Afghan Hound vs Border Collie?

Q: Afghan Hound vs Border Collie?
I'm looking at the two breeds. If you could list some of the pros and cons I would be delighted. A few things I would really like to know are the following.

Photo Credit: BDUngard/Flickr CC
How long I would need to exercise daily?
How long I would have to spend grooming?
One person dog?
Gets along well with other dogs? (My grandparents have one dog, we have two hunting dogs All are great with all dogs)
How much does it shed?
Is it better indoor or outdoors? (We are super close with our dogs and they live outdoors so don't say anything about dogs shouldn't live outdoors)
Ok in cold weather? (MI)
Longer Lifespan?
If needed I don't mind lots of training. Doggy Freestyle and Agility both look cool to me. But I wouldn't mind just teaching them some basic commands.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Ahisberry
BORDER COLLIE-Herder:
-Needs tons of exercise. When you talk about a high energy dog that NEEDS vigorous exercise, this is on that end of the extreme. Many herding dogs are like this and need both mental and physical stimuli.
-Alright for grooming. Just brush it a few times a week and it should be fine.
-Very loyal dog. This can be to the family or one person in the family. Usually, females are more one-person dogs than males.
-Sometimes friendly with dogs. Chooses friends and enemies.
-Sheds a LOT. As much as a golden retriever or lab, I'd say.
-This is a sensitive breed and craves human companionship. Not much independence in this breed. I would not recommend it as an outside dog as they may develop destructive behaviors. Tolerates being alone VERY poorly.
-Tolerates cold weather quite well
-Has a fairly good genetic background, but definitely not the best. Lives until the mid-teens usually.

AFGHAN HOUND-sight hound:
-Moderate exercise needs. He'll be content to lounge around for a lot of the day but needs a good walk, probably.
-Not AT ALL easy to groom. You'll need to brush it every day, even if you don't have the show dog cut, to avoid matting.
-Tolerates being alone a lot better than others. Independent streak in this guy, so I would say that he will definitely not be a one-person dog.
-Picks friends and enemies when it comes to other dogs
-Sheds a lot.
-They will do okay outside, so long as they have a very cushy dog bed to sleep in. If you don't provide this, they will get bruises and be sore all the time because their body isn't stocky like most dogs.
-Fine in cold weather.
-Mid-teen life span.

Answer by 4Her4Life
Border Collie vs Afghan Hound? Afghan Hounds sound like they might not be ideal for you... they are very difficult to train, require lots of special grooming and make lousy outdoor dogs (too easy for them to mess up their long coats out of doors, and not enough protection from the elements if it is shaved off).

A Border Collie may work, but you'd better be serious about the amount of time it will get to be with people each day - they bond hard and fast with people and canine companions are frankly not enough. Border Collies (when properly trained) do well at both Freestyle and Agility - I have never seen an Afghan do either.

Both breeds require a lot of daily exercises. The Afghan Hound will disappear over the horizon after anything that moves and is FAST, so a very large fenced-in area is a must to let them run. I would not trust an Afghan off a leash outside of a secure fence. Border Collies need more time and distance in their exercise and require more mental stimulation as well. You can run a marathon with a Border Collie every day, but if they never get any training or a job to do, they will become bored and destructive anyway.

Afghan Hounds require daily brushing, Borders are more "wash and wear" dogs, but need a thorough going over a couple times a week for burs, mats, etc.

Both breeds can be friends with everybody, but the Border will tend to spend more time and energy on "their person" than some dogs. If trained to a high level, a Border may also only obey some commands if they come from "their person."

Both breeds, when properly socialized, can get along fine with other dogs. The Afghan Hound should be closely monitored around small dogs at cats, however, as rapid movements by either may make them look like prey. Borders are people dogs but don't usually start fights or anything of that sort.

Both shed plenty.

This Magic Pro Dog Deshedding Tool Reduces Shedding By 95%

Afghan Hounds have hair maintenance troubles if kept out of doors, and Border Collies will be fine anywhere where they are with their people or person - if you spend all day at work and all evening inside, then the Border will be suffering. If you spend most of your time outdoors, then a Border can handle that.

Both are OK in cold weather but should be provided shelter from rain and temperature extremes (i.e. wading pool in summer, insulated dog house in winter).

Lifespans are probably comparable, Border Collie may be slightly longer.

Answer by Animal Craker
I don't own a Border Collie so I won't answer about them, but I do own a grand champion Afghan Hound so I can let you know about caring for them.

How long I would need to exercise daily? -At least an hour per day of some type of exercise. Ideally, they do best with at least an hour of free running. Free running isn't always possible for most people, thankfully most afghans will make due with walking/jogging instead.

How long I would have to spend grooming? -Grooming is nowhere near as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It does require a commitment to maintain their coat, once you let it get out of control you'll likely be forced to shave everything off. And if someone tells you that you need to brush your Afghan every day then they clearly haven't a clue about how to care for the coat of an Afghan. You NEVER ever brush a dry or dirty coat, doing so breaks the hair and prevents it from growing longer. We only brush after a bath when the coat is still wet and elastic. Everyone has different grooming regimens for their dogs, but typically a bath and brush out every 7-10 days is necessary for most dogs.

One person dog? -Most tend to have one person or small family of people that they lean on, but they will tolerate regular acquaintances once they get used to them.

Gets along well with other dogs? (My grandparents have one dog, we have two hunting dogs All are great with all dogs) - This varies with each individual dog. Some are very playful and open with other dogs and some won't tolerate other dogs at all, some just have ventetas against certain dogs and do well with others. If they are introduced on neutral ground and socialized well there usually aren't too many problems with other dogs.

Photo Credit: corrieb/Flickr CC

How much does it shed? -Afghans are actually hypoallergenic, so shedding is minimal. If you're keeping upon their grooming then any loose or dead hair should be collected in the brush.

Is it better indoor or outdoors? (We are super close with our dogs and they live outdoors so don't say anything about dogs shouldn't live outdoors) -It depends on what their used to. If they're acclimated to the outdoor weather then they usually do well outside, but once they get spoiled with a soft couch inside then it can be hard to get them to go back out ;)

Ok in cold weather? (MI) -Again as long as they are acclimated they should be fine. But rain and snow can be a grooming nightmare. Snow will collect on the coat and create snowballs that look hilarious but a very difficult to remove. Rain also causes a problem because the water allows them to pick up dirt quicker and get it farther into the coat. Water gives the coat elasticity, but as the coat dries it begins to shrink. So if you have a mat that gets wet it will get tighter as the coat dries and shrinks.

Longer Lifespan? -12-15 years on average depending on the quality of their care and breeding.

Afghans don't do well with repetitious training and get bored quickly of doing the same thing over and over. That's not to say they can't be trained. There are Afghans currently competing in Agility and a handful of Afghans have obedience titles.

Answer by Kristen
Afghan Hounds are just about impossible to train. They're really only good for looking pretty. I like them because they're beautiful dogs, but I've known a few, and they are always off in their own little world and never listen to you. My dog and I went through our agility classes with an Afghan hound, and this dog was not meant for any sort of sport. His owner would call him, and he would just keep walking the other way...never run the other way, just very slowly keep walking the other way. I'm all for training difficult breeds (my dog is part Chow, a very stubborn breed), but Afghans are something else. They are often considered the stupidest dog breed, which I disagree with, but I do think they are the least trainable breed. I think they're both stubborn and don't pay attention very well.

Afghan hounds are very lazy and laid back. So, if you're that sort of person than this would be a good dog for you. Border Collies are the opposite. They should only be owned by very active people if you don't want your house destroyed. So...minimal exercise for Afghans, and a ton of exercise for BCs.

Grooming--a fair amount for BCs. Afghans need a lot--frequent brushing, and possible haircuts if you don't want it super long. They usually need their hair pulled up away from their eyes with a rubber band. I'm not sure about a shaved Afghan hound.

I think both of these are pretty good as a one person dog. In my experience, neither one of these breeds is great with other dogs (both tend to be aggressive towards dogs they meet), but I think they can be okay with other dogs once they get more used to them.

I can't really recommend keeping dogs totally outside in cold weather. Border Collies are good to give a lot of time outside since they have crazy energy...but I can't really condone leaving them outside 24/7.

I really don't recommend an Afghan if you're really interested in freestyle or agility unless you want the world's biggest challenge. They really seem to just not care enough to do what you're asking of them. Border Collies are the opposite...they are great for these sports. So, I guess it depends on what is most important to you.

Answer by Lej
Between Border Collie vs Afghan hound, you must choose Border Collie. The Afghan hound is the dumbest dog breed.

Know better? Give your own answer to this question!