There is no question that Border Collies are extremely smart. In fact, most people in the dog world consider this breed to be the smartest on the planet. This can be a great trait in your pet if you are willing to deal with both the positives and the negatives. The positives can be how quickly they learn tricks and tasks, their ability to solve problems and how alert they are to their surroundings. The negative can be exactly the same. Because of their intelligence, Border Collies can get bored very quickly and I can tell you from experience that you do not want a bored dog of this breed!
There are some simple tips to prevent your Border Collie from getting bored on a daily basis. For most of us, we simply don’t have time to spend 10 hours a day with our dogs so we have to make the time we have as productive as possible. The first and easiest tip is to simply make sure your dog gets enough active exercise. This is one of the most effective points to keep your dog from getting bored out of his mind. By active movement, I mean that you are actively participating in the exercise. Just letting your dog run around the backyard for a few hours is fine, but if you spend time with him, he’ll get more out of it, both physically and mentally.
Fetch and Flying Saucer
Daily walks are an absolute must to keep any dog healthy, but extra exercise is important when it comes to burning off excess energy in Border Collies. Depending on their age, an hour’s walk a day is simply not enough for them.
Teaching your dog to play fetch is simple and easy to learn – it’s just a matter of good recall and ‘let it go’. When it comes to Collies, with everything the further the better!
Why Mental Stimulation Is So Important for Border Collies
Before I go over the tips, I wanted to explain the importance of mental stimulation and why it is so important. The easiest way to think of mental stimulation is like exercise for the brain.
Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise, yet it often sits in the shadows and is forgotten.
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Origins of the Border Collie
Within the borders of England and Scotland, a dog breed arose from farms in that area. Since shepherding sheep was a difficult task at that time, they needed the help of the dogs. So when World War I ended, farmers imported Border Collies and used them to herd sheep, cattle, ostriches, pigs and even poultry.
The border collie is known for its agility, tracking and jumping abilities. They are also good police dogs because of their great sense of smell. This breed of dog was highly trained to detect substances, investigate arson cases and be part of search and rescue operations.