A Border collie was once bred only for working purposes on the farm. Their sheep herding skills are unmatched in other breeds of dog. More recently, families have begun moving Border collies indoors in order to become the family companion. With a dedicated pet owner who is willing to follow the steps below, a Border collie can be very happy as a family pet.
Step 1: Direct your Border collie’s energy by enrolling him in obedience training so that you can learn to guide and control him. Another good outlet for his energy that would also teach discipline would be agility training.
Step 2: Socialize your Border collie early and often. Sometimes this breed can be known to nip at the ankles (herding instinct) so it needs to be taught when that behavior would be appropriate. The breed can also be shy and even show aggression around children if not exposed to them early on.
Step 3: Plan to exercise with your Border collie daily. They love to walk, run and hike through hard terrain. They are also great at chasing a soccer ball around the yard. If you have decided to pursue agility training, your Border collie will practice tirelessly to perfect his moves. He will also excel at tracking and search and rescue.
Step 4: Border collies need to chew. Provide plenty of chew toys or chew treats, otherwise you might find yourself replacing your chewed furniture and shoes.
Step 5: Stimulate your Border collies’s mind. This intelligent breed will get bored if you don’t work hard to exercise his brain. You can spend time teaching him tricks or give him a job around the house. Because of their working roots, a Border collie can be given responsibilities to make him feel valued and important.
Step 6: Maintain optimum health for your Border collie. Feed him a high quality food and keep your eye out for health concerns regarding this breed. Border collies can suffer from hip dysplasia, eye health issues cancer and lameness.
If you’ve adopted this breed with the intention of integrating him into your home as a pet, just know that his working heritage will require an active family. A Border collie’s intelligence, energy level and loyalty will be well suited to a family who recognizes his unique needs. You can hope to enjoy 12 or 13 years with your new dog.
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