Exactly How Much Exercise Does A Border Collie Require?

I'm getting a Border Collie pup before the summer, & whilst I'm perfectly happy to offer them plenty of physical & mental stimulation, I am unsure about just how much excercise they need per day, on average. I know it's more than two hours, but some tips from Collie owners would be a great help.Also - how well do Border Collies cope with rodents, if they are raised with them from puppyhood?Many thanks. (:Don't worry about the city thing. I live in a small town in the UK right by the sea.I plan on taking part in agility, herding & frisbee, yes. I've already been researching the breed for a good six months, so with all due respect, -I know what they were bred for & plan to do it.-

The people who make the most satisfied Border Collie owners are people who:1. enjoy spending alot of time with their dogs2.are willing and able to make the commitment to exercise and train in some way every day3.are very active, enjoy jogging, hiking, taking long walks with their dogs4.who don't mind living with a busy dog, even after alot of exercise, even if they are tired from a long day at work5.and, most importantly who have a real job for these dogs to do, whether it's at herding, dogs sports, whatever.Border collies love to run and play- they are definitely NOT dogs you should have in the city.... they need lots of freedom to be able to run and play.I am not sure about the rodent thing though......

LOTS LOTS LOTS LOTS LOTS of activity...remember they were bread to be farm dogs and if there is not a job for them to do (herd cattle/sheep) then they can become real bord real fast. they are highly intelligent...some would say more so than the german shep. (police dog) So that makes it even more important to make sure she has mental stimuli every day of her life...even on the weekends.if you are not on a farm and she cannot have free reign on the property..I would say 2-3 30min-1hr walks a day plus that many trips to the park to play ball and run ...also, consider signing her up for obedience..adult classes her whole life and agility classes...take her wherever you go..car rides and work if possible.

they don't need continual activities but about 20 mins of play and running around a few times a day will keep them busy and happy. get a lot of toys and balls and frizbees for chasing and set a daily routine that the dog will look forward to and he will get plenty of exersize and know when play time arrives.rodents are another thing since most dogs want to grab and eat them and even birds will be on the menu so keep any pet mice or rats away from him. my b c loves to play with empty soda bottles that she can toss around and squish and she loves her walks and runs around the yard. i have 2 other dogs that she plays with but she can get pretty dominent with them and wants to be boss most of the time.as ur pup gets use to activities and the routines u will know when he needs to run around and with house pets they are not as active as b c s that herd sheep and cattle. good luck

I don't have a collie but I have a german shepherd (also a herding breed) and i can tell you more,more,more will never be enough.I live on a 300 acre fruit orchard and my dog works 24 hours a day running through the orchard every time he hears a noise (to keep out deer,bear,raccoon,etc.)I still have to mentally exercise him with something new everyday!If hes not being mentally stimulated all the time he will absolutely drive me crazy!Seriously think about it long and hard if your up for this.They are bred to run non stop for hours a day.Its not a rat terrier so your rodent should be fine.

25 push-ups and 50 crunches should work nicely. jkEver dog is different with different needs. There is no way to say *exactly* how much.As a rule of thumb they need quite a bit, but 2 hours/day probably will not happen in the average BC home. The reality is that a 20 minute run can burn more calories than a 2 hour walk.

Good for you that you are doing some preparation and making sure you are ready when you get the dog. That is being very responsible!Basically, you can never give enough exercise or activity to a Border Collie. Check into a good training club in your area that has a good variety of classes and activities you can participate in. Look into herding, agility, obedience, tracking, flyball, disc dog, swimming, etc. A Border Collie is one of those breeds that can do it all. Your only limitations will be your time and money. Other than that, go for it. You will have a lot of fun with your pup. Can you take your dog with you during the day? They will love it. Border Collies are not great being left alone for long periods of time. If so, they will rearrange the furniture and then rearrange it again and again and again. If you can't take the dog with you, look into doggie day care places or a dog walker to come by around the middle of the timeframe when you will be gone. This will give the dog something to look forward to and not be so bored. Border Collies are easily bored. Type A ADD dogs. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at jackie@the socialpet.com. Good luck

They are a VERY high energy breed, but it seems you already know that. They are also VERY driven, and Like mental stimulation and a Job if you can give them one.While I don't have a Border Collie, my Fiance and I have a 4 month old Aussie pup...both breeds are high energy herding dogs, so the situation is similar.We give Vash 2 45min-1hr walks a day. Once in the Morning and Once at night. Walking is one of the best ways to burn energy in a dog...This walking is also done with my Fiances Large Lurcher who is a young adult...My Dachshund gets walked differently (Little Legs)Vash also gets about 25 mins of free running in an enclosed field. We play fetch with balls and frisbees when we are playing then.We also do a couple 15-20 min training sessions working on commands and what not. They are intelligent dogs (both breed) so LOVE the mental stimulation.Puppy agility classes would be the way to go, especially if its summer...We plan on doing this with Vash. Its supposed to be good with training and good with bonding you and your dog, as well as giving the dog a job and burning energy.As for the rodent thing...if he is taught from a pup, that they belong in the house and to not "play" with them, then it should be fine. Just watch both of them to be safe.Edit: These dogs also need socialization, so once its done with its shots its best for you and the dog to get out there and meet new people, dogs, and situations. This is the best way to have a good well rounded dog!

Please do what Border Collies are bred to do, herd sheep.

More than two hours? You bet. Exercise isn't enough- BC's need physical AND mental stimulation.Your best bet would be to find a herding instructor or participate in an agility class. Even then, you are going to need to take your dog on walks, have individual training time- the more silly tricks the better, etc.! I hope you are getting your Border Collie from a reputable breeder. Good luck.

Nice I say a Border collie is an active dog. Since your up for it go for it! The beach is a great idea so it can run around and stuff good luck

Take it for an hour brisk walk or run in the morning. Then in afternoon go to the beach and let him or her run for it (as long as she knows the command "come). Collies are brilliant at obstacle courses and dog agility, so I would highly recommend doing that. You can buy agility sets that you can set up in your own garden for the dog to practice and it helps with their need for mental stimulation. You can also join agility clubs, meet other dog owners and enter competitions.If you work, get someone to come in during the day to walk your dog or else it will get distructive or if she/he escapes will enjoy chasing cars/people/sheep/other animals.Collies can be good with other animals if raised, but may enjoy herding them. Shouldnt be a problem if you supervise.There are also dog parties. People with dogs meet up at a dog park regularly, let the dogs socialise with their friends and the people socialise with their friends too :)Collies are the type of dog you can take everywhere, as long as dogs are allowed.

These breeds are not only playful and energetic, they're so intelligent too! That's why they need a lot (I really mean a lot!) of mental and physical stimulation. If I were you, I'd set my mind first on housetraining. Take a look at this, http://dogtime.com/housetraining-for-puppies.html.This one's about Border Collie, http://dogtime.com/border-collie.html

Congratulations on your first BC!Border's are an amazing breed, simply like nothing else out there. If you are getting yours from a reputable breeder, hopefully you have gotten a chance to meet the sire/dam and litter mates. The first BC I picked out myself has a great off switch. He is the only one (out of my 5) who is content laying around for a few MINUTES. =) All of my BC's are high drive, high energy, crazy, fearless, neurotic, and unstoppable. I live on 26 acres with an indoor/outdoor facility simulating agility, dock diving, Frisbee, and fly ball so I am covered for all weather times. Without this, I would have most likely entered them into my rescue group! It really depends on how much time you will give them, NOT how much time to they need. Yes, count on setting aside a MINIMUM of 2 hours a day. But a BC will keep going for as long as you do.I run my BC's through a 45 min session of each sport, and a good hour of herding, and 30-45 min run when they "help" exercise the horses with my husband. After all of this, they still want MORE.Border collies were bred to run 5+ miles a day and still be ready for more action. That's what makes them such good competitors in our society today, as not many people have easy access to livestock. Border collie's can cope well with rodents if they are raised from puppyhood, but they should still NEVER be left alone with them. I have 4 (I think) cats that live in the barn, and the barn is OFF LIMITS when we are not in there with them. None of my BC's would hurt the cats, but I still refuse to take that risk. I suggest you get every book you can, read it, spend as much time with the owner of the dam when she has her puppies, and search for a good trainer in fly ball, Frisbee, agility or herding. Being in the UK, I'm sure you could find someone with sheep =)

Everyone gave you good insight on exercise. And congratulations for your thoughtful consideration before choosing a BC. I think you will do fine!Re: the rodent thing. Each dog is individual. BCs do have a lot of prey drive, stimulated by moving things, however this prey drive is not necessarily a "kill" drive. Many BCs that have a lot "eye" will become fixated and rather freeze. Many will naturally try to do an outrun to head off the running animal to stop it rather than actually chase it.My daughter has guinea pigs and Wren will lay in front of the cages staring at them forever, unless there is something more interesting happening. She has never tried to "get" them. Just lays and studies them. My daughter has had the "piggies" out when Wren has been in the room and she has never gone for them, though we keep a VERY watchful eye. When out for leashless walks around the farm she has kicked up cats, ground squirrels and rabbits and only once did I need to call her off, usually she stops and looks at me for direction.Training a perfect call off and recall is most important in all dogs.Also, teaching your pup to "settle" (stop playing, mellow out) is imperative.

There is not really a time amount required for exercise with Border Collies. Most of them require a JOB to do during the day so they can deal with their high energy in a positive way. Even if you do not have sheep for your dog to work, you can still handle your dog's high drive and energy.For instance, you can take the dog for an exercise session in the morning, afternoon, and evening.Some ideas for stimulation are:Long walkJogBike-joringSkate-joringAgility PracticeObedience PracticeWith these two, if you sign up for a class for Agility or Obedience, these class sessions count as a physical and mental stimulation for the dog. It works out the dog both body and mind. Once you learn the basics of Agility or another dog sport such as flyball or disc dog, you can practice at home or at a park and it too works out the whole dog.Sounds like you live in a great area where you can find a nice field to practice Obedience off-leash skills and sport skills all at once.Here is what I do with my Australian Shepherd, a similar breed....and he is VERY high drive.First he gets to herd the neighbor's sheep for about a half hour every morning around 6 am. That takes care of him until I get back from work about 6 pm. Then we practice Agility for a while, usually the weave poles or contacts.Last, we all go for a long walk in the evening, more like a hike on the city trails, all three dogs together.And on the weekends we are usually out and about doing something fun, such as a doggie event, Agility trial, some sort of class he is helping me teach, etcetera.

Border collies require about at least two hours of daily exercise, but also require some mental exercise like training.Some border collies may require more or less exercise depending on the dogs age and how fast they get tired.i know a border collie who is actually lazy and doesn't like extreme physical exercise.border collies are NOT hyperactive, people who can't handle this kind of dog call them this.And they will usually get along with other pets as long as they meet each other at a young age, but don't force them to approach each other as soon as you bring your dog home.border collies are also herding dogs which means that they try to heard small children and animals, put this can be avoided with training.Good luck with yourpuppy!Im getting a border collie puppy too in May!

well your in the right directionborder collies need atleast 2-3 walks a day for about 10-15mins from 3months to 7monthsthen about 30mins x2 a day and extend for the age i say about a year you can take them about 1hr + a day around about 5km once a day or twice in 2.5km short distances im not sure what the conversion is in america or canadaand constant attention , or will destory things trainingobediance/agility would be a great ideafrom a young ageonce it learns the basics is a good ideatime commitment is a Must , you must spend alot and alot of time with a border colliejust cause you have done research dosnt mean its gonna be an easy ride its gonna be hard work time and effort lots of it but will pay off in the long run for youthey are easy to train also if you put the effort into it Hope You Will Consider it all , and basicly if you get one Have Fun with it enjoy its time and company and remember be best FRIENDS :DHope this helps