Are Border Collies Good Guard Dogs? Traits & FAQs
By Grant Piper
Updated on
Border Collies are known for many things, including their herding prowess and their ability to do canine agility courses. Border Collies are also prized for their speed and intelligence. But can they also be guard dogs? Can your Border Collie make for an effective guard dog? The answer is yes, in many cases, Border Collies can be excellent guard dogs. But they are not the perfect guard dog. They have some drawbacks that might not suit everyone’s purposes.
What Makes a Good Guard Dog?
Guard dogs have to have a certain number of specific traits that make them effective. A good guard dog must be alert, protective, intelligent, and trainable. A loud bark is also a plus. Guard dogs will be no good if they cannot be controlled if they get riled up. They need to be intelligent enough to differentiate between friend and foe. They have to be protective and alert, or they won’t bark or growl at anyone. All of these things together make for a great guard dog.
Do Border Collies Make Good Guard Dogs?
Border Collies can make good guard dogs, depending on what kind of guard dog you are looking for. If you want a dog that will watch your house, alert you to danger, and startle strangers with some good barking, then a Border Collie will be perfect. If you want a dog that looks scary, acts aggressively, and might attack someone trying to do you harm, you will likely want to look at a different breed. Border Collies will make excellent guard dogs for people who want to be alerted to danger or strangers. That is because Border Collies were bred to do a very specific job – herding. Since Collies are herding dogs, they have many traits that make them ideal guard dogs for certain homes.
Border Collies can be excellent guard dogs for many residential homes or for a typical family with children. They will not be great at patrolling an outdoor space or as a visible deterrent.
Border Collie Traits
Border Collies have some excellent traits that are well suited for being guard dogs. Border Collies are very intelligent, they are working dogs who like having a job to do, they are easily trainable, and they have great eyesight. While out herding, Border Collies have to be alert for danger and help keep their charges on track and away from harm. That means Border Collies are great at sensing danger and can be trained to do something about it. It is very easy to train a Border Collie to be a guard dog, even if they won’t be the most aggressive or largest type of guard dog available.
Watchdog vs. Protective Dog
There is a difference between a watchdog and a protective dog. Watchdogs are very sensitive to noises and strangers. A good watchdog will bark when someone approaches the house and wake you up if they hear something strange in the middle of the night. Watchdogs are alert and always looking for things that are out of place. Protective dogs are different. They are aggressive and attached to their owners. Protective dogs might bite or attack strangers rather than simply biting them. Some people feel safer with a protective dog, while other people find aggressive dogs stressful to manage.
Border Collies make for excellent watchdogs rather than protective dogs. If you want your guard dog to primarily be a watchdog, Border Collies are an excellent choice.
Final Thoughts
Border Collies can make for good guard dogs depending on what your goals for a guard dog are. Border Collies are very alert, have great eyesight, are trainable, and will bark at intruders. Border Collies are not great protectors. They will not attack or bite people or act aggressively on a regular basis. If you want a more protective dog, you might want to consider a different breed. If you want a dog that will keep a lookout for you and alert you to the presence of strangers, Border Collies will excel.
Featured Image Credit: Phebe77, Pixabay
