Are Border Collies easy to train? (detailed answer)

Have you got a Border Collie? Then you are at the right place. I, personally, have a Border Collie and have been training him for a long time.

It’s one of the most hardworking and talented breeds out there. If you give them some time and energy, then they will never disappoint you.

So, let’s answer the main question. Are Border Collies easy to train?

The difficulty level of training a Border Collie depends on the particular type of training you are aiming for. If you just want to teach him basic things like home rules, then it will be easy for you. On the other hand, for difficult tricks and commands, you have to put in a lot of effort.

How Long Does It Take to Train a Border Collie?

Now, you have an idea about the effort you have to put in to train a Border Collie. But you might have a question in your mind about how much time it will take to train a Border Collie.

The time to train a Border Collie depends on the different variables like the age of the dog and the type of training you are aiming for. It can take 1-5 months depending on the training you want to give.

When Should You Start Training Your Border Collie?

As long as your Border Collie comes to your home, start training straight away before he learns some bad habits. This will help your dog in learning home rules in a short period of time.

However, to train him with some tricks and commands, you should wait for some time until he learns some home rules. After the obedience training, you can start the tricks and commands training.

Qualities That Make a Border Collie so Easy to Train

There are certain qualities that contribute to training a dog. Border Collies contain most of these traits, that’s why they are so easy to train. Here are some of these qualities:

• Affectionate with family: Border Collies are very affectionate. In a short period of time, they fall in love with their owners. They obey their rules and can do anything to keep themselves with the owners.
• Openness to strangers: Border Collies attach to humans in a short period of time. If someone comes to your home frequently, then they will begin to recognize them as well. That’s why you can also hire a trainer to train your Border Collie. But I don’t recommend you to do this because training can help you in creating a strong bond between you and your little dog.
• Adaptability level: Border Collie adopts habits quickly. That’s why training is very important because if they adopt some bad habits in the early stages, then it will be difficult for you to change their habits.
• High energy: Border Collies are very energetic, that’s why they are always ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They spend most of their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day.
• Trainability level: When it comes to training, then Border Collie is the best bread. Because of their highest trainability level, most directors prefer to have a Border Collie for the role of the dog in movies.
• Extremely smart: When it comes to intelligence, then any other breed of dogs can’t compete with Border Collies. Dog experts widely agree that the Border Collie is an intelligent workaholic. They can learn many words and commands, and they are happiest when they are put to work every day.
• Responds well to praise: Border Collies respond well to praise. That means, if you praise them frequently for doing good things, then they will quickly understand that these are the good habits that they should follow. After some time, they will start doing these things to make you happy, and eventually, it will become their habit.

Types of Training for Border Collies

Here are two major types of training that you might want to give to your Border Collie:

1. Obedience Training

Obedience training includes some basic home rules. You might not want your dog to pop anywhere in the house. That’s why you should start obedience training as soon as your dog comes to your home.

For this purpose, you should teach him some easy-to-remember words. Like, whenever you say “Go to your room” he can recognize what you are expecting from him.

Here are some of the pieces of training that lie under obedience training:

• Sitting
• Going to a specific place for toilet
• Not sitting on bed or couch
• Go to their room on time

2. Tricks And Commands

Tricks and commands take more time than obedience training. However, you should not worry about it because Border Collies are usually fast learners.

This training includes some specific actions that you want from your dog. Like whenever you say “Come Here” he should understand it and should come to you immediately.

Following are some tricks and commands that you can teach to your Border Collie:

• Come here
• Bark On Command
• Shake hands
• Roll Over
• Spin
• Hug

What Do I Need to Train My Border Collie?

To be honest, you don’t need anything to start the training process. But as you move along the way, then it’s a great idea to take help from some gadgets. All the things that I’m recommending here are nice to have things, rather than essentials.

Here are some of the products that I’m personally using to train my Border Collie:

1. Ultrasonic Dog Whistle

I, personally, love this product. Basically, It’s a remote whistle that comes with a strap lanyard. So, whenever you blow the whistle, it will create a sound so that you don’t need to find your Border Collie after every few hours.

2. Halti Training Lead

It’s a must-have product for dogs that pull on the Lead. The Halti Training Lead provides versatility & control to prevent pulling.

3. Soft Mat – Dog Bed Mattress

Your dog needs a comfortable mattress for sleep. I have personally purchased this mattress. It’s a washable product that you can use for a long period of time. 

4. Dog Treat Pouch Bag

This dog treat pouch comes with a Poop Bag Holder. With the help of this bag, you can train anywhere with your Border Collie.  

How to Train a Border Collie?

In order to train a Border Collie, you should take some effective steps. Here are some of the steps that you can take to kick-start the process of training a Border Collie.

Step#1: Do Some Research About Your Dog’s Heritage

Understanding the past behavior of your dog and its heritage might help you a lot in the training process. By doing some research, you will be able to understand your dog much better.

There are some things that you can’t change. For example, you can’t expect from him that he should stay quiet all day, or he should not move from his living place. They are living species, and they have some of their own habits that you can’t change. So, get to know about these habits and bear with them.

Step#2: Be Firm but Gentle

Train your Border Collie just like you train your children. They are very human-friendly and sensitive. They like to play with their owners and want to stay close with them.

If they are happy with you, then they will be more loyal to you. By using some training games, you can make the training process a lot more enjoyable. So, while training them, don’t forget to play with them!

Step#3: Prepare Different Activities for Training

There are countless activities that you can add to the training process. These activities will help you in creating a strong bond with your new dog, and it’s a great way to work on some training skills.

These activities are not just related to Border Collies, but can be played with any dog. Here are some of the activities that you can do with your Border Collie:

1. The Come Here Game

In this game, you have to sit away from your dog. Ask your Border Collie to “come here” and when he comes to you, praise him like crazy. Now, wait for him to walk away, and then repeat these steps several times.

2. Pass the Puppy

This activity is similar to the Come Here Game, but it requires a group of people. In this activity, one man asks the dog to come here and give him a toy. After this, other people repeat the process.

3. The Which Hand Game

It’s a fun game to play with your dog. Place some dog food in one hand and ask your dog to guess. This activity is related to their smelling sense. It’s also good for teaching your dog some basic manners when it comes to dealing with food.

Step#4: Be Consistent

When it comes to training any dog, consistency plays an important role. When you train them regularly for a long time it remains in their long-term memory and eventually, it becomes their habit.

If it becomes their habit, then you don’t need to ask them again and again for regular tasks like eating meals on time and only popping in a particular place. That’s why while training your Border Collie, you should be consistent with the training plan.

Step#5: Stick to One Border Collie Trainer

If you are considering hiring a trainer to train your Border Collie, then you should stick with only one trainer. Different trainers follow different ways to train dogs. If you keep on changing the trainer, then it will be difficult for your Border Collie to follow these steps.

Some Precautions to Consider When Training Your Border Collie

Although Border Collies are very energetic and are always ready for new adventures, there are still numerous things that you should consider while training your Border Collie.

Here are some of the precautions to consider while training your Border Collie:

1. Don’t Expect Them to Behave Like a Robot

You might have seen in movies and shows that dogs behave according to their owners. To some extent, it’s a good thing. But if you always expect them to behave in a particular way, then it will have a bad impact on their health.

2. Give Them Some Rest

Rest is essential for their physical health. It helps their body to recover. Border Collie loves the training process, so they will never show you that they are tired. It’s up to you to give them some time to rest. So, following a timetable for training and sleep might help a lot in keeping your Border Collie fit and healthy.

3. Take Care of Their Physical Health

It’s a sad fact that Border Collies can’t tell you directly about their feelings. However, they can show you that they are in pain. Now, it’s up to you to understand their behavior and to recognize what has happened to them. If your Border Collie is not feeling well in the training process and not behaving well, then it’s a clear-cut sign that they are in some trouble. In this case, taking help from a Veterinarian might be a good decision.

The Bottom Line

So, are Border Collies easy to train?

Border collies are intelligent and energetic dogs that are easy to train, but they are also very sensitive and independent. If you have decided to get a border collie, make sure you have plenty of time to train him, as well as a good understanding of the breed.

This will ensure that you and your dog have a happy and fulfilling relationship.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, I hope it has been useful to you!