More and more Border Collie owners are competing in dog sports with their dogs for fun and exercise. It is a great outlet for your dog’s energy, and great training and discipline for the two of you working together as a team.

There are many dog sports you can get involved in with your dog. The problem is choosing which one....

Which Dog Sport to Choose

With an ever growing list of dog sports it is hard to know where to start. The best advice is start with the basics. You need basic obedience, on and off lead, for all dog sports.

Join a local obedience club and train with them. You will soon find out all about what other sports are open to you and your Border Collie, and will have access to try them out for yourself.

If the club does not participate in a sport that interests you, it can give you advice on where to find out more information. So what sport would you like to get involved in with your Border Collie?

Border Collies love Agility

Agility is a race against the clock over, round, and through obstacles with you keeping up to give your dog directions. This can be great fun to train in even if you do not ever want to compete. It gives both of you a full work out, keeps you fit in mind, body, and soul, and it is fun.

Border Collies Fly in Flyball

Flyball is a relay race where teams of dogs fly over a set of hurdles, hit a box so the ball flies out, catch it, and run back over the hurdles so the next dog can start. And, the fastest team wins heats, which then go into the finals to determine the winning team.

This is a high energy sport where both you and your dog will have to be at peak physical fitness to compete.

Border Collies Excel at Obedience

Once you and your Border Collie have the basic dog obedience skills, you may decide to test your skills in the competition trial ring and earn obedience titles that get more complex and difficult the more you earn.

Whether you go on to compete or not, dog obedience is the basics for everything you do with your Border Collie. Make the effort to train at your local obedience club to learn how to train your dog and grow the bond between the two of you.

Herding uses a Border Collie’s Natural Instinct

Herding is what your Border Collie was originally bred to do and it is a dog sport in many countries including Australia. Take your dog to herding clinics to find out if herding is a sport you want to take up with your dog.

This is a good way to get you and your dog working together.

Conformation Shows

Does your Border Collie have what it takes to be a champion at conformation shows? If you want to breed your Border Collie dog, then you will want to prove your dog’s worth in the conformation ring.

Competing in the show ring gives your dog exposure to being judged as a good or not so good representative of the breed. If you intend to become a serious breeder, then you need to participate in conformation shows to prove your dogs are the best.

Are you and your Border Collie ready to Play?

As with any type of sport, there is no point going in full on and flat out without considering a few things. If your Border Collie is only a 4 month old puppy you cannot start training for flyball or agility, but you can start training for dog obedience.

There are a few things you need to think about before you take up dog sports of any kind.

How old is your Border Collie?

Before you do any sort of strenuous training your dog needs to be physically and mentally mature. But, you can put in a lot of groundwork and teach your puppy the basics so it is ready to go when it matures.

The best place start is at your local obedience club where their volunteers can help you get your training right when your dog is young.

Is your Border Collie Physically Sound?

For any dog sport your dog needs to be physically sound. In agility there is a lot of twisting, turning, and jumping as well as flat out running. Make sure your dog is physically sound enough to cope with this type of activity. Talk to your vet about your plans and get your Border Collie checked over.

You need to be sound too. Can you stand up to the physical demands of a sport such as agility or flyball? Make sure you train well and sensibly, and make sure you are both at peak physical condition to get the best out of your sport together.

Do you have Time?

Participating in dog sports take time and dedication. Apart from training with your club or trainer, you need to train, in some way, every day to get both of you into top physical and mental condition to compete.

If one of you is not in top physical condition, it can lead to injuries especially in dog sports such as agility and flyball which are high energy sports.

Whatever sport you choose, make sure that you and your Border Collie have fun together. Successful training depends on this. Border Collies are one of the most intelligent dog breeds and love to make you happy. So, keep your training sessions short enough to keep your dog’s interest and reward your dog every time it gets it right.

Rewarding your dog with treats every time is not necessary, some handlers use a tug toy or throw a ball for their dogs as a reward for desired behaviour. Find out what your dog loves best and use this to help motivate it during your training.