Owning dogs, especially providing care for the border collie, is a specialty of humans. Some zoologists say dogs were domesticated between 12,000 and twenty five thousand years ago—and that all dogs evolved from wolves. Since then, human beings have selectively bred more than 400 different breeds, ranging in size from four-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, whose three-ft stature has earned them the distinction of the tallest canine. But the most popular dogs are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The border collie is also a favorite choice with canine owners. Some owners are misinformed, however, of many important border collie care tips.
General cost of care for the border collie
The annual cost of rearing the border collie—including everything from food and snacks, veterinary care, toys and license—could vary between $420 and seven hundred eighty dollars. This is not even accounting for capital costs for spay/neuter operations, collar and leash, carrier and a dog crate. Tip: Make sure you have all of your supplies before you bring your border collie home.
General border collie Care
Feeding your border collie
- border collie pups between eight and twelve weeks old need 4 bowls of food in a twenty-four hour period.
- Feed border collie puppies three to 6 months old three meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- Feed puppies 6 months old to 1 year 2 meals daily.
- When the border collie reaches his first birthday, one feeding each day is sufficient.
- Some border collies, however, prefer 2 lighter servings. It’s your responsibility to learn your border collie’s eating tendencies.
Premium-quality dry dog food provides balanced nutrition for full-grown border collies and may be mixed with canned food, broth, or water. Your border collie may have a taste for cottage cheese, cooked egg, fruits and vegetables, but these foods should not add up to more than ten percent of her daily nutrition intake. border collie pups must be fed top-quality, name brand puppy food. Please cut down on “people food”, though, because it can cause vitamin and mineral imbalances, bone and teeth issues, and might lead to extremely finicky food choices as well as obesity. Give fresh, clean water only, and make certain to wash water and food dishes often.
border collie Care Tips: Make sure to give your border collie plenty of daily physical activity
border collies need daily physical activity in order to burn calories, recharge their brains, and maintain their health. Exercise also really helps border collies fight boredom, which often has the potential to lead to to destructive behavior. Physical activity can cure most of your border collie’s desires to dig, retrieve, chase, chew and herd. Exercise needs are dependent on your border collie’s level of health and her age—but 10 minutes outside and merely a walk around the block every day probably won’t cut it. If your border collie is a six to eighteen month adolescent, his requirements will probably be greater.
border collie Grooming
Frequent brushing will help keep your border collie clean and reduce shedding. Inspect for fleas and ticks daily during warm weather. Sometimes border collies don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Prior to the bath, cut out or comb any mats from the border collie’s hair. Rinse all soap out of the coat, or dirt will stick to the soap residue.
Handling Your border collie
Pups are clearly the easiest to handle. While carrying the border collie puppy, put 1 of your hands under the dog’s chest, either with your forearm or other hand supporting the hind legs and rear. Don’t ever try to grab or lift your puppy by the front legs, nape or tail. If you must pick up a bigger, adult border collie, pick it up from underneath, holding his chest with one arm and rear end with the other.
Housing the border collie
border collies need a comfortable quiet location in order to relax away from all breezes and away from the ground or floor. You may wish to purchase a doggie bed, or make one out of a wood box. Place a clean comforter, sheet, blanket, or pillow in the bed for cushioning. Wash your border collie’s bedding often. If the border collie will be outdoors much, make certain he has access to covering and plenty of cool water in hot weather, and a warm, covered, dry area when it’s cold.
Licensing and Identification for border collies
Your town has licensing rules to heed. Be certain you connect the license to your border collie’s collar. This, along with an ID tag, will most likely help you recover your border collie if she happens to go missing.
Info on border collie Temperament
border collie Training
Well-behaved, companion border collies can be a joy to raise. However, when untrained, your dog can possibly be a big headache. Training your border collie on the standards—”Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, and “Leave it”—bolsters your relationship both with the dog and your company. If you’re the owner of a puppy, start training her on the appropriate responses ASAP! Doggie snacks should be used as incentive and a reward. Pups can be enrolled in obedience class when they are adequately immunized. Call the community humane society or SPCA for details about obedience classes. Invariably you should keep your border collie leashed in public, even while a puppy. Be sure your border collie will come back to you whenever you tell him. An aggressive or disobedient border collie cannot play with other people.
Your border collie’s Health
border collies should see the veterinarian for a thorough assessment, innoculations and a heartworm assessment every single year, and immediately if she is sick or injured.
The Oral Health of Your border collie
While many of us may object to our border collie’s bad breath, it’s important to be aware of what it might be a symptom of. Foul-smelling breath is usually a symptom which means that your border collie is in need of a dental check up. Dental plaque due to germs brings a foul stench that demands treatment by a professional. After you give your border collie a professional cleaning, her teeth and gums may be be preserved in a healthy state by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. Your veterinarian can supply you with more guidance on eliminating oral disease and bad breath. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your border collie’s teeth. You can brush them with a gauze pad, a piece of nylon stocking stretched over the finger, or a soft, child’s toothbrush. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, sometimes affects border collies. This dreadful disease can sometimes initiate your border collie’s loss of teeth and also cause diseases throughout the body. The vet should clean your dog’s teeth as a regular part of your border collie’s health examination.
Halitosis (bad breath) in border collies
Although dental disease alone is not that big of a deal when caught early enough, bad breath may be indicative of more serious, chronic causes for concern. A sweet, even pleasant smell may sometimes be indicative of diabetes, while liver or intestinal diseases may cause foul breath. If your border collie’s breath smells of urine or ammonia, kidney disease might be the cause. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your border collie has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
Fleas and Ticks in border collies
When it’s warm, it’s important for you to perform daily checks of your border collie for ticks and fleas. Use a flea comb to find and remove fleas. There are numerous new procedures of flea reduction. Ask your vet about her options.
Heartworm problems in border collies
Your border collie is at risk of developing heartworms if she is exposed to lots of mosquitoes. The insect transports the worm from dog to dog. Several border collies die annualy as a result of heartworm infestations. Your border collie should have a blood test for heartworms each spring—this is important for catching infections from the prior year. A once-a-month pill given throughout the warm, wet time of the year will protect your border collie. Your border collie should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. In some of the more moderate areas, veterinarians advise preventative heartworm medication be taken continuously.
Toxins and Medicines
Please don’t give your border collie medicine that hasn’t been prescribed by his veterinarian. Are you aware that just 1 regular-strength ibuprofen caplet can easily cause ulcers in border collies? Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your border collie. If you have reason to think that your dog has ingested a toxic substance, notify your vet or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for 24-hour animal poison information.
Neutering and Spaying border collies
Female border collies should be spayed—which is the removal of the uterus and ovaries—and males neutered—extraction of the testicles—by six months of age. You will usually significantly reduce your female border collie’s breast cancer risk by spaying before maturity. Spaying also eradicates the possibility of a sick uterus, a traumatic problem in more mature females that requires surgery and intensive medical care. Testicular cancer, prostate diseases, certain aggressive behavior and some hernias can be prevented by neutering males.
Innoculating your border collie
- Your border collie pup should be immunized with a combination vaccine (called the “five-in-one”) at two, 3 and 4 months old, and again once per year. This shot protects your puppy from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. The border collie puppy’s immunization regimen cannot be finished before 4 months old.
- If you have an uninnoculized border collie older than 4 or five months, he must get a series of 2 immunizations 2 to 3 weeks apart, followed by a yearly innoculation.
- Your border collie pup’s innoculations should coincide with his socialization program. You may take your border collie pup to socialization courses as early as eight or 9 weeks old, as recommended by most veterinarians. They should have received their first vaccinations by then.
Since statutes vary around the country, call your local doctor to get information for rabies immunization. For example, in New York City, the law states that all pets older than three months must be vaccinated for rabies. The original rabies innoculation must be followed up by a subsequent innoculation a year later, and then every three years after that. There are many vaccines that are right for your border collie. Ask your border collie’s vet for his opinion. By the way, if your border collie gets sick because she is not innoculated, do not administer the immunization until the dog has made a full recovery.
Roundworms in border collies
border collies are often exposed to worms—especially in rural areas. Microscopic eggs produced by hookworms and roundworms are passed in an infected border collie’s feces. Most puppies, from all environments, even those with healthy mothers, carry roundworms or hookworms. An accurate, early diagnosis is the secret to treatment. This will ensure that the medication is effective against the worms your border collie has. A dewormer that eradicates roundworms, for example, cannot kill tapeworms. Your border collie’s doctor can best define the culprit—and decide the most effective medication.
Additional border collie Care Tips
Checklist of border collie Supplies
- Top-quality dog food and treats specifically for border collies and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water dish
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Comb and brush for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and identification tag
- Leash
- Carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Box or dog bed with quilt or towel
- Dog toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
Never, ever feed your border collie the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coffee, tea, or chocolate
- Grapes and raisins
- Moldy or spoiled food of any kind
- Onions, chives and garlic
- Poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems or unripe fruit
- Dough
The scoop on poop
Keep your border collie on a leash when you are outdoors, unless you are in a fenced-in, secured area. When your border collie defecates on a neighbor’s lawn, her sidewalk or any other public space, please remove and dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about border collies
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