Border Collies require a significant commitment. They need to be on the go all the time, else they become lethargic and destructive. But what can you do about it? When you need to give your Border Collie more than just walks, these jobs might be able to help.
Great jobs for your Border Collie include water games, puzzle toys, and licking mats. Your Border Collie will be happiest when their day is full. Consider different activities, exercise options, and plenty of mental stimulation to keep your Border Collie happy.
Below, we’ve listed 20 different ‘job’ or activity ideas to help keep your Border Collie entertained and healthy. Because of the nature of the Border Collie, you might need to plan out multiple activities each day.
Do Border Collies Need a Job?
Border Collies were bred to be working dogs. They are great herders, agility dogs, and competition dogs. These athletic dogs require constant stimulation for their minds and exercise for their bodies.
According to the PDSA, your Border Collie requires at least two hours of exercise every day. That should be spread across multiple walks, runs, games, and activities.
Even when they are relaxing at home after a long day of play, they will need something to do. Because of this, giving them a job is essential. If you want your Border Collie to be fulfilled and avoid destructive behaviors sparked by boredom, they must have something to do. Border Collies need several jobs or activities to keep them occupied.
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Benefits of a Job for your Border Collie
Your Border Collie is extremely intelligent. On top of this, they are overflowing with energy. It’s not only beneficial to your dog to give it a ‘job’ or a host of activities – for a Border Collie, it is also essential. Their remarkable intelligence and ability leave the Border Collie unfulfilled if they aren’t working.
For a Border Collie, a job can mean the difference between being well-behaved and destroying your home. Most dogs need stimulation, and jobs are good for every dog. However, Border Collies often suffer without some type of work or a variety of activities.
A job can also give you a great bond with your Border Collie. Outside of avoiding boredom and using up energy, it can give your dog a confidence boost.
Engaging Toys for Your Border Collie
Selecting the right toys are another way to help cure your Border Collie’s boredom. I want to share with you a collection of toys that have helped keep my Border Collie both mentally sharp and physically active. These aren’t just toys; they’re essential tools to enrich your Border Collie’s life.
Interactive Treat Puzzle Toy
My Experience: A puzzle toy can transform a lazy day into a stimulating mental exercise for your Border Collie. This high-level puzzle toy is ideal for keeping their sharp minds engaged, presenting a fun challenge to uncover hidden treats.
Check out this puzzle toy on Amazon.
TRIXIE Mini Mover Strategy Game
Why It’s a Hit: Regular toys fall short for the intellectual needs of a Border Collie. This strategy game, featuring various levels and hidden treats, seriously gets them thinking and strategizing. It’s more than play; it’s mental gymnastics for your smart pup.
See this strategy game on Amazon.
Giggle Ball for Active Dogs
Personal Pick: Watching my Border Collie chase after this giggle ball is pure delight! Its unpredictable nature and engaging sounds keep them curious and on the move, ideal for indoor playtimes.
Find the Giggle Ball on Amazon.
Durable Squeaky Toy for Chewers
Essential for Chewers: Border Collies who love to chew will adore this toy. Beyond its durability, it’s perfect for keeping them occupied. Smearing a bit of peanut butter in the grooves turns it into a delightful treat.
Treat-Dispensing Puzzle Balls
Why I Recommend Them: These puzzle balls are a godsend for energetic days. They’re perfect for play and mental training, keeping your Border Collie rolling, thinking, and engaged, contributing to their overall health and happiness.
Explore these Puzzle Balls on Amazon.
Consequences of a Bored Border Collie
A Border Collie without proper stimulation can end up with severe behavioral problems. These include excessive digging or chewing. Boredom might also result in pacing, depression, barking, and regressing on housetraining progress.
A Border Collie who is left alone for long periods can also develop separation anxiety. More serious symptoms include vomiting, overeating, or aggressiveness can result.
While separation anxiety and boredom aren’t the same issues, they can both result from a bored or neglected Border Collie. To prevent your Collie from developing these symptoms (or tearing your house apart), they need stimulation.
Jobs and activities are the best way to provide your dog with the attention and exercise they need to fend off boredom.
20 Jobs for Your Border Collie
These jobs are great for your Border Collie. Keeping them occupied, entertained, and satisfied is easy with some of the activities listed below.
Backyard Jobs
1. Extreme Fetch
Border Collies love to make you happy. When they can do this and play at the same time, their day is made. Regular fetch games will keep your Border Collie interested for a while, but extreme fetch will last longer.
Throw more than one ball for them. Toss them in different parts of the yard. Once you’ve thrown multiple balls, place a basket near you and have your Border Collie bring all the balls back to the basket.
2. Obstacle Courses
Since Border Collies are great at agility sports, they’ll be amazing at obstacle courses. Set up various jumps and cones in your backyard. If you can, add hoops and hurdles to keep your dog entertained. Switch it up every so often and make sure to heap on the praise.
3. Free Running Course
Though it may not seem like it, free running can be a job for your dog. Border Collies need more free-running than most other breeds, so this is a great exercise for them.
Time them, set up ‘stations’ along the course and have them stop at them in order, or find another creative way to use all of that open space. Your Border Collie will love being worn out like this.
Water and Swimming Jobs for your Border Collie
4. Dock Diving
Dock diving is an exciting activity for your water-loving Border Collie. If your pup knows how to swim (and will chase toys), you can try this enhanced fetch activity. While there are competitions for this activity, many Border Collies are content just to run off a dock and dive into the water after their favorite water toy.
5. Swimming Lessons
Border Collies usually like water, but some must be taught to swim. You can take your Border Collie puppy to swimming lessons or teach them yourself. Make sure to include a life vest at first and remember that not all dogs like the water.
6. Puppy Herding
Border Collies are natural herding dogs but rarely get the chance to use that instinct. Unless you are going into herding competitions or own a farm, your Collie might never get to exercise this instinct. However, your Border Collie puppy might learn to love water and satisfy this instinct at the same time.
Fill a small kiddy pool with a few inches of water and place a dozen rubber ducks in the water. Your puppy will have fun herding them and trying to keep them in one spot – even if it takes some convincing.
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Indoor Jobs for your Border Collie
7. Clean Up
Chances are, your Border Collie will make a mess as they play with their toys. However, you can teach them to clean up after themselves – and they’ll love doing it. Teach them a command that will prompt them to gather up their toys and put them back in the toy box or basket.
8. Alarm Clock
Having trouble waking your kids up for school? Send your Border Collie in to do it! Your Border Collie will make the perfect alarm clock, and they will be undeterred by your kids’ protests. Their energy and boundless enthusiasm make them perfect alarm clocks for your kids of all ages.
9. Laundry
Laundry is the perfect task for your Border Collie. If you have a front-loading washer, you can easily train your Border Collie to load the washing machine. You might not want them to put the laundry in the dryer, but they can at least perform this critical step.
You can also train them to pick up wayward clothes off the floor, which is great if you have kids or a large family.
10. Other Housework
A trained Border Collie can help around the house a great deal. They can pick up after your kids, bring you tools that you need while you’re cleaning, and even throw your recyclables in the recycling bin.
You’ll be amazed at how much your Border Collie can help you with. Train them to perform any tasks that you want them to do!
11. Hide and Seek
Intelligence is the hallmark of the Border Collie, so hide and seek is a great game for them. Remember that Border Collies work on a cue. Teach them to sit and wait, and then give them the command to come to find you.
Your Border Collie will enjoy looking. On top of that, you’ll be surprised by how thorough your dog is during the search. Do this over and over to keep your Collie guessing.
12. Mealtime Toys
Challenging your Border Collie to work for their meals is a great activity for them. Some great toys require your Collie to spin, move, or flip the toy to get to their food. Turn mealtimes into a stimulating activity when you use one of these toys.
13. Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys are another way to keep your Border Collie occupied. The Classic Kong filled with treats or peanut butter is always a treat, but there are tons of other options. Some toys require your dog to find toys by moving flaps and other parts.
Keep in mind that the most difficult toys will likely be the most stimulating for your Border Collie. These toys alone won’t erase the need for your dog to exercise or have other things to do, but they can help.
Outdoor Jobs
14. Biking Companion
Border Collies enjoy going on long walks. For some people, those long walks are too much to handle. However, if you train your Border Collie correctly, they can be your biking companion. Some Border Collies enjoy trotting next to their owner’s bike. Keep a leisurely pace and your Border Collie will be able to keep up just fine!
15. Trail Dog
May hiking trails allow ‘trail dogs’ to accompany their owners during long hikes. You get to spend some time with your canine companion, they get the exercise they need – it’s beneficial for both of you. As long as you have trained your Border Collie to walk with you instead of pulling ahead, they can be a great trail dog.
They can carry their supplies as well. Many outdoor companies make dog-fitted backpacks so that your companion can carry their food, treats, and water bowls. A bonus? If something goes wrong on the trail, your dog may be able to get help or save you.
Training and Sports
16. Learning New Tricks
Border Collies excel at learning new tricks. They love the challenge of learning. They love how pleased you are when they get it right. Therefore, teaching your Border Collie a variety of tricks can be rewarding for both of you.
Any trick you can think of is perfect for a Border Collie. Try teaching them to ‘play dead’, ‘roll over’, and ‘sit’ – but don’t stop it there. You can also teach your Border Collie back up, jump through hoops, ring a bell, and move through obstacle courses.
17. Flyball
Flyball is a competition sport that combines hurdles, jumps, and tennis balls. It can be a great way for your dog to let off steam, and Border Collies excel at this sport. The agility focus combined with catching and retrieval makes this extremely stimulating.
Of course, Flyball is a trained activity. Your dog may not be into the competition, and the training is usually moderately expensive. If you are looking for a sport for your Border Collie, Flyball is always a great idea.
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18. Agility
Agility work is a great way to train and entertain your Border Collie. Of course, this may require special training sessions and an expert trainer. However, Border Collis are extremely easy to train and take to things very quickly.
Once your Collie knows the names for each jump, how to follow commands, and knows when to stop, agility competitions can be a great way to blow off steam.
Every Border Collie who is trained this way won’t go on to compete, but the training itself can fulfill their need for stimulation and exercise.
19. Flying Disc
Flying Disc is another great competition sport for Border Collies. Training for this sport is a little less expensive. With enough dedication, you can even teach your Border Collie to catch the disc yourself. There are plenty of resources for teaching your dog how to catch a flying disc.
Border Collies love this sport. You can take it to competition if you want, or you can keep it as a game you and your dog play together. Either way, your Collie will find it rewarding and it will keep them entertained for hours.
20. Herding Competitions
For the Border Collie, herding is a key part of their breed profile. They were bred to do this. Without an outlet for their herding instincts, your children and other pets may become part of their herding ‘flock’. A great way to combat this is to visit herding competition training centers.
Even if your Border Collie never makes it to a competition, the training itself can fulfill the instinct to herd. A session or two each week can save your family members from ‘herding’ duty.
Conclusion
Giving your Border Collie a job is one of the best things you can do for them. This breed is extremely high-energy and requires constant exercise and stimulation. A job can help fulfill these needs and keep your Border Collie happy!
Related Questions
Can Border Collies Be Left Alone?
Border Collies should only be left alone for short periods. If you are gone for more than 4 hours at a time, your Border Collie may become anxious, distressed, and destructive. If you are gone too much and don’t have someone check in, they can easily tear apart furniture due to their isolation distress.
How to Keep Border Collie Entertained?
Keep a Border Collie entertained by using puzzle toys, games, obedience tasks, and lots of exercise. Your Border Collie has boundless energy, so combine tasks to keep them occupied.
How Much Work Does a Border Collie Need?
In general, Border Collies need a lot of work. This can be spread across exercise, games, tasks, and activities. They need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation as well.
Can You Over Walk a Border Collie?
Adult Border Collies are nearly impossible to overwalk. However, Border Collie puppies (younger than 12 months old) should take shorter, less frequent walks. If you overwalk your Border Collie puppy before they are a year old, they can develop joint problems, structural problems, and more.
See Also
References
“Border Collie.” American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/border-collie/. Accessed 31 May 2021.
“Border Collie.” The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA. https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/medium-dogs/border-collie. Accessed 30 May 2021.
Star. “Jobs You Give Your Border Collie.” BC Boards, 20 Nov 2010. All About Border Collies, https://boards.bordercollie.org/topic/30064-jobs-you-give-your-border-collie/. Accessed 30 May 2021.
Sova, Jim. “What is Flyball?” North American Flyball Association, 2016. https://www.flyball.org/aboutflyball.html
“You, Your Dog, and a Flying Disc.” PetMD, 18 August 2015. https://www.petmd.com/dog/wellness/evr_dg_your_dog_and_a_flying_disc. Accessed 30 May 2021.
