Border Collie Breed Information and facts
There are only few dog breeds like Border collies that are known as one of the most intelligent and easy to train dog breeds. They are extremely adaptive and able to learn new things quickly, because they are good observers of things they experience. They can be ideal pets for their owners who know how to deal with their over-excitement, nipping and herding issues. As a Border Collie pet owner if you have no idea about their herding instinct and you are not careful about their behavior, they can also be a real challenge to deal with.
Border collies are definitely not meant for everyone, however if you believe you know how to handle them and able to deliver their needs as they grow then you are going to enjoy their unconditional love and surely going to have an adorable, intelligent and loyal companion.
Personality & Temperament
Compared to other breeds, Border Collies are all about physical and mental stimulation. They easily get bored when they don’t have anything to do. For instance if you try to control the stimulation your border collie will quickly get bored and then he/she will start looking for alternative ways to occupy their mind to entertain themselves. Generally these alternative ways are not going to amuse their owners because it include chewing and ripping clothes, furniture items and other destructive habits.
It is in their instinctive nature to stay busy chewing something or running around all the time. Undoubtedly they are not a dog breed that enjoy sitting and down nothing at home all day long awaiting their owner. They need some sort of activity to occupy their mind otherwise the owner will have a huge chaos waiting at home.
Training Border Collies
As aforementioned, Border collie is a breed of intelligence. They learn fast and blessed with ability to learn elaborate and complex training tricks, which is why they are extremely popular amongst professional dog trainers.
Given the fact this breed particularly requires a lot more physical and mental stimulation, if a Border collie isn’t trained properly he may pick up some bizarre and destructive habits like chewing clothes and digging holes in your garden or backyard.
Physical Activities & Exercises
Border Collies’ ability to run through large open fields and farms is the reason why they are trained by cattle farmers to control their cattle. They naturally have plenty of energy and stamina to remain active for long period of time.
Even though they are known as “sheepdogs”, but because it is such an adorable and intelligent breed that much more than that now as they have become popular pets amongst homeowners. Pet lovers, especially dog lovers across the world have embraced their loyalty and intelligence and take them into their homes. They are cute and very easy to train, who wouldn’t like to have a border collie at home? However, their herding instincts, and need for some activity all the time is still in them, which makes them such a lively companion for their owners.
Their craving for vigorous activity makes them a breed that is definitely not suited for apartments or small homes. Large backyards, plenty of open field space to run around, play and digging is what they need to stay healthy and happy. Running and playing exercises for them is extremely important for their mental and physical health. Therefore for ever Border collie owner it is vital to give your dog plenty of space to run around so that he can utilize his energy otherwise he will start nipping.
Border Collie Grooming
Although Border Collie is a long hair breed, but they are still relatively easy to groom. You don’t have to frequently give them bath; however they do require you to brush their coats every week to get rid of extra fur. Just like any other long hair breed, they are also bound to shed their hair, and because they are long they are easily noticed on house floor.
Health Information
It wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s a healthy breed, because they don’t put on weight due to their agility and physical activities. For the most part, Border Collie dogs stay healthy and live a long life as long as they eat healthy and allowed to make use of their energy. We can say that a healthy balanced diet with lot of physical activity is a must for them. On an average note they live 12 to 17 years of age, but generally it is 14 years most of the time.
For Owners
As we have said so many times they are a perfect family pet, however you have to be at your best to handle them otherwise you’ll be welcomed with a mess every time you come back home. Even though their intelligence set them apart from other breeds, but it can also work against their owners who have no experience of dog training.
Border collies are probably one of those breeds who can easily learn top open doors and cupboards. They are also good at hiding at places where their owner can’t reach them. For instance they’ll hide underneath the bed, and to get them out of there will be almost impossible. Therefore training them is extremely important for every Border collie dog owner.
