Outdoor Play with a Border Collie Puppy

Border collies have a high energy level and do best in an environment with space to roam and run. Make sure that their outdoor space is well-secured, as they’re known to be quite escape-artists. Before taking your puppy to a dog park to play and socialize, the pup should be well-accustomed to his new home, and received all sets of vaccinations. Let’s explore in more detail the first steps to the outdoor play for your new best friend.

Provide Environment to Accommodate Their High Energy Level

Border collies have a high energy level and do the best in an environment with space to roam and run. Because of this, they are not suited well for apartment living. Border collies were bred to herd and protect livestock. The breed is most recognized for working with sheep. While some border collies still work on farms and ranches, many have since transitioned into loving family pets. They were bred to be both hard workers and very loyal. Their loyalty and intelligence make them great pets and they can be great protectors of small children.

Secure Your Yard!

Being both high-energy and smart, border collies can be great escape artists! Make sure your fence is secure. Check once, check twice, and then check again for any gaps or holes your little one could squeeze through. Some border collies have even been known to open gates; make sure yours is secured well to avoid the dog literally letting himself out!

Supervise The Outdoor Play

When taking your border collie puppy outdoors, make sure he is always supervised while exploring his new backyard. First your puppy may seem timid or even a little scared. Snapping sticks, crunching leaves, the wind whistling may all be new noises to your little one that he can’t understand.

Remember, everything is new to your puppy, and he will need time to adjust. Even smells you may not notice may upset him. Make sure he knows you will protect him.

A good tip would be to walk with him but keep a few feet distance. This will make him feel like he isn’t alone but will give the puppy some independence to allow his curious self to explore with supervision. He will check out bushes, trees, lawn ornaments, really whatever he can find! Let him sniff around and check everything out.

Stepping To Training

Once your new little one has moved past the stage of checking out his surroundings, he may want to run, jump, and just play.

The first thing to work on is to teach the puppy to come back to you. They must learn a command that teaches them to return to you. This will make your life much simpler with your new little one!

Border collies are smart – very smart, again this goes back to what they were bred to do. They enjoy being intellectually challenged and you may begin working on obedience tricks very early. Sit, lay down, and stay are great commands to start with.

You may also try to teach your new little one to play fetch or tug-of-war. When playing tug-of-war with your border collie puppy, make sure you always win. You need to teach the puppy to “let-go” of the item you are playing with. Say “let go” very strongly and wait until the puppy releases the toy. Then pet the dog and give him some love to help him know he did a good job. This teaches that you are the master – if you let the puppy win, he will think he is the boss! You want to avoid this early.

Since border collies have a lot of energy, they might also enjoy agility courses. This again goes back to their herding and working nature. With their natural instincts, they can do very well at this and can even compete if you would like. Even if you prefer them not to compete, agility courses are a great physical and mental exercise for your furry friend. Border collies also tend to be great swimmers and enjoy a dip in the pool on a hot day.

Make Sure the Puppy Doesn’t “Overexercise”

As noted, border collies are natural herding dogs, meaning they like to work! Make sure you set limits with your new puppy, as border collies can “overexercise.” Their little bodies don’t know when to set limits to stop when they get tired and can overwork themselves. Make sure to bring the puppy inside if you notice him getting overworked. Also, puppies will overexert themselves in the heat and cold, so watch for that too.

Puppy’s Immune System

An important thing to note is that all puppies have a very limited immune system – just like a newborn baby. New puppies have not had an opportunity to build up their immunity so do not take your new border collie puppy to the dog park or invite all your friends over to meet your new family member. While it may be tempting to show off your new little one, hold off until your young border collie has adjusted to his new environment. Once the pup has become accustomed to his new home, stress will go down and the puppy will begin to develop his immunity. After the puppy has received all sets of vaccinations, feel free to introduce him to your circle of friends and family!

Border collies are a fun breed that enjoys outdoor play very much. Take your new little one outside and enjoy the time with your puppy’s day of outdoor play!