Border Collie

Border Collies can do well with children who already know how to be calm and gentle. Expect a medium-sized dog that is high-energy, sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. The big catch is company: this breed genuinely struggles when the house is empty all day.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

Border Collies were bred on the Anglo-Scottish border for one purpose — moving sheep by eye — and they are probably the most intensely purpose-built dog alive. The famous "eye" is real: a working Collie controls a whole flock by crouching and staring. In a house without sheep, that same instinct lands on whatever is moving, which is why Border Collies chase cars, bicycles, hoovers and occasionally children's ankles. They are consistently ranked the most intelligent breed, and that is not the selling point people assume. A Border Collie with a job is extraordinary. A Border Collie without one solves problems you did not want solved, and no amount of walking substitutes for actual mental work.

Day to day. High-energy — this is a dog that needs a real outlet every single day, not a stroll. Skip that and you get chewing, barking and digging, which is not naughtiness, it is boredom. On noise, it is about average for noise.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Struggles on its own. If your house is empty from the school run until the evening, this is the breed most likely to be unhappy about it — and separation problems are one of the top reasons dogs end up back in rescue.

Training. Eager and easy to train. That makes it a forgiving choice for a family training their first dog, as long as everyone is consistent.

• Someone in the house genuinely wants to run, hike or train most days
• This is your first dog and you want one that makes training feel possible

• Your daily walk is really a quick trip round the block
• Your house is empty from the morning drop-off until the evening
• You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every dog brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Border Collies and Border Collie crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.