Professional Training Of The Border Collie
The Border Collie is one of the best known breeds in the world of pets, with its renowned intelligence and versatility in carrying out tasks of a different nature.
In order to bring out all the characteristics of this breed, the ideal is to provide it with adequate training to meet all its needs. Today we will talk to you about the topic of professional training for Border Collies.
To start
Keep in mind that the best phase to train a dog begins when the puppy is between 3 and 6 months of age. In this period, in fact, his brain is already developed enough to understand the various orders that you are going to teach him.
First of all, always learn to observe the behavior of your pet : it is important to understand immediately if his attitude is dominant or submissive, a tendency that can affect the results of the training or the commands you try to teach him.
If you have already trained a dog, it is advisable to apply the same principles that you have used before – in other words, reinforce the aspects that make you a good trainer and eliminate the attitudes that have negative consequences.
Also remember to choose the items or accessories that best suit the breed and activity you want your pet to learn. For example, a clicker for obedience exercises or a leash of the right length for canicross.
Begin the exercises
Border Collies are very intelligent and are able to understand many of the things we ask of them, so it is essential to learn how to correct any unwanted action right away.
What is meant by obedience exercises? Those exercises aimed at teaching the dog to respond when we call him by name or to stop jumping on people as soon as he sees them. For this type of training you need to use the right tone of voice to indicate what is good and what is bad.
Remember that if you train him since he was a puppy, the animal will learn from you constantly, so you could risk imprinting him with inappropriate attitudes. The best thing is to teach him one thing at a time so as not to confuse him and prevent the dog from stressing, compromising the lesson.
Think about the type of business
First decide which sport you want your Border Collie to learn to perform with grace and agility, then determine which exercise to teach him so that he develops one area rather than another.
For example, for sports such as agility or canicross, exercises that strengthen the dog’s lung capacity and physical endurance are essential. Their goal is to prevent the dog from getting tired in the face of accelerated rhythms, risking to perform some movements poorly.
The secret to making the exercises you teach your dog have concrete results is to do them daily, so be consistent with your training. However, do not overdo the intensity, otherwise you risk exhausting the animal and taking it on the wrong path.
Take advantage of his intelligence: doing scent research with him is a great way to stimulate his mind and reinforce his skills as a hound. It is also important to constantly stimulate his mind with brain games.
Border Collie training according to age
During each phase of its life, the animal is more inclined to learn certain exercises with simplicity; this depends on his ability to understand what we ask him and what interests him based on his age.
For example, a puppy is led to learn basic lessons such as sitting, lying down or in some cases keeping quiet. This is the right stage to give him a smattering of how to behave politely.
By the age of four or five months, the animal is already predisposed to learning more complex actions, such as spinning, jumping and even barking when ordered or going to the streets instead of at home.
After the first year of age, the professional training of the Border Collie is freer, as the animal is able to learn anything. Always keep in mind that each specimen has its own personality that will determine the outcome of the teachings.
Never forget to make use of positive reinforcement: terms such as “good, well done” will have great benefits, as well as giving him a reward at the end of each successful session.
