| TRAINING BORDER COLLIE PUPPIES |
Border Collie’s are incredibly intelligent and responsive dogs, but they need to be trained as puppies
to ensure they as are well behaved as you would like them to be. They thrive on praise and are very
trainable, and you will have fun whilst teaching this breed of dog.
The earlier this dog is trained, the more obedient it will be later on in its life.
When training a Border Collie puppy, you need to speak to the dog as you would speak to another
human being, talk to it normally, in a conversational tone. This is because, you will use different tones
of your voice for different things. For example, when you are disappointed with your Collie, you will use
a low tone, almost a growl to discipline him or her. The way you use different tones will allow your dog
to realize when it has been a good dog, and when it has been a naughty dog, and if taught early
enough, it will understand this for the rest of its life.
When you want your Border Collies attention, try to whisper to him or her. It will encourage your dog to
pay attention more closely, and it will begin to understand when you whisper its name, you want its
attention. When your dog isn’t being well behaved, you should never smack him or her, this will just
frighten your Collie and it will grow up to be less responsive. You should learn to say “No!” in a low
voice, almost to the point of being a growl. Then walk away from the dog and he or she will learn that
he has done something wrong and will come running after you for another chance. This is when you
should repeat whatever it is you have been trying to train him, and when he has completed the task
successfully, give him a treat and a lot of praise. This is the easiest way to teach a Border Collie puppy.
Most Border Collies will happily learn, and will pick up the tasks fairly quickly. However, you may need
to use a “Training Stick” or “Pinch Collar” initially to enable him or her to get the hang of learning. A
Training Stick can be made quite easily at home, with the aid of lentils of nuts in a tube or plastic bottle.
Tap the bottle at your Collies feet and it will startle him but it will not scare him. A Pinch Collar is
specifically designed to act in the way a Mother dogs jaw works when carrying the pup in her mouth.
You shouldn’t really use the Pinch Collar before the age of 8 months, and you should seek the advice
of a professional before using it.
All in all, teaching a Border Collie is easy and a lot of fun, but you need to be aware that a lot of time
will need to be dedicated to train your pup. If left to its own devices, with no training or guidance, you
will find that you dog will happily destroy everything in sight out of sheer boredom. They enjoy learning
constantly and also the praise a master will give when he or she has done something right!
| Pam's Dog Academy Serving all of San Diego Area |
