Border collie care: exercise, downtime and dog sitting

A border collie needs more than a list of walks. Think about games, training and a familiar daily routine too. LICG describes the breed as intelligent and energetic, with a need for mental challenges. Your dog's needs also depend on their health, age, experience and individual behaviour.

Did you know?

The border collie comes from the border region between England and Scotland. The Raad van Beheer also describes the so-called “eye” used in herding: the focused gaze with which a dog influences sheep. This is a working background, not an invitation to let them chase cyclists or playing children during a stay. Source: Raad van Beheer: Border Collie.

Describe an ordinary day

Note when you walk, play, practise and rest. Include what works well on a walk and which situations need guidance, such as your dog's response to traffic, other animals or busy surroundings.

This is not about a daily schedule that suits every border collie. Show a sitter what is usual for your dog and discuss whether their own schedule fits. A large garden or a long walk is only part of what your sitter needs to provide.

Take herding behaviour into account

Border collies were bred to herd sheep. LICG explains that this herding behaviour may also be directed towards children, other pets or passers-by. Some dogs even chase traffic. Tell the sitter whether your dog tends to herd or chase others, and what guidance they need in those situations.

Explain which situations you recognise and how you normally manage them. Discuss who will be in the home, which animals live there and how supervision is arranged. Contact with children or other pets should not take place unsupervised. If your dog has a management plan from a professional, go through it together.

Stick to familiar games and training

Alongside exercise, border collies need mental activities. LICG suggests training, scent games and exercises at home, and recommends rewarding wanted behaviour immediately. Choose something your dog already knows and enjoys. For example, show a sitter a familiar searching game and which part of the usual food you use for it.

Explain the cues and rewards you use and how you start and end an activity. Helping your dog with an exercise they know is more useful than constantly introducing new ones during the stay.

Do not turn the stay into an intensive training week. Agree which activities the sitter will take on and which you will leave to yourself or a trainer. This makes the task clear without expecting the sitter to devise new exercises based on the breed.

Explain how your dog settles down

Explain where your dog usually sleeps and how they settle after an activity. What tends to catch and hold their attention? When do you leave them alone to rest? Also explain what you do when a day does not go to plan.

Ask about quiet spaces, other animals and the times someone will be present. Discuss beforehand whether your dog can stay comfortably in that setting. General statements about energetic dogs do not replace a meet and greet.

Pay attention to longer hair

A border collie can have a short or moderately long coat. LICG recommends regular brushing and extra attention to longer hair, such as around the ears, armpits, hind legs and tail. Show the sitter the approach that suits your dog and mention any areas where touch is less comfortable.

Include grooming explicitly in your arrangements. Provide the equipment and demonstrate a grooming session so the sitter knows what you mean. To build up that routine calmly, you can also use our tips for getting your dog used to brushing.

Feeding and health arrangements

Pass on the usual food, portions and rewards. Include food used during training or in food puzzles. Leave any instructions from your vet and check that the sitter can provide the agreed care.

LICG recommends combining the feeding guide on the packaging with the dog's condition and needs. An active breed description is not, on its own, a reason to give more food.

For medical questions, pain or changes in exercise tolerance, your vet is the person to contact. Do not decide how much a dog should eat or exercise based on breed alone.

Choose a sitter who can follow your guidance

During a Petbnb meet and greet, take the sitter to a place on your usual route where, for example, cyclists pass. Demonstrate your approach at a distance comfortable for your dog; do not provoke a reaction to test them. Agree a quieter alternative route too. At home, you can then demonstrate a familiar searching game and how you end it.

For example, ask:

• How would you create space if my dog started focusing on movement?
• What quiet place is available after a walk or searching game?
• Can you follow my existing approach without starting new exercises during the stay?

The pet sitter checklist helps you complete the practical handover.

Sources

• Raad van Beheer: Border Collie — Origin in the border region of England and Scotland; characteristic crouching movement and eye when herding.
• LICG: Border Collie — herding behaviour, mental challenges, rest, reward-based training and grooming.
• LICG: feeding your dog — general guidance — complete food, life stage, individual portions and rewards.
• LICG: holidays when your pet stays at home — suitable care and written instructions.