Border Collie Training Secrets

One of the smartest of dog breeds, the border collie is not a pet for the faint hearted. It is a lively and obedient breed that can be easily trained. Border collies were bred to work, however, and need a job to help burn nearly endless wells of energy. If you live an active lifestyle, have a yard to play in and time to dedicate to training a border collie, it can be a joyful, constant companion for the 14 years of its life.

  1. Exercise, Exercise and More Exercise

    • Probably the biggest key to having a well-trained border collie is giving her plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. These dogs are easily bored, and even a border collie that has completed basic obedience can be destructive when she tries to entertain herself. A tired border collie is a well-behaved border collie. Take your border collie for at least two walks, a half-hour to 45 minutes every day. Play games in the yard, go jogging together or enroll your adult border collie in a sport such as agility. Giving your border collie physical and mental challenges will keep her from developing destructive behavior problems and help her stay happy and obedient.

    Don't Be a Bully

    • Border collies don't like to be bullied. They were bred for intelligence and to work with shepherds to keep herds in order. Your border collie expects to be treated fairly and with respect during training. It won't respond well to negative reinforcement or punishment. Use positive reinforcement to train your border collie. Reward him for obeying a command. You can even use treats to show him exactly what you expect, by luring him into position. Rather than punishing mistakes, reward your border collie for listening to you when you correct it. Interrupt unwanted behavior with a noise and then give your border collie praise and a treat for listening if he stops the behavior.

    Understand Your Border Collie's Personality

    • Like humans, border collies are individuals. Some are outgoing, some are shy, some are bossy and some are inquisitive. Knowing your border collie is important to her training. If you know what your border collie likes and dislikes, you can find the rewards that will be most motivating and the most effective as training rewards. Does your border collie prefer a game of fetch to a dog treat? If so, you may want to bring a tennis ball along to a training session. Your collie's personality will also determine how you hold your training sessions. They should always seem like a game to your collie, but for a dog that has a shorter attention span you may need to hold five-minute sessions as opposed to ten-minute sessions.

    Socialization

    • Though border collies are generally friendly, it is important to socialize them to keep them from fearing new people or situations. Introduce your collie to other dogs, as well as to friends and children. Take your dog for walks through the city to expose him to sights, sounds and smells. Keep treats on hand when you know he will be facing a new experience. Reward him for being calm and brave. This will teach him that new experiences are enjoyable rather than intimidating. If you notice a situation that does cause stress, slowly expose him to that stimulus from a distance at first while rewarding him for being calm. If he can't handle it, remove him from the situation. Don't coddle or baby him when he acts fearful or you will reinforce his fear.