Border Collie - Information on Health, Care, Training, Food and Diet of Border Collie Dog

The Border collie is a dog that has been with the human race for a very long time starting out on the British Isles as a close companion of shepherds.



Though the breed originated in the areas of England, Scotland, and Wales there are many Border Collie mix dogs that have come up as a result of specialized breeding programs all over the world that have given rise to many sub-breeds. The dog is extremely affable and does everything that it can to please its owners.



It is very protective and close to those that it is familiar with. Being a dog that has been a constant companion of man at work, the dog has also evolved to becoming a workaholic.



This is, in fact, one of the important parts of Border Collie training that there must be more than just a basic emphasis on physical and mental stimulation during this time and as long as the dog is active. Border Collie information that is noteworthy is that only if you have enough space and activity for the dog to do should you invest in making this type of dog a part of your family. Most Collies are so adorable that people take them home without knowing how activity loving the breed is and end having to give it up for adoption.

Just like other dog breeds, this dog is also subject to some specific health problems despite it having a good average lifespan of over 12 years. Some of the common problems that this breed face are hip dysplasia, Collie eye anomaly, epilepsy, elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis or NCL, and trapped neutrophil syndrome or TNS, are some of the problems that Collies are prone to. Most of these diseases have no cure and take the lives of the dogs. However, over the years, there has been significant improvement in DNA mapping techniques to detect the genetic predisposition to these ailments. This means that the occurrences of these diseases reduce on a generational basis and hopefully might be eliminated altogether.

Border Collie dog food should be a special mix of high energy foods to accommodate for the dog's workaholic behavior. Reduction of cholesterol high foods like eggs and red meat is required as the dog grows older. Never feed your dogs scraps from the table.