Border Collies: The Smartest Dogs around

Border Collies have to be active. As a psychologist, I would say that almost every BC has Hyperactivity Disorder WITH a great Attention Spam. I have never seen any other dog have so much fun during playtime. No wonder these dogs are Top Herding dogs and win almost all the Dog Contests.

When working in the field, your voice will not travel far. That is why we have the Border Collie Whistle.

Here are some useful commands you need to teach your BC before starting to use the whistle:

Come Bye--Orders the dog to move clockwise around the flock.

Away--Orders the dog to move counter-clockwise around the flock.

Lie down--Upon this command, a well-trained Border Collie will instantly lie flat on the ground even in mid run.

Walk on--Instructs the dog to walk straight toward the sheep which, in turn, causes the sheep to walk straight away from the dog. An experienced Border Collie will correct itself to the left or right in order to drive the flock in a straight line.

Steady--This command is used to slow the dog. Some shepherds have a whistle command that combines "Walk-On and "Steady."

Look back--When parts of the flock are separated, this command tells the dog to divert its attention from one part of the flock to another.

On your feet--Tells the dog to move from a lying to a standing position.

That'll do--To a Border Collie it means come here, the work is finished.

Throw away your cheap dog food and buy a good brand. I would suggest Science Plan Hills Lamb & Rice. Never give food out of a can. Start giving him food twice per day, after you have eaten. Follow the amount of food per weight and DO NOT OVERFEED! Then, get some sneakers and start running with your dog.

If Pitbull, then Okay.
If Puppy, then something is wrong.

The problem is probably socializing. Do you always keep your dog away from other dogs? Did you lift him up as a puppy when another dog was storming your way?

Just let him play with other dogs. Sometimes it looks rough, but that is how dogs play. The owner of the other dog does not want his/her dog damaged as well, so you both have a responsibility!

And... Please don't yet your BC wear a sweater!

This is avoidance. Your dog cannot handle the stress. Work with less sheep or stop training for the moment and work with your dog on the basic commands first.

I used to use a radio control truck as a target for one of my afraid dogs.

And... some border collies just don't like to work -> 1 out of 10 Million! You made a great buy!