If you are outdoors with him, that should be enough to keep him happy, provided he is not on a lead. They love to run around exploring. For the indoor times, I find a large variety of toys is needed ranging from ropes to chews.

For the most part, yes. They have a thick undercoat and then long wavey and eventually shaggy overcoat (by dead of winter). But it can be trimmed down to the undercoat for a "summer haircut". Makes the dog look "funny" for about 3 months before the hair starts to outgrow the undercoat The natural shedding usually starts around late June/early July. But if you give it a summer haircut, get it in early May, so by the time October rolls around they have their winter coat well on its way to flilling out.

Absolutely. The long wavey hair is very soft to the touch even for older dogs. My 8 year old Border Collie mix has a lovely coat of hair at medium length. Gets a little coarser as he gets his full winter coat, but for the most part, it soft through-out most of the year.

i have a long haired border collie and is fur is lovely to stroke.

I have a Border Collie, and he is so soft, even when he gets dirty.

Dogs have what is known as a reflecting tapetum located behind the retina in the eyes which captures light and reflects it back at the retina giving the eyes a second chance to capture any available light especially in dim lighting conditions. This is what causes dog's eyes to glow. Husky-type dogs, especially those with blue eyes, may not have a reflecting tapetum so their eyes do not glow when illuminated. This is thought to be an accidental occurence resulting from selective breeding. In northern regions where these dogs were bred to work the ground is covered with snow most of the year which provides reflected ground light.

Border Collies need running room, otherwise they get bored, lay around and become lazy. For years we had our Border Collie on a 20' leash wire attached to a run wire that allow the leash to slide down for about another 20', so he had pretty decent running radius. But he became frustrated. So this year we built a wood plank pickett fence around the yard, giving him about a half acre to run around in freely, and he loved it at first, but became confused quickly as we had fenced off a part of the area he was used to being in while he was on his wire. And he thought he was supposed to come into the house when off his wire, so he spent several times tearing through our screened-in patio trying to get in. To try to help solve this problem, we ended up getting a new German Sheppard puppy mix to give him some company. It's worked to a point so far. The problem is that border collies are almost too smart for their own good.

if you are thinking of getting a border collie, running him or her down the beach for 2 hours a day is fine. I have a border collie and i run him down the beach for 2 to 3 hours a day and he is fine, my vet said he is thriving. Just becareful that if you get one he or she does not suffer from heat stroke.

if you have done your research,then you know that border collies need plenty of exercise as they are bred for sheep hurding.but if your that close to the beach and you take the dog out morning and evening for hour or so then it should not be a problem.when we take our collie to the beach,then as soon as she see`s the sea,she runs of like a looney.and when we reach the sea we find her playing with her ball and trying to throw it into the sea.so make sure that they get plenty of exercise and all should be fine

It depends on the sort of hunting you are thinking about? Straight retrieving then yea, alot of dogs can be taught to do that. As for flushing, pointing or luring then no - get a gun dog.

No. Generally these dogs are used for herding. But obviously you could. Use a hunting breed like a Lab or a goldie retriever instead. Buy a border collie for herding sheep instead.

My dog also has this problem but it tends to be seasonal, usually early spring and early autumn. I am in the UK so this may be different in other countries as we believe it is a reaction to seed or pollen. Allergies are quite common in many breeds, but generally they do no harm, although it can be distressing to see the dog constantly scratching. Your vet will be able to give an injection, I forget the name, that will help to alleviate the problem. Omega supplements and limited use of special shampoos may help but every dog will have different success with these treatments. Generally speaking, provided your dog is being fed a high quality food, then these allergies will run their course and all you can try to do is minimise the discomfort for the dog.

My border collie has mild allergies. When he starts iching/sneezing I give him Omega 3, 6 & 9 supplements on his food and it helps. Also try using a natural shampoo that doesn't dry their skin out.

It could also be dry skin. Contact your vet and inquire about any fish oil or omega 3-6-9 supplements to add to the food or water. Plus, you may think about trying a higher quality food like "Blue Buffalo".

since border collies are bred in such great multitudes the breed may have inherited some problems form the over excesive breeding. for instance, some have become allergic to some varieties of grasses. this also common in other breeds the have beed bred a lot over long periods of time.it is rare that this becomes serious but it is possible.for further information, please contact your vet who might have more accurate answers and provide medication for your dog's itch.