[Vinnie]

Border Collies?
I had one a few yrs. ago. Sadly she passed away from IMHA at 3 yrs.
We really loved her. Uncanny intelligence.

We couldn't give her the exercise she needed so opted for a rescue poodle for her replacement.
But if I had the room and stamina, that would be the dog for me.

[Varda]

Not Border Collies but close! Belgians. That clinic I attended was a Border Collie club clinic, though . I figured if I was going to learn about herding, I preferred to learn from successful people only. So I started working with a professional (herding trial) trainer. He, like many people who are beyond merely winning titles and events, was also interested in expanding his horizons. He wanted to learn about herding more generally and that meant to him learning about herding in other breeds.

I was surprised to learn how similar Border Collies were to Belgians temperament wise. You're right these breeds require exercise and attention. High on stamina, smart and busy, these are definitely not breeds for most households. That trainer recognized the limitations and faults that had crept into BC bloodlines because of the emphasis on winning trials. He was surprised that my dog was not only AKC registered but was a conformation champion too (a well regarded one at that) He approached me about crossing the two breeds but I was against it. I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision.