If you’ve just brought a new Collie then the next step is training!  Read on to learn all about Border Collie training.

When to start training

There are many different aspects to Border Collie training.  Read on to learn when you should start training:

• Firstly, your Border Collie needs basic house training.  This includes potty training and crate training etc and should begin as soon as possible.  Ideally you should start this training from when they are a puppy and from when they first enter you home.  The earlier you teach your Boarder Collie the rules of your house, the better.
• It’s fun to teach Boarder Collies new tricks such as sit, stay, fetch and down and you may want to start teaching these as soon as possible.  However, it’s probably better to wait until your Border Collie is aged around three months old before you start this type of training.
• Border Collies are highly intelligent and can learn even more complicated tricks than the basic commands of sit, stay, fetch and down!  However, it’s best to wait until your Border Collie is at an age where they are able to understand better before you add complicated training.  The time for this would be when they are around five to six months in age.

The difference between obedience Border Collie training and trick Border Collie training

Two different types of Border Coller training are obedience training and trick training.  Read on to learn the difference:

• Obedience training involves teaching your Border Collie the rules of your house.  This includes teaching things like potty training and crate training.  Teaching your Border Collie that you are the leader of the household also comes under obedience training.  This involves showing your Border Collie that you are the leader of the pack/family.  By doing this your Border Collie will be more likely to behave and listen to you.  If you begin Border Collie obedience training early on then your Border Collie should be well behaved and will follow the rules of your house.
• Trick training should come after obedience training.  Border Collies are excellent at learning new things and will love trick training as it will keep them entertained and they won’t be bored.  It’s best to start with the easier tricks such as sitting, staying and lying down.  As you go on your can introduce more difficult trick training including rolling over, fetch and playing dead.  Trick Border Collie training is a great way to bond with your dog and a great stimulus for this intelligent breed.

Tips on Border Collie training

The following are some excellent tips that will make Border Collie training a whole lot easier:

• Border Collies love attention and will respond well to positive rewards such as affection, praise and treats when training.  Use these rewards when you’re your Border Collie does something correctly.  They will think they have done something well and will want to repeat the good behavior so they can continue getting rewards.  It’s important to never get mad at your Border Collie if they do something wrong.  This will just confuse them and will make the training process a lot harder.
• Another important Border Collie training tip is consistency.  For example if you teach your Border Collie to fetch by saying “fetch” do not change it to “fetch the ball” at a later date.  This will just confuse your Border Collie greatly and will make teaching the command more difficult.  Another example is having a house rule where your Border Collie is not allowed on the bed but then you let them on the bed one morning for cuddles – this isn’t being consistent.  So remember, consistency is the key!  If you don’t have this then you will just prolong the training process.
• Border Collies are always on the ball and like to know what is going on around them.  Therefore you need to make sure you have all of your Border Collies attention when training them.  Make sure you choose a time to train when there isn’t much going on.  The less distractions there are, the easier it will be for your Border Collie to concentrate.

Collies are extremely intelligent and you will be amazed at what they can learn from training, however it will take time and patience.  If you take the time to train your Boarder Collie you will have a fun, well-trained dog!