We foster dogs to work out their suitability for different types of re-homing. We currently have an old collie who possibly used to work?
Has anyone had a collie and cat successfully? This one seems happy enough if the cat is still but is then keen to chase/round up when the cat moves..can this be trained out?
The other odd thing is that she doesn’t “toilet” on walks. Are farm dogs taught to do the business in certain places, times or on command?

Our (half tame) farm cat ran away when we got our collie but I’m not sure that’s very helpful… Ours was quite picky about her toilet spots. If a farm dog she’s probably not that used to being walked in the conventional sense as opposed to being let out to do as she pleases

I have a working (not that well as I trained it) collie and a cat. The cat arrived second and fairly shortly was the boss of the collie. Collie’s have the herding instinct but cats have claws, a lesson he learnt fairly swiftly.

This thread should really be called.

“What the **** is wrong with my cat?”

Ours has very strong chase instinct. We had him since a pup 4 yrs now and we are gradually getting it under control.
Chances with an older dog… Zero I would say.

The other odd thing is that she doesn’t “toilet” on walks. Are farm dogs taught to do the business in certain places, times or on command?

And no handbook for the command 🙂

Mine was 8mths old when I inherited her from my uncle. She was 90% trained as a full worker and her mum was an Irish sheep dog champion. When I brought her home she refused to come into the house as she’d been made to sleep on a pallet in a barn. She’s 9yrs old now.

The herding /chasing instinct is just that. Pure instinct. You can try and train it out, but you’ll almost certainly fail – she will still attempt to round up anything fluffy. Non-compliance is not an option: you will get stalked, stood off and then nipped if necessary. I wouldn’t want to be a cat around her.

She was brought up in a farm with a small boy as company. She is utterly amazing now with my three: properly protective of the baby and great fun with the other two.

An old worker will be a loyal and calm companion in and around the home. They are properly grateful for the rest, like cuddles and a nice warm bed. A bath that doesn’t involve immersion in a 6’ deep tank and steak trimmings on a Friday night must be like dog heaven.

No help whatsoever but we have 2 collies (of working stock but they are pets). After being asked many times ‘Are they working dogs?’ I have now started answering ‘Yes, he has a paper round and she delivers milk.’

Yes, he has a paper round and she delivers milk

Yes but the thing is with collies that is borderline believable

I see what you did there.

Have a 3-yr old collie/springer cross.

Cats are her weakness. Every morning they get herded through the house and placed in front of their food bowl. The cats get ignored if they are asleep – sometimes.

Muttlee ignores sheep and can be recalled if ducklings launch in front of her ! (phew – I thought there was going to be carnage) but cats are her weak point..

Not toileting on walks is most likely just her wanting to keep a low profile with local dogs and will pass in time I expect.

Not toileting on walks is most likely just her wanting to keep a low profile with local dogs and will pass in time I expect.

This is a working dog trait. It’s to stop them from fouling the flock with worm-infested poo. Mine will occasionally refuse to toilet at all for an entire weekend away. I have a horrible suspicion she was beaten to ingrain this behaviour as she’ll scarper, tail down, if I catch her in the act so to speak. We have a dog door to allow her to get out and do it in her own time, in privacy.