I like to think of myself as a pretty good dog person. I have had dogs all my life and have always been able to take care of myself, and the dogs, without much trouble. I’ve had aggressive dogs, shy dogs, lazy dogs, alpha dogs, and followers of all breeds, including German Shepherds, Labradors, and several mixed breeds. I’ve had them all and quickly learned to get along with them. Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I tended to keep my distance.
Basic training had never really been a problem with any dog that I can remember. I have always testified that there is never a reason to hit a dog for any reason. It does you no good, teaches the dog nothing, and gets you nowhere in the training department. In my totally unprofessional opinion, hitting a dog makes it afraid of you and that’s it. I simply believe that you and the dog must come to an understanding and mutual respect. Sit, stay, put down commands and housebreaking were exactly what needed to be done when a new dog was introduced to my family.
Imagine my surprise when a little Border Collie tested me beyond anything I had ever known before!
Keep Toys Rotating
Border collies are incredibly intelligent and could easily get bored if they don’t have toys and puzzles to keep them mentally stimulated.
One way to beat boredom and keep them with their toys is to adopt a toy routine. Rather than overwhelming your Collie with a large collection of toys, group them into smaller groups and alternate the days you allow your dog to play with them.
Lack of exercise and mental stimulation
Collies thrive on LOTS of physical and mental exercise. Both are as important as each other and should never be neglected.
Lack of physical activity can directly cause a lazy collie. Not only does it affect their actual fitness level, but it trains them to be more sluggish than active.
Size
Border collies are medium sized dogs with an average size between 18-22 inches, with males tending to be larger than females.
Like most animals, the scales of male and female colliums differ slightly. On average, a female Border Collie weighs between 26 and 41 pounds. A male Border Collie, on the other hand, typically weighs between 30 and 44 pounds.