My initial statement refers to my own personal experience with border collies compared to my own personal experience with non-border collies. I really can't spe

My initial statement refers to my own personal experience with border collies compared to my own personal experience with non-border collies. I really can't speak to anyone else's experience with their dogs, and I hope that everyone with a dog cherishes that relationship, regardless of what kind of dog it is. So then what I have I found unique about border collies? Some other posters have already shared about the border collie aptitude for communicating with and understanding people. I think that personality traits of dogs are probably amplified by their lineage, by their breeding. Border collies (and other kinds of dogs as well) have a long history of functional utility. Many people still use these dogs to work farms and in other scenarios taking care of herds of animals. But whether if they are employed in that manner or not, it is still in their nature to assist people with work, with activities. Border collies are described as being poor choices to have if you're not going to routinely engage them. That plausibly negative trait is probably the very same positive trait that makes them intimately interested in everything you do. If you do the laundry, your border collie is there watching, ready to help. If you clean the garage, your border collie is there watching, ready to help. If you are debugging C code, your border collie is there watching, ready to help. Other dogs I have personally experienced seem totally fine to do things with you, but also totally fine to be off by themselves, or to do nothing at all. I do get the impression that, to one degree or another, many dogs which excel at similar activities (herding, flyball, agility, etc.) may share personality traits with border collies. Does all of that equate to a "better" dog? Absolutely not. In fact, I can readily imagine many people NOT finding border collie traits desirable. I've seen border collie breeders admonish would-be adopters to strongly consider other kinds of dogs unless they are quite certain that a border collie is what they want. And I would advise the same: please don't get a border collie if you're not sure. I live in the suburbs with a good-sized yard about a block away from a large nature park. As much as I love the hustle & bustle of Boston and New York City, my dog would be miserable there.