Your border collie puppy will find new experiences exciting and others frightening. Overall, dogs are very sensitive to change and when they are puppies the world can be a very scary place until it becomes familiar. Therefore, if you plan to take your pet on car rides, you should introduce him to this adventure while he is still small to help him get used to the idea of traveling in a moving vehicle.
Your main goal is to create a positive experience for the border collie puppy. This can be achieved by teaching him that a car ride is a normal event. Your bag may despair the first time you put it in the back seat of your car. It’s just a normal reaction because he doesn’t know what’s going on and doesn’t recognize any smells.
Flying and Border Collies
When flying by plane, the first step is to check with the airline about the rules for transporting animals, as not all pets are accepted on board. For example, some airlines do not allow certain breeds of dogs to be transported.
According to the rules set in most companies, dogs can be carried in the cabin if the weight together with the container does not exceed eight kilos.
The first thing we must remember when talking about chasing behavior is that our Border Collies have been bred for generations to herd fast animals that tend to run away!!
What are the reasons why some Border Collies will start chasing things like cars, bikes or joggers? There is no single answer so I’m going to give you a few, sometimes it’s a combination of more than one reason or one is triggered by the other:
STOP! dogs use behaviors that come first in their genetic makeup to deal with something that worries them in the environment. Usually if you have to cover something up it means you don’t feel good or you are afraid of it. They don’t know how to deal with a large metal object that makes horrible noises as they pass and they try to herd it to control it. Border Collies can be sensitive to noise and a very loud bike or car could easily create a fear response.
Traveling by Car with a Border Collie – Driver Safety
It makes sense to say that a driver should not be distracted, harassed, embarrassed or upset while driving! In addition, the Road Act specifies that the driver must have full control of his vehicle, that «his mobility and field of vision must not be impaired by the number or position of passengers, by objects…». It is therefore important to ensure that your Border Collie does not disturb you while driving your vehicle. To do this you have several solutions: put it in a box, tie it in the front, put it in the back, put it in the trunk, with a net or a separation grid…
This is a solution that I would rather recommend for puppies or young Border Collies because you can wean them off it easier. It is also made for Border Collie adults but some may be more resistant. Thanks to this box, you will drive with peace of mind as the Border Collie does not move.
2: Show them it’s safe by entering first
Jump in the back yourself first. Collies love to be around people and will jump in to be next to you. Reward positive behavior with a treat or toy. Collies respond well to positive reinforcement.