Border Collie Care

The Border Collie is one of the popular dog breeds, known for its unlimited energy and working drive. They are highly adaptable dogs and can adjust to different environments. Border Collie care is a much-needed process for growing healthy. 

They require mental stimulation and several activities in their daily routine to avoid boredom. However, border collies may become destructive if you don’t provide them with productive activities and a better care routine. Also, these dogs are prone to separation anxiety, so don’t leave them for too long.

Border collies need an owner who can do everything for their better care. From dietary care to grooming, owners must be conscious about everything. Border collie care is easy if you follow a proper schedule. If you were not serious about your border collie care routine till now or didn’t know how to take good care of your dog, then make sure to check the following details.

The diet should be balanced and appropriate for Border Collie’s growth stages and activity levels. Every dog has a different food requirement. An active dog will require more food than a dog with fewer activities. 

Make a diet plan according to your dog’s size, age, energy needs, and metabolism. Also, talk to your vet to determine the best food for your pet. Avoid food that doesn’t suit your dog’s health.

Feed high-quality puppy food to your Border Collies until they reach adulthood, then switch to an adult-stage diet. Always strive for quality while purchasing food for your dog. Add only high-quality ingredients to your dog’s diet. 

Protein, healthy fats, fiber, minerals, and vitamins are the nutrition needs of border collies. High-quality dry food daily is also recommended for these dogs. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids are good for the joints and coat of border collies.

Fresh Water 

Border collies are active and playful dogs, they require more water to stay hydrated. Clean and fresh water must be available to border collies all the time. Their water intake mostly depends on their diet and activity level. 

Border collies will drink more water if they consume a dry food diet and perform a lot of physical activities daily. However, dogs require 1 ounce of fluids per pound of body weight. So, if your border collie weighs around twelve pounds, then he must drink around 12 fluid ounces every day.

As natural herders, a rural environment is best for border collie dogs. They need open spaces for running and to perform different kinds of physical activities. The rural environment also suits the nature of the border collie breed as they are energetic and enjoy long walks.

Moreover, a busy environment with lots of noise and movement will not be convenient for border collies. Places with lots of human activity might be stressful for these dogs which can lead to behavioral problems and psychological issues. Also, border collies require a secure place to sleep at night.

Health care is important to provide your border collie a longer and healthier life. These dogs develop certain diseases throughout their life including hip dysplasia, epilepsy, collie eye anomaly, etc. Regular veterinary checkups should be included in border collie’s care routine to protect them against these health problems and other life-threatening diseases.

Some common diseases usually become serious health conditions if not treated on time. If your border collie has any health problem, it can be spotted during vet checkups. Moreover, border collie puppies must be vaccinated according to their schedule. Also, discuss all necessary things with your veterinarian such as border collie nutrition, feeding requirements, vaccination, etc.

Social attention will help to make border collies a well-socialized dog. To ensure they get along with family members and other pets, start their socialization on the first day after they are brought home. You also need to spend quality time with your border collie puppy to make a good bond. Here are some tips for socializing your puppy.

Interaction with other pets

You can introduce your border collie puppy to your friend’s fully vaccinated dogs. It will help them learn to interact with other pets. Also, take them to a puppy school where they can socialize with other pets.

Outdoor walks 

Daily half an hour walk would be great for border collies in the evening. During this time, most people walk with their dogs so your border collie might get a chance to interact with them. Also, take border collie to a dog park where he can roam freely and play with other puppies.

Travel with your puppy

If you can travel with your border collie it will be the best socialization for him. Your puppy will have a chance to experience new places with you. Go on long trips or drive to another city with your puppy. However, it’s not always easy to travel with your pets so plan well and start with small road trips.

Coat Brushing & Bathing

The medium-length, double-hair coats of border collies shed a lot. They need 2 to 3 times coat brushing every week to remove loose hairs and prevent excess shedding. You can easily give them coat brushing at home with the help of a slicker brush. Moreover, these dogs don’t need frequent bathing. You should bathe them once every 3 months or when they get dirty or muddy. 

Ear Cleaning

Most people ignore it but ear cleaning should be a part of your dog grooming. If you don’t clean their ears then it may lead to ear infections. Check your border collie’s ears regularly and clean waxy dirt out of their ears. Clean their ears by filling the ear canal with an ear-cleaning solution. It’s an easy task to do but if you are not sure then ask a professional groomer for guidance.

Nail Trimming 

Trim your dog’s nails if they get too big. Long nails often cause pain or discomfort in border collies. The best time to trim their nails is when you hear them clicking on the floor. Also, avoid cutting their nails too short because it may cause bleeding and pain.

Eye Care 

Eye care is essential for border collies as they are more prone to eye diseases. Nutrition plays an important part in maintaining the health of your dog’s eyes. Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Zinc, and taurine help to maintain healthy vision. Moreover, border collies need yearly eye exams to check for any progression of the disease.

Teeth Brushing

Teeth Brushing is also important for Border Collie Dogs. These dogs spend most of their time playing outside and trying to taste everything they find. They may be affected by dental issues. So, always consider your dog’s teeth brushing an important part of your Border Collie care.

Training a border collie would be easy due to their high intelligence. Make sure to start border collie training when they are puppies. However, it might be difficult to train a puppy when they are not used to training sessions. Here are some tips to train a Border Collies puppy or adult Border Collies.

• Teaching Commands: Basic commands like stay, sit, and come will be easy to teach when you newly start giving them training. After that, you can teach them some advanced commands like left, right, stop, etc. Moreover, you can push them for more difficult challenges and tasks after they learn all basic and advanced commands.
• Positive Reinforcement: This training method always works for dogs, especially border collies. Praise your dog when they complete a task. These dogs gain confidence and do more well when they get praised by their owners. Treats are also good to keep your dog motivated during training sessions.
• Stay Consistent: Consistency matters a lot in terms of training border collies. Try to be regular and keep border collie training short. 10-minute short training sessions will be more helpful than 2-hour long sessions weekly. Also, regular training sessions will make a good learning habit for border collies.

To keep border collie dogs physically and mentally fit, you must give them a lot of exercise. They also don’t mind getting a significant amount of exercise due to their active nature. Daily 2 to 3 hours of exercise is necessary to fulfill the energy requirements of border collie dogs.

However, you can’t give the same amount of exercise to puppies. The three-month-old puppy needs only fifteen minutes of exercise daily. The border collies’ exercises include running, herding activities, fetch, and dog sports like flyball or agility.

Along with physical activities, border collies need mental exercise to enhance mental enrichment. To provide them with mental stimulation at home, use interactive toys, take them to new walks, and teach them tricks and commands. Mental stimulation also helps border collies prevent separation anxiety when their owners are not with them.

Owners should be conscious about the care of their dog to ensure he live a long and healthy life. If you are considering owning a border collie dog, you must be aware of their highly energetic nature. They should be kept busy most of the time. If you want a calm and laidback dog then border collie dog might not be a good choice for you.