Border Collie SOS


	"MY COLLIE IS VERY ACTIVE!" Indeed. A Border Collie is a 'working dog'. Bred to work sheep, they will develop a 'working instinct' of some kind. They are all very active. If you think he's OVER active, check his diet. Some foods have a lot of additives, and these have the same effect on a collie that e-numbers have on toddlers with their bottle of fizzy pop. Get a good, working food or the special foods with no additives. You'd be surprised how much difference it can make. If you'd like some advice, just get in contact.
"MY COLLIE KEEPS BITING THE KIDS! HELP!" First we need to decide if this is an actual "bite" or a "nip". When a Collie is rounding up or guarding his flock, he often 'nips' at the sheep to move his target to where he wants them to be. If your collie has started to regard your children as his flock, then he will be using his instincts to 'nip' them. If he has taken them as his "flock", then he has placed himself in between the adults and the kids in the 'pack order', and feels he's in charge of the kids. You'll need to seek professional advice from a behaviourist to sort out the problem because it is important that the behaviour is seen so that it can be properly assessed.
	"IT'S NOT NIPPING - IT'S A REAL BITE!" If you think he is being aggressive and is really trying to bite them, then please in the first instance take your collie to the vet. Collies aren't predisposed to aggression, and on the whole are pretty personable dogs. If your dog seems to be aggressive in this way, or they seem to have had a change of personality, causing the aggression, then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your dog to the vet. Collies are prone to several conditions (such as hip displasia, Collie Eye, PRA, etc) which can cause pain, confusion and disorientation. You know how cranky most people get when they're ill? Sadly your BC can't tell you that they're in pain, and often this can be transferred as a change in personality, or an increase in aggression.
"WHY IS MY COLLIE CHASING MY CAT?" Dogs chase cats - and collies like to round up sheep. If a cat runs, a collie is likely to chase. Some collies chase 'em and some don't. With an instinct like that, you have to try and encourage your collie to see that the cat is his friend, and there are other more suitable things to chase - like tennis balls.
	Clicking on the Border Collie SOS logo at the top of the page will take you to our introduction page.