Like humans, dogs can suffer from stress and anxiety. While any breed of dog can experience anxiety, border collies are especially prone to feeling anxious. Why do border collies experience this behavior more often than many other breeds? We’ll discuss some of the causes of border collie anxiety and tips that will help with managing their anxiety so you both can have peace of mind.
Why do Collies Get Anxiety?
Border collie anxiety can stem from a myriad of reasons, such as external stimuli, past experiences, and fear of other people or dogs. They are a notoriously active, energetic breed that need to stay busy during the day. Wondering how to keep a border collie busy? Exercise and mental stimulation are critical for these hyperactive dogs. They can get bored easily from understimulation, which can trigger anxiety.
We should also note that there are different forms of anxiety that your dog could be suffering from. Identifying the types of border collie anxiety can aid in understanding why your dog feels the way they do so you can help.
Separation Anxiety
If your collie experiences significant levels of stress when they’re left alone, they may be suffering from separation anxiety. This could be caused by a change in their daily routine, the addition of a new family member, or even from you spending too much time with them as a puppy.
This form of anxiety is quite common among working dog breeds like collies. As an extremely social breed, collies strongly prefer to be in the company of others. They do not like being left alone for long periods of time, as this may trigger boredom, frustration, and anxiety. Learning how to keep a border collie busy will help with managing this anxiety.
Travel Anxiety
Fear of traveling is another type of border collie anxiety that can be experienced. They may be fearful of being inside a vehicle or heading to places like the vet.
Sound Anxiety
Noise is another stressor for collies. Dogs have more sensitive hearing than humans, making sound a significant trigger of anxiety. Loud sounds like thunder, vacuum cleaners, fireworks—or even loud arguments—can be frightening.
How to Help Your Collie
It’s not a good feeling when your dog isn’t feeling their best self. No need to fret, because you can help them! Ways for how to keep a border collie busy and tips for helping with border collie anxiety include:
Keeping Active
Border collies need to stay both physically and mentally active. Ideas for how to keep a border collie busy include going on walks, playing with them outside, or giving them interactive/puzzle toys. This will help redirect negative emotions to a constructive task, keep them occupied and prevent boredom from setting in.
Try CBD
Another option for helping manage border collie anxiety is CBD. Using CBD oil or treats can help calm and relax your collie when they’re feeling nervous or anxious, such as during a thunderstorm. For mid-sized breeds like collies, try a 500mg CBD oil. Simply apply it directly into their mouth with the dropper or add it to their food or dog treats.
Never tried CBD before? We recommend starting with 0.5mL and increasing the dose by half increments until the desired effect is reached. A safe rule of thumb for dosage for dogs is to give your dog around 0.2mg of CBD per pound in body weight. We also recommend consulting your veterinarian for the proper dosage prior to introducing CBD to your dog.
Daily Routine
Doing the same things (e.g., walks, eating) at the same time each day will help with border collie anxiety. They’ll know exactly what to expect as each day comes, which will calm anxiety.
Border collies are extremely intelligent, active dogs but this makes them prone to anxiety. If you feel like your dog is experiencing anxiety, try out some of our tips for helping manage border collie anxiety or speak with your veterinarian for further advice.
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