The Border Collie is highly intelligent and  able to be trained to a very skilled level. They are hardworking dogs and thrive on praise. They excel in competitive sports such as flyball, agility, obedience training and sheepdog trials. Originally bred as a farm hand, they are extremely energetic and have great stamina. They need lots of exercise to keep them physically and mentally occupied and usually get along well with other dogs and children. Problems may occur and they may show aggression towards other dogs if you are not firm in your leadership. They do not get along well with other household pets but there are plenty of Border Collies that live and get along well with cats. This breed needs good socialisation to get them accustomed to people and noise. Border Collies can be dominant so you must ensure you are a confident, firm and consistent pack leader to earn their respect. They can be highly reactive and sound sensitive so are not recommended for families with young children. The Border Collie is eager to please its master and lives to serve you but when they are not stimulated enough they may become destructive. If they become bored they can develop neurotic tendencies and display behavioural problems as well as trying to frequently escape. Their instinct to herd is strong so they may try to herd children, strangers and even vehicles unless you train them that this behaviour is unacceptable.