Games and toys for your Border Collie puppy are important as they are a substitute for their working instincts.
Chasing and retrieving toys gives them an outlet for their prey and herding instinct without the need to chase live animals.
Using appropriate toys and games will satisfy your Border Collie puppy’s psychological needs as well as giving it exercise.
It is your responsibility to ensure your Border Collie puppy uses good manners when it plays (no snatching or play biting).
Do not let play get out of hand but encourage social, acceptable behavior.
Make sure the toys you buy to play with are safe and will not harm your Border Collie puppy.....
Buy a Kong. It is durable and hollow so you can put treats and food inside that takes your Border Collie puppy hours of amusement to get out.
You can fill it with things like cheese or peanut butter but make sure they are not allergic to it first.
Something else you can do is puree some chicken with some chicken stock so it is like a paste.
Fill up the Kong, pop it into a plastic bag and freeze it.
If your Border Collie puppy is having trouble getting the food out, you can help it by scooping some out and be your pup’s hero.
Do not buy toys with parts that can off and hurt your Border Collie puppy if it swallows it.
Playing with your Border Collie puppy wears it out, stimulates its mind, helps you to bond and is a great way to teach it basic commands like sit, stay, leave it and wait.
These are the basic commands you want your Border Collie to learn quickly.
Fetch it is a great way to teach sit and wait as well as go fetch:
Tell your Border Collie puppy to sit, and wait. You may have to hold puppy gently in position so it understands to wait at first.
Get the toy and show it to your Border Collie puppy so it shows interest in it and then throw it a few feet.
As you throw it say something like “go fetch”. It does not matter what the words are but be consistent in using the same words.
You want your Border Collie puppy to associate the words with what you want it to do.
Your Border Collie puppy may instinctively go fetch it for you and bring it back.
If it does reward it every time it displays the behavior you want.
This tells your Border Collie puppy it is pleasing you and that is all it wants to do.
You are teaching your Border Collie puppy how to please you.
If your Border Collie puppy picks up the toy and runs off do not chase the pup. Instead, stop the game and walk away.
Take the toy from your Border Collie puppy when it leaves it lying around and put it away.
Try again later. Remember it takes a lot of patience, persistence, consistency, praise and reward.
If you want your Border Collie puppy to have a high ball drive, get a tennis ball and a knife.
Slice two lines down the side so you can squeeze it open enough to put treats inside.
Fill it up and throw the ball for your Border Collie puppy.
When your Border Collie puppy brings the ball back, open up the ball and let a few treats drop out as a reward.
You will have to encourage your Border Collie puppy at first and need to take the ball from it to teach it what you want from it.
Your Border Collie puppy will soon get the idea and bring the ball back to you every time.
Border Collie’s are highly intelligent and learn very quickly.