Puppy “pretends” he has to pee to go outside

lol.. you are just experiencing how smart border collie can be, they were originally hunting dogs, so in the course of time they always develop a trick or two to get what they want since they don't hunt much now..

huh? border collies hunting dogs? first time I heard that... They were bred for herding. But yes, they're smart.

But this is really not an indication of a dog being smart... it's essentially the basic dog training (and, as you pointed out, a mistake made by OP). You have an active breed that loves being outside and every time he/she sits by the door, you take them outside to potty- but also go for a walk, play with them. Well, then they simply associate sitting by the door with going outside... and not with going outside to potty.

/r/puppy101 Thread Parent