Collie

• Bathing: Bathe them every three months (unless they happen to kick up a lot of dust at the dog park).   
• Brushing: Brushing depends on whether your Collie has rough fur or smooth fur.  
  • Rough Collies: Use a slicker brush, pin brush, and comb to brush your Collie a few times a week. First, brush against the fur growth with the slicker brush to remove any dead hair, then brush in the direction of hair growth with the pin brush to smooth it out. Follow up with a comb to ensure you’ve removed all the tangles. Pay attention to behind the ears and the front legs, under the belly, and the back of the rear legs.  
  • Smooth Collies: As dogs with a lower-maintenance coat, brush them with a rubber curry brush or a slicker brush about once a week. 
• Dental care: Help keep your pup’s teeth in shape by brushing them daily with a dog toothpaste. It’s a good idea to start when they’re a puppy so they get used to the experience. Get a pro cleaning at your vet once a year. 
• Ear care: Check their ears every day. If there’s redness, swelling, debris, or an odor, your pup may have an ear infection that needs meds. Talk to your vet about how to clean your dog’s ears if they’re prone to irritation or infections.  
• Nail care: Collies need their nails trimmed about once a month. If nails get too long, it can make it painful to walk. You’ll know it’s time for a trim when you can hear them tapping on hard surfaces. 

These pups are usually very easy to train—they want to make you happy, after all. But they’re also herders, so they might try to round up children or other pets. You can curb this behavior with solid obedience training, though, and you can begin with basic cues like sit, stay, and come.  

Lay it on thick with positive reinforcement—aka praise and rewards like treats and toys—so they know how proud you are of their efforts. These extroverted pups can be surprisingly sensitive, so it’s very important that you treat them gently and offer lots of praise.   

Also invest time in proper socialization, which involves exposing them to new people, places, and things in a positive manner. Given the Collie’s happy-go-lucky personality, they’re likely to take to new situations with undeniable glee.   

Collies do tend to get chatty, so you might need to work with a certified trainer. Make sure your dog enjoys these sessions—ideally, your trainer will make the time spent together fun for your pup.  

One small note: You may want to opt for a martingale collar with this pup rather than a standard collar, especially when training. Due to the shape of their head and neck, Collies may slip out a standard collar. Martingale collars have a two-loop design that will adjust to your dog’s shape better, making it harder for them to pull a Houdini.  

There’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition plan for your Collie, but every dog needs a complete and balanced diet that meets AAFCO standards. Choose a diet for your dog’s life stage (puppy, adult, or senior).  

Treat calories count, too, and they’re important for motivating your Collie during training. But don’t go overboard: Treats should never be more than 10% of a dog’s daily calories. (Remember that interactive toys are also great rewards!) 

Because of their deep chest, Collies are susceptible to a dangerous condition called bloat. Pet parents can help keep their dog safe from this sudden condition by: 

• Offering their food in a slow feeder bowl 
• Avoiding elevating food bowls 
• Restricting exercise for two hours before and after mealtimes 
• Feeding multiple meals throughout the day instead of one big daily meal; most Collies do well with twice-a-day feedings 

While you don’t have to be a marathon runner to keep up with your Collie, they do have high energy and high exercise needs. They’re athletic enough that they’ll love to go with you on a jog, but most are also content with daily walks.  

These pups are great at “finding” things and retrieving them, so this could be a fun game they’ll love to play, along with mostly anything that involves you and the outdoors.  

Collies need at least an hour of exercise per day, and they’ll appreciate something to challenge their mind. Some Collies also enjoy dog sports, like agility training. Indoor interactive games are balm for their brains as well.  

These delightful family pups usually adore children, and they’ll even tolerate a feline sibling or other pets.  

Guests, too, will be charmed by this easygoing, extroverted pup. Collies do tend to bark, so they might not live their best life in an apartment or condo where you can hear the neighbors. But each dog is an individual and may have different habits.   

They’re not big fans of hot weather, so pay attention to outdoor time in warmer months: Make sure they get plenty of shade and water, and try to go in the early morning or later evening.