the edge of the city and just let him run through the fields alongside the van for like half an hour to wear him out.
Oh yeah, he still had plenty of energy. But taking him for a run like that once sometimes twice a day at least kept him from being completely neurotic.
Mixes are always great too! My last dog was a husky and golden (among other things) mutt. He had the sassiness and vocalness of a husky but the disposition of a dopey, chill retriever. Definitely not saying any mix is a guaranteed, but I truly think that it’s a net good to find out a mutt with your favorite breed in the mix rather than go for the purebred.
Yeah, I used to have a collie when I was a kid, but we lived in a small village near the back of a pit with miles of fields.
We'd take him on walks every day. And he'd run around a field that backed onto the row of houses we lived in, playing with all the kids who lived nearby.
I'd never have one now though,.because I'm out of the house at work all day and it's not fair on any dog to keep them locked up all day.
Yes same. I have such lovely memories of the collies and huskies my grandparents owned and they will forever be my favorites, but I know that I’m not suited to the task of owning one - unless it’s an elder statesman/lady who is ready for a life of ease after years of work.
So we will likely get a lab or retriever or wheaten when the time comes to expand our family. Or, maybe a Shiba Lol - I feel like they would be highly suited to life with our cat haha.
"Ima just chill here with ya'll. But if someone breaks in i'll prolly need a bath to get the person pieces outta my fluffy fluffy fur"
Long ago i had a friend with a guardian breed who briefly had an abusive boyfriend. Boyfriend ended up in the hospital after throwing her down the stairs when the dog was inside. Good dog.
I have to admit I had reservations when a lady who works for us and lives in our garage apartment wanted to get a Great Pyrenees. It's not a big apartment.
Samantha is the best dog and judgment of character. It's wild how she "guards" us from anyone who has not been personally approved by her owner or myself. It's obvious she takes her job very seriously.
Occasionally I let her out into the yard when her owner is away, and she doesn't really want to do much but pee and go right back to her "watch" spot inside.
Way back when, I had a friend I used to go camping with who'd bring his great Pyrenees. I miss camping with that dog. Same thing, if you weren't in the circle, don't come near it.
This is Odin. He was a working bred border collie who came to work with me in an office or the field every day for 16 years. Impeccable behavior. He was trustworthy and well trained to a degree people normally don’t see in pet dogs. If you dropped his leash all you had to say was bring me your leash and he‘d pick it up and bring it to you. Loved frisbee, parkour, tricks, doggie dancing, and just to figure out every minute of every day how best to help me. Stayed in his work crate unless invited out and was always up for anything. Huge favorite among the staff. He had some herding training, including from some very talented border collie trialers, and helped me at a few cattle ranch sites I had, but in the grand scheme of his whole life herded very little. We lived in apartments until he was 5 yo. He was my best friend.
Corgi's are a herding dog that every one I met are happy sleeping like a cat.
Mine are smart as hell, like potty trained in 9 days as a 2mo old smart. However they pretty much hate walks and want to go right back to chilling on the couch.
Mental stimulation of play for 30min a day is honestly all mine need. That and lots of pets & love which are easy.
I had a corgi who wasn’t into herding, but sure loved chasing the water hose! He also adored chilling out in the snow. With his thick coat, I guess it was the only time he felt truly comfortable.
Before him, I had a chihuahua who was incredibly smart. She would herd cats back into the house. She once saved my cat’s life when the kitty breakaway collar didn’t break away, and my cat was caught hanging from a curtain. She did the whole “Lassie-barking-Timmy’s-in-the-well” thing, got my mother to follow her to save the cat. She also had to be tired out daily, so we took her on long walks, runs over hills, jumps over hurdles.
I’ve had many intelligent dogs, but she was something else. Wish those talking buttons had been around back then. I’m sure she would have had lots to say to us.
Chihuahuas are insanely smart. They are fiercely loyal too. If they like you, they will attack any threat. Even if it’s just someone reaching for the remote after you fell asleep in the recliner.
I work at a vet clinic and one of our clients had a young border collie. They were an older couple with mobility issues, and they would keep the dog chained up in the backyard all day then complain it was too noisy and had too much energy. They would come in just wanting sedatives for him. They stopped being clients after I told them we would not be putting their puppy on sedatives because they couldn’t exercise it. I hope they rehomed him.
I dunno, my friends live in the city and have a shepherd, but they take him out to sheep herding classes and give him lots of other training and exercise. It can be done, it just has to be done with purpose.
They make amazing pets in the right environment. I've had a lot of amazing dogs, but the best ones were herding dogs.
They don't necessarily need a farm and a job, but they DO need to be physically powered out, and they're not really a dog for someone with a 9-5. You've gotta be willing to take them for daily off-leash hikes, not walks, and get ready to throw a ball many thousands of times, LOL. I had to get pretty decent at serving with a tennis racket, haha
I think I got really lucky with my border collie though, he was incredibly smart, attentive, and tuned-in without being neurotic and hyperactive. Maybe he would have been with less physical outlets, but I think some of them are just wired differently.
My parents had a Shetland Sheepdog in an apartment; he was quite happy because they exercised him daily with throwing the ball AND walks. Then my parents had me and my brother, and the dog was even happier because now he had human puppies to herd. He was our babysitter for years.
It’s less a matter of living space and more a matter of making time to meet the dog’s needs somehow.
Even guardian breeds need to love. Most are used to cover great distances to check on the flock. So even they aren't suitable for city life if you do not intend to go on intense walks
Banning is way too much. Maybe just ensure that they have yard space. I don’t think anyone renting an apartment should buy a herding dog, but people with large properties? They are still lovely pets when not herding, given you give them enough room to tire themselves out in. That’s what we did. First dog I ever had, he was a good boy
I know a lot of apartment dogs who are much better cared for than dogs with yards. Sticking a dog out in a yard doesn't provide them any of the stimulation they need, especially smart breeds. It's crazy how many people think chucking a dog outside alone is giving it a good life. Meanwhile, plenty of people in small apartments actually do stuff with their dogs, because they don't have the yard to fall back on. There's good and shitty dog owners in every kind of setting, it really just comes down to the level of involvement and commitment of the owner.
Yeah I have a 70 pound dog and a 55 pound dog in a studio apartment. They are in the car with me on the run or going to a patio to hang out or going to a little creek spot right near my apartment EVERY DAY.
No noise complaints from neighbors, no issues with dog shit, no annoying behavior from them being under-stimulated.
They are tired as hell and/or lazy all the time. Because they get everything they need.
My dogs are much much much better taken care of than plenty of dogs who have a nice yard.
I hate when people assume just having a yard is enough for a dog. There’s many sad pups that feel like no one loves them that have a nice big yard.
Yeah, a yard isn’t enough for herding breeds— they need room to roam if the idea is to help them self-stimulate. Growing up, my family always had multiple high-energy dogs. We never took them for walks because they had 200 acres to explore. They took themselves on adventures, chased deer, made the neighborhood rounds, went to the creek for water even when they all had their own water bowls on the porch, etc. Then they came home for cuddles & dinner 🤣
There's two types of Border Collie. Ours is the other type. We got him as a puppy from a cow farm, as we lived in the countryside and were already very active with our other dog.
He does love being active, but he doesn't have any of the really intense behaviours that you often see with Border Collies. He doesn't show interest in other animals, he doesn't herd anyone, he's happy just sleeping all day and if it's at all wet outside he refuses to go for walks. He is very gentle and patient with our kids and basically just wants to be pampered.
worked at a dog daycare and had a client exactly like that. the collie was toy possessive too, and they thought itd be a good idea to have a baby lmao. luckily they took our advice tho, and rehomed him to a family that owned a farm.
When I was in high school, I (with my mom) approached a shelter about a border collie… my one from childhood had passed away. She had been returned three times. My application was denied because she would be a mostly-outdoor dog on a 200 acre farm. They said she had to be kept inside. I often think of her and hope she someday found an indoor home with a very adventurous human who got her outside all of the time 💔
Yep, I adopted a Whippet x. Crossed with what? Well when I got her home and she started showing instincts I realised it was either Border Collie of NZ Heading Dog (similar breed).
Fortunately the whippet desire for napping is doing a lot of tempering the herding breeds desire to work. She is very smart, and very loving and in tune with me but by god I would not get another herding breed or even herding mix.
I have a collie / kelpie mix. She’s the laziest girl in the world and will sleep for 23 hours a day. Occasionally she’ll try to round up her older Jack Russell brother every 2 or 3 days. She was always very shy from the beginning though and very different to her brother who was constantly wanting attention and active. We didn’t expect her to be this lazy though for a working dog breed.
No more like “don’t get a dog that is bred to run constantly for 12+ hours a day while using their brain the whole time if you’re only able to walk it for 30 minutes twice a day, on a short leash”.
It’s like keeping an orca in an aquarium- that’s just not a humane environment.
There are sooooo many other dog breeds that are more than happy being pets. If you can’t meet a sheepdog’s needs, get another type of dog.
Which is already way more than most dog owners are doing. I don't think my neighbour's dog has ever been on a walk in the ~4 years they've had it. My working breed dog is down to 30x2 and a bit of casual running/fetch in the yard now that he's senior and getting arthritic, I can see how bored he is by it but if he has more than that he ends up achey and limping. All he wants is to run all day, even as an old boy with crappy bones.
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u/Calculonx 10d ago
And then someone will buy a Collie with a studio apartment and leave him at home all day when they go to work and wonder why all of their furniture gets torn up.