Content
- Border Collie Characteristics
- Exercise for the Border Collie
- Border Collie Training
- The puppy socialization
- The family environment as a Border Collie's need
- The Border Collie's fur
- Border Collie's Health
Adopting a dog and keeping him in a good state of health requires several cares, care focused on maintaining his physical, psychological and social well-being, since dog health is not just the absence of disease.
All dogs need basic care, such as going out for a walk every day, having at their disposal foods that provide them with a balanced diet and enough company to avoid situations of stress or anxiety.
However, the FCI (International Cynological Federation) recognizes approximately 337 dog breeds, so we can distinguish the specific needs of each breed, so in this one-size-fits-all article Border Collie care.
Border Collie Characteristics
To know what specific care the Border Collie needs, it is important to briefly address the characteristics of this breed.
The Border Collie is among the smartest dog breeds, occupying the first place in the ranking carried out by Stanley Coren, professor of psychology. This intelligence translates into a dog with an extraordinary ability to concentrate, obedient and showing great restlessness and agility in relation to learning processes.
It is awake, alert, receptive, affectionate, docile and sociable dog both with people and with other animals, it also has a great curiosity and we must not forget that it is a herding dog and that's why you need a lot of physical activity and a big space where you can do it.
Another important feature of the Border Collie is the great loyalty to its owner, who ends up seeing him as a leader who will always accompany him with great courage, creating a great emotional bond.
Exercise for the Border Collie
As mentioned, the Border Collie is a herding dog and has an innate ability to do so, so it is possible that if you have cats or small children, the dog would act with them as if it wanted to group them into a herd, this behavior should be avoided early and for this the Border Collie need a big dose of physical exercise. All puppies need to exercise but the amount and type of exercise varies depending on the breed and the individual characteristics of each animal.
The Border Collie needs approximately 1 hour and a half of daily exercise, which should be divided into several walks and activities, such as agility, a sport suitable for this dog due to its great capacity for concentration. You can find out with him how to get started in agility.
Border Collie Training
Training a Border Collie is a very simple process because these dogs have a great intelligence, which means that learn new orders with very few repetitions, this together with their obedience characteristic, makes these puppies easy to train.
However, precisely because of their high level of intelligence, it is quite possible that Border Collies get bored during the learning process, so, in addition to using positive reinforcement (the basic pillar of canine training), it is important to discipline them through activities that are attractive to you, for example, herding sheep whenever possible, agility, looking for lost objects or running with pets.
Border Collie training requires the greatest possible diversity of activities to avoid getting bored and optimize the learning process as much as possible.
The puppy socialization
As mentioned before, the Border Collie is a very sociable dog, both with people and with other animals, however, when this puppy reaches adulthood, it can be reserved and shy.
To get the Border Collie to have a balanced temperament It is important to avoid this behavior, so it is necessary to socialize the puppy early and try to be in contact with different people and animals, this way, in adulthood your Border Collie will show itself friendly and confident.
It is also possible to socialize adult puppies, although this process takes much longer and longer and sometimes specialist help may be needed.
The family environment as a Border Collie's need
Border Collie needs a large space to exercise, but also need a warm and familiar environment to live, this is not a dog that we can leave many hours without our company, that would be totally counterproductive to your psychic health.
It's good to remember that this is a docile, friendly and playful dog (also by the little ones at home), so to properly care for the Border Collie you should devote time and affection to it.
This dog appreciates living in a warm and familiar environment, a house with several members would be ideal for Border Collie development.
The Border Collie's fur
The Border Collie can have two types of hair: short or moderately long. It is an effective protective agent against climate change and precisely because of its important function it also deserves special attention.
To keep the Border Collie's fur in great condition, this need a daily brushing, using specific accessories for cleaning and canine esthetic care.
This dog should bathe only when it is really necessary, in fact, due to its nature as a herding dog, some beauty contests penalize an excessively clean, treated or shiny coat.
Border Collie's Health
Just like any other dog, the Border Collie needs periodic veterinary appointments and to comply with the dog's vaccination program.
Despite being a dog that has good health, it is predisposed to suffer from hip dysplasia, neurological disorders and eye diseases, so the regular veterinary appointments they will be the most efficient way to prevent and detect any of these conditions in advance.
