hmbmarohl Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi. We have recently adopted a 2.5 year old male (neutered) border collie and other than knowing they herd i dont know much about the breed. I've always had dogs, my entire life, mostly labs, in which I currently have a 3 year old female (also fixed). Sam (the border collie) has a enough energy to run circles around my lab (Molly). I live in an apartment, I know this not ideal for a BC but I take them daily to play in our dog park. My biggest question is what to do with his energy during those rainy days? Are there any good toys? He loves balls but those arent very good inside. I was thinking about getting him to frisbee, but for now we are working on fixing all the bad habits he has from his previous owners (yes hes been through a few homes now) and basic commands (come, down, stay) for now. I would apperciate any information or suggestions. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Thank you for adopting a rescue dog! One thing about Border Collies is that while they usually have a great deal of energy and are always up for some exercise, it is mental exercise that is probably more important and something that you can accomplish in an apartment or on a rainy day. They don't need "room to run" although walks and playtime at the park are great for their bodies and their social skill development. Working on basic manners and tricks is a great way to occupy your dog's mind, and benefit you both by helping him to become a mannerly dog. The basics of sit, down, stay, heel, come here, and so on are easy and worthwhile. You can also teach other skills like fetching, discrimination (learning the names of multiple items/toys), and "parlor tricks" or fun games. My dogs also enjoy raw bones that provide a lot of chewing fun and clean teeth as an added bonus. You can also get food/treat dispensers that help to stimulate your dog's mind and make mealtime (or crate time) more fun and entertaining. If you use treats to help train, keep something either on your person or in each room so that any opportunity that presents itself to train, becomes a training moment - no matter where you are. And you can practice recalls (come here) readily when you find yourselves in different rooms. Hide and seek becomes a fun game, and is a great way to teach a good stay and release. There are lots of people here who can help you with advice on training, games, and mental exercises for your dog. Very best wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 ^^ This Also agility is a fun sport a lot of us like to do with our border collies. The dogs love it as well. It can help create confidence and build a strong bond between you and Sam. Good physical and mental stimulation as well. Thanks for rescuing Sam! And welcome to the boards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome and congrats on the new rescue! My list of interactive toys below: Kong - both the regular Kong and the wobbler are hits at my house and their new product the Leo. The black kongs and the wobbler stand up to my serious chewer pretty good, so I keep them around. http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html Tricky Treat Ball http://www.omegapaw.com/tricky-treat-ball-products.html Nina Ottosson Toys (My favorite is the plastic Tornado) http://www.nina-ottosson.com/Dog-2.php And the Tug-a-Jug http://www.animalbehaviorassociates.com/toys-tug-a-jug.htm I'd make sure you're supervising with most of these toys until you know weather or not he's going to try and eat the toy or just get the food out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bn_here_b4 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Kongs are a big hit with my Jody. But lately his favorite toy is the orange tricky treat ball. He loves that thing. I don't buy the special treats for it. I put in regular dog food broken biscuit bits, or even pieces of chopped up carrot and apple. Last night he put the ball on top of his kibble and stared at me. I put some of his supper in the ball. He played and ate. When the ball was empty it went back in the bowl. He ate his whole supper out of the treat ball and entertained himself for quite a while. I am really glad I got that ball for him because he loves it so much. Best of luck with your new dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 I don't buy the special treats for it. I put in regular dog food broken biscuit bits, or even pieces of chopped up carrot and apple. Last night he put the ball on top of his kibble and stared at me. I put some of his supper in the ball. He played and ate. When the ball was empty it went back in the bowl. He ate his whole supper out of the treat ball and entertained himself for quite a while. With the tricky treat ball, the tornado, tug-a-jug and wobbler, I just use their ration of kibble, usually dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Thank you for adopting a rescue dog! One thing about Border Collies is that while they usually have a great deal of energy and are always up for some exercise, it is mental exercise that is probably more important and something that you can accomplish in an apartment or on a rainy day. They don't need "room to run" although walks and playtime at the park are great for their bodies and their social skill development. Working on basic manners and tricks is a great way to occupy your dog's mind, and benefit you both by helping him to become a mannerly dog. The basics of sit, down, stay, heel, come here, and so on are easy and worthwhile. You can also teach other skills like fetching, discrimination (learning the names of multiple items/toys), and "parlor tricks" or fun games. My dogs also enjoy raw bones that provide a lot of chewing fun and clean teeth as an added bonus. You can also get food/treat dispensers that help to stimulate your dog's mind and make mealtime (or crate time) more fun and entertaining. If you use treats to help train, keep something either on your person or in each room so that any opportunity that presents itself to train, becomes a training moment - no matter where you are. And you can practice recalls (come here) readily when you find yourselves in different rooms. Hide and seek becomes a fun game, and is a great way to teach a good stay and release. There are lots of people here who can help you with advice on training, games, and mental exercises for your dog. Very best wishes! Also this^...although the favorite play toy of my 15 month old, tag eared smoothie is whomever is our current foster. The best toys have a pulse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmbmarohl Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 thank you for all the replies! i do have some treat dispensing toys (our lab loves them as well) and sam likes them for a bit. but hes wanting to chew on things, and hes starting destroying one toy at a time. so i guess i need to get some super chew toys (and i thought molly was destructive haha). as for commands, right now we are working on "off", he puts his front paws and pulls himself up on everything. i know he just wants to see my face but it does get annoying when he does it all the time. haha. and tricks, we are working on "paw" (aka "shake"). again thanks for all the suggestions! i'll try to get a picture up as soon as he sits still long enough (lol), hes a very cute boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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