Little Dogs Go Big
BorderPaps take the agility world by storm.
Move over, big dogs! There’s a little dog taking the agility world by storm — in fact, there were two of them on this year’s IFCS World Team. Combining the athleticism and speed of a Border Collie with the spunk and portability of a Papillon, BorderPaps are a fast, driven, fun-size sports cross.
Breeder Lisa Kronz (On Target Performance Dogs) explained, “The innate traits of each breed — health, temperament, structure, drive and work ethic — make a lovely smaller mix. It feels like the best of both worlds.”
Leading breeder Rayna Stout, whose BorderPaps are trademarked as Rayn’s Toties, says, “BorderPaps are amiable, intelligent, friendly, fast, reliable, and mostly fearless. They have a good balance of drive and focus.”
When the UK’s Dawn Weaver and her Border Pap Vegas topped the podium in Steeplechase® (14”) at the 2016 Cynosport® Dog Agility World Games, handlers and breeders alike took notice. Then she repeated the win in 2018 with Summer, another BorderPap, placing second with Vegas.
“I first became interested in BorderPaps when I saw Dawn run Vegas,” said Kristin Cabannis, whose young tricolor BorderPap Happy (BreezyBlue’s Clap Your Hands!) earned his Starters JumperSM title in just three runs. “But I always joke that it wasn’t until I saw her run Summer that I knew I had to have one of my own.”
“Happy has definitely been by far the quickest study and easiest to train in agility,” said Kristin. “He will work and learn all day long as long as he’s having fun.”
Courtney Moore said she likes both Border Collies and Papillons, and wanted a smaller dog she could travel with full time — “a companion over anything else.” Her BorderPap, Butter (Rayn’s Everything’s Better with Butter), is three-quarters Papillon. Competing on Team USA for the first time at this year's 2024 IFCS World Agility Championship, the duo took home gold medals for Agility All-Around Champion, Individual Gamblers, Individual Snooker, and Team Standard; silver for Biathlon; and bronze for Individual Jumping.
BorderPap owners are unanimous in their advice to those interested in getting one: Don’t expect a miniature Border Collie. “Meet some BorderPaps in person and see if you like them,” advised Alicia Bennett, whose 4-year-old Ninja (Rayn’s Stealthy Warrior) has his Starters GamblerSM, Advanced JumperSM, and Snooker MasterSM titles.
Jennifer Thomas ran Shelties before getting Filly (BreezyBlue’s Wild One Advanced JumperSM Agility Dog®). She encourages potential BorderPap owners to research both breeds. “BorderPaps will have both Border Collie and Papillon traits, so be sure those are traits you want. There’s no guarantee which traits you’ll get,” she said.
Rebecca Thrift, who was on the 2024 IFCS World Team with her BorderPap, Salty (On Target’s All Attitude) and also runs Sequel (On Target’s Continue to Bee-lieve), noted, “You must be a trainer who appreciates a small dog to really enjoy the cross. Be able to appreciate some smart shenanigans in everyday life and some big, strong opinions in training!”
Added her IFCS teammate Brenda Kelly, whose 3-year-old Ember was bred by Catherine Laria of Whirlwind Border Collies, “Give them the time and attention to emotionally mature and expect to spend time in your foundation developing resilience, focus, and engagement.”
“Know your goals an
d your training commitment,” advised Catherine. “Be honest about how much time you want to invest. Don’t look for a Ferrari if you want the comfort and ease of a mini-van!”
Their owners agree that the most gratifying aspect of doing agility with a BorderPap is, as Kristin puts it, “flat-out fun.”
“BorderPaps are very bouncy and enthusiastic in everything they do,” said Alicia. “Ninja is a lot of fun both on and off of the agility course.”
“Ember has amazing intelligence, speed, drive and quickness,” added Brenda. “She is a thrill to run!”
“BorderPaps are remarkably trainable and inherently fun-loving,” said Ginsey St. Croix (BreezyBlue Dogs). “The influence of the Papillon — often referred to as ‘the butterfly effect’ — infuses them with a buoyant, lighthearted personality. They’re the perfect fusion of athleticism and companionship.”