If you want a ‘trail’ dog, go collie! They’ll survive quite happily on an hour a day exercise, as long as you engage their brains with games and training – I usually do around 30mins during the walk, and another 30 mins in the house or garden. They are great fun to train, as the learn really quickly, but they will find the most annoying, destructive thing to amuse themselves if you let them make their own entertainment. I reckon that most of the problems people have with collies are because they exercise them physically, but not mentally – you have to remember it’s generally regarded as the smartest breed there is (although you’d be forgiven for doubting that if you saw our younger one sometimes!)
All our collies have been good with kids – they have to be as I work with young people and the dogs are with me. I wouldn’t get a rescue collie as a first experience of the breed, as training bad habits out of a collie is far harder than training good habits into a puppy. If you do go collie, I’d recommend reading Barbara Sykes Understanding Border Collies and thinking through the main features of your training regime before you collect your dog. If you get the first couple of months right, you’ll be well on the way to having a brilliant companion for you and your family.
Our two enjoying the snow last week.