Barking Border Collie

[diane1]

Does anyone know why a friends border collie dog barks like a crazy thing at all forms of cars,vans motorbikes does not matter if they are moving or not she is 1year old has been with the family from 8 weeks old and is treated very well . does anyone have any ideas?

[Blender]

There's a simple answer most Border Collies are like this from about 6 months thro to 2 years usually it's chasing moving vehicles. The only answer I've found with mine are long walks and to make sure they're kept in the garden and can't escape, they're very prone to escaping as well and can get through small holes in fences etc

[xyzzyplugh]

I too have had experience of 'barking mad' border collie behaviour and am here to echo Blender's answer, that they are escape experts and frenetic/obsessive. However I do not know how you cure a border collie from being a border collie. Their antics (obsessions) can be quite amusing at first but after a while you get sick of it. They are 'brain silly' at the same time as being one of the sharpest most intelligent breeds. I guess it's canine 'idiot savant' and incurable unless you get one that's stable (lucky you.) My border collie was like it (not loud but obsessed with digging, killing, pleading, insisting.) I now own her son who is 'toy obsessive' but that's all. His father was labrador and that's made him mostly ok. Oops, am I rattling on..

[xyzzyplugh]

I'm beginning to think that border collies are not meant to be house dogs and that they are boredly frustrated. A working dog, they can do as much as 50 miles in a day, rounding sheep. (likely more than that even..) This would seem to answer for their condition. All brain and no task.

[Blender]

Maybe xyzzyplugh is right, I can walk mine until they drop but 10 minutes later they want more. The best one I had was a border x alsatian who lived til she was 18 and it was only in her last 5 or 6 years she slowed down. If you can stand them they make brilliant pets and great guard dogs

[diane1]

thanks everyone all your answers have been real helpful and has mate my mate feel a whole lot better, think she thought she had the only crazy collie in the world! thanks again diane1

[jakeandbake]

My 4 1/2 year old male even barks at the passing motorcycles, cars, planes, geese, etc. on the television. When we walk him, he immediately goes into "herd" mode anytime something approaches him. He chases geese, children, bites the kennel owners. The problem with Border Collies, though, the more you try to wear them out the more they want to do. Our dog even recognizes the voice of Matt Galant, host of Animal Planet's  "America's Funniest Animal". He'll run over to view the reflection of the television on the front of the stove and proceed to bark at it. When you have a Border Collie, you learn to live with their idiosyncrisies, and adjust YOUR behavior accordingly.