6 Important Border Collie Adoption Facts To Consider

Adopting a rescued border collie takes heart. Being alone and in need for someone to take care is one of the worst feelings. By adopting a rescued BC you help him find a new home and a life companion. You give them a new life and they bless you with unconditional love. For them its more than just finding new homes. Given below are 6 critical mistakes first-timers may commit when adopting their first border collie. They are important for both the owners and the dog for a healthy relationship.

1. Breed Research and Information

Researching about the breed you intend to buy should be your utmost priority. For example if you have decided to adopt a Border Collie dog, you have to understand and learn important facts and characteristics of the breed to be able to learn what it will take to become a responsible dog owner. Majority of first-timers just want an adorable, cute looking and well behaved dog that can be their ideal life companion, but most of them end up with a breed they know nothing about and fail to raise a healthy and happy dog.

Researching the needs and attributes of a Border Collie and then adopting it is the right approach to be able to build a healthy relationship with your beloved dog. Their maximum life-span is close to a decade or more, therefore it is better to know in advance that what will be your dog’s needs? Will you be able to fulfill them? And what you should expect after getting yourself into it. Following important points should be considered in your research:

• What is Border Collies’ temperament, are they a lot of trouble with kids at home and neighbors?
• Is this the right breed if most of the time you are not at home? Are they prone to separation anxiety?
• What are their physical needs? Do they need lots of exercise and specific diet?
• Do they have bad behavior problems that are difficult to correct?
• Most importantly, can you afford the breed? (It is pretty expensive these days!)
• Is it an easy to train breed? Will they learn basic obedience training?

Proper research and knowledge about the breed’s facts will take you a long way in understanding whether a Border Collie is the perfect breed for you or not.

2. Reason! Why Do You Want a Border Collie?

As we have mentioned it earlier (so many times!), a border collie thrive on freedom to run, jump and do whatever he wants anytime. Therefore, if an owner did not consider the purpose of adopting a Border Collie in relation to its physical needs and attributes, he/she surely asking for lot of trouble, because their endless energy needs some way to be blown out to keep them healthy and stimulated both mentally and physically. For example, if you are adopting a BC for your kids, this breed would be an ideal one. However, if you are considering a BC for your 80 year old granny, a Border Collie would be too much for her to manage. So, the intention of adopting a pet matters a lot. That is why we emphasize on researching the attributes of the breed you intend to adopt, because it is important to raise a healthy, happy and obedient dog.

3. Source of Adoption

Generally first-timers prefer adopting their dogs from a pet store compared to going with a reliable and experienced breeder who have reputation and history of successful breeding business. 90% puppy inventory of pet stores is supplied by puppy mills, which are nothing but puppy breeding farms. If you are not aware of puppy mills, we recommend watching “Madonna of the Mills” which is a documentary by HBO.

Depending on particular type of Border Collie breed you intend to adopt, you will always notice that a BC puppy purchased from a pet store would be cheaper compared to buying from a reputable local breeder, and the difference can be from $300 to $2500 which can be less or more depending on the pet stores or breeders you’re buying from.

Adopting your BC from a breeder is beneficial because if you opt for a pet store, it may be cheaper but the accumulative lifetime medical expenditures are likely to be greater. On the other hand, purchasing a purebred from a breeder initially may cost more, but research and historical data indicates that purebred Border Collies are generally problem free and healthy.

4. Are You Prepared For Your Border Collie?

In excitement for first puppy many pet owners forget to prepare for arrival of their new family member, which can be a problem specially if this is your first pet. You must have a place spotted and prepared before you bring a puppy home. Preparation includes essentials like dog bed, toys, puppy food, potty training book, and variety of puppy toys etc.

Not preparing for your puppy means, you’ll let him free and choose things on his own to chew on and play with. For example if you haven’t purchased a puppy chewing bone or other toys, you’re inviting him to chew on your shoes, furniture and other expensive things. Make sure you place his/her bed at a safe location of your house because he may have accidents.

5. Puppy Proof Your Home

Puppies are notorious and specially Border Collie pups because they are fresh and full of energy all the time. On top of that if you didn’t safeguard your home or outdoor space from puppy attack, you’re up for a big ride. The best way to go about it to have an overall perspective of what the puppy will see when you’ll bring him home. This includes things like electrical cords, patio deck, shoe rack, choke hazards, etc. These are easily accessible things for puppies to chew on. Given below are few things to consider:

• Are there areas in your yard where they can get into and find difficult to get out of? For example, swimming pool can be one area.
• Are cleaning supplies and other household items are accessible for them? Make sure you keep them away from household chemicals.
• Make sure you keep them away from poisonous plants like Sago Palms if you have them in your garden or outdoor space.
• Additionally, you’d want to keep your puppy away from things like escape route, choke points and fireplace, because puppies like sneaking through small areas where they can hide and chew.

6. Border Collie Training Guides

Having an untrained Border Collie full of bad behavior problems is like a having a spoiled brat at home. You have spent so much of money on adoption process and buying other essentials, why not buy a training guide that will help your collie become a healthy, adorable and well behaved pet that everybody loves? I’d definitely recommend buying a training book that will cover basic obedience essentials and advance training lessons, because your beloved Border Collie worth it!