attention-seeking border collie

Question
I have a 5 month, male Border Collie (he eats 3 times a day, 2 cups of Eagle Pack dog food and is mostly indoors). He is a very active pup and demands a lot of attention. We take him to the dog park as much as we can, which can be up to 5 days a week for an hour + each visit. He loves to play with other dogs at the park and he runs all over the park. In addition, my husband is home with him during the day and devotes play time every day. I play with him during the evening at least one hour each evening. He never seems to get enough. I am wondering if I need to set boundaries on play time. I know he is young, which is why we try to give him a lot of play time, but I am afraid that he will increase his demands. He is famous for following me around the house all evening and barking for at me for attention.  We love him dearly, so it is easy to give in and we know how much BCs need activity, so we are extremely conscious of that too. But how much is too much and how do we temper his activity level? Do you think he would benefit from having another (older) dog as a companion? My husband thinks it will be double trouble, but I happen to think that he may redirect some of his attention to a playmate.


Answer
Shelly, I commend you for owning such a high-energy breed. I have a working line German Shepherd that's 8 months old who drives me crazy sometimes and he has nowhere near the energy level of a Border Collie!

I don't think necessarily that getting another dog would solve your problem - your husband is probably right that it would be double-trouble, especially if you got another BC! Does he eat Eagle Pack regular or Eagle Pack Holistic? If he's on regular Eagle Pack, might I suggest trying the Holistic formula instead? Here's why: Regular Eagle Pack contains corn. Corn is a carbohydrate. Carbs are sources of energy, and corn often causes hyperactivity in dogs. With a dog as high-energy as a BC, additional hyperactivity is certainly not something they need! Dogs actually do not require carbohydrates at all, since they get all of their *usable* energy from protein and fat. Corn is often touted as a protein source, but in all actuality, dogs' digestive tracts are not long enough to digest corn and other vegetables, so its only use in dog food is to make the dog feel full, with a side effect of causing excess hyperactivity. Eagle Pack's Holistic formulas (which are all-life-stages foods, meaning they can be fed to puppies, adults, and seniors) do not contain corn, so you *should* notice a slight change in his activity level and stool volume just by switching from the regular to the holistic formula. Just something to think about. You could probably also cut him down to 2 feedings per day from now on.


Have you started any sort of obedience or training with him yet? Training is a wonderful way to bond with your dog and allow him to get out some energy without completely wearing you out. It also teaches him to control himself so he isn't just running amok all the time. If you haven't started training with him yet, I would suggest calling around to the local dog trainers in your area and see what they can offer. I'm not a big fan of group classes for dogs that are just starting out in training because the distraction level is so high that it makes it harder for them to learn. As a result, you and the dog become frustrated and little training actually takes place. I prefer one-on-one purely positive training (training with treats and praise and no corrections) to start out with, whether at your home or at the trainer's facility, and then when the dog or puppy understands what each command means you can introduce corrections in the form of a verbal "NO" and a leash pop on his collar (Either a flat collar, martingale, or training collar. I prefer the prong collar for dogs who need more than just a basic flat collar or martingale collar for corrections - choke chains are one of the most inhumane and dangerous training collars on the market today. If you'd like to learn more about this, let me know). Then, once he understands that he has to obey the commands or he'll be corrected, you can try group training to proof him under distractions.

You might also check into Agility, Flyball, Herding, Advanced Obedience, and/or Frisbee classes. This will give him an outlet for all that energy, and it's fun too! Border Collies excel in all five of these activities and sometimes you can win money and prizes at competitions!


Good luck with him and please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen