A large percentage of Border Collies in shelters were given up either because their owners find their relentless energy too much to handle or they have bitten someone, almost inevitably a child. That said, you will want to know how to get Border Collies to stop biting, especially if you are a new owner or someone planning to adopt one soon!
Why Does My Border Collie Keep Biting Me?
Before anything else, let us determine if your Border Collie is truly aggressive by asking yourself these questions:
🤔💭 Did the bite break your skin and damage your clothing?
🤔💭 Did your collie pull and shake his head when he bit you?
🤔💭 Were you having trouble getting your dog off you?
🤔💭 Is your Border Collie feeling under the weather lately?
🤔💭 Will your collie bark or growl each time he attempts to bite?
If your answers are mostly ‘no,’ you probably have a land shark who has yet to learn bite inhibition. Border Collies who nip and bite are usually just playing. Oftentimes, it is a collie’s way of saying, ‘Hey! Don’t go away! Come play with me.’ However, tolerating this behavior is a recipe for disaster.
Nipping Biting in the Bud
When you bring your pup home, he will jump and gnaw at your foot as he would do to his littermates. While this scenario seems cute and hilarious, you don’t want to engage in play biting with your Border Collie puppy.
Puppies chew random things as a way of learning about the world around them, especially when they are teething around 6 to 8 months old. Roughhousing with littermates also helps puppies develop strength and coordination. Both of these behaviors are desirable. You should allow it, but only for a time.
Or else, your pooch will grow up thinking it is okay to do the things he does. Before you know it, you have a 45-pound canine with 42 teeth stealing quick bites at your calves! It is important, therefore, to teach Pupper boundaries and teach him bite inhibition. Otherwise, biting will end playtime with you.
A puppy who has learned bite inhibition with people will recognize the sensitivity of human skin. While you might not get rid of the playful mouthing 100%, your collie will learn the level of force he could exert without causing you pain. He is less likely to bite hard and break sin, even at times when your dog responds to redirected aggression, fear, or pain.
Why Do Border Collies Bite Children?
Kids rank high in dog-bite statistics, but there are several reasons why a Border Collie might bite a child.
📌 Herding Instincts Kicking In
A Border Collie may live in an apartment or an upscale home, but he will always be a farm boy at heart! Years of selecting breeding have greatly ingrained the herding instincts into this canine. So, it is impossible for the modern-day Border Collie to distance himself from his past.
For that reason, these dogs can get easily overstimulated by the movement and boisterous nature of children. Border Collies would circle kids or resort to barking and nipping to control the “wayward sheep.’ While this behavior makes a Border collie appear dominant, he actually thinks he is doing an excellent job of looking after the ‘errant stock.’
Does this sound just like your Border collie? You should know that your pooch is not out of control. Doggo is merely acting on his instinctual herding instinct. However, this misplaced behavior is also the main culprit in bites among children.
On the bright side, Border Collies are good with kids if you train and raise them well. However, you will only be successful if you accept your dog for who he truly is, rather than suppress his amazing talent.
📌 Children Not Taught How to Behave
Equally important, you need to teach your kids that they need to respect their four-legged siblings. Tell your children:
- not to approach a dog who is eating or playing with his chew toys
- not to chase or taunt a dog
- not to touch a dog when he is barking at someone or got into a fight with another dog
- not to wake up a sleeping dog
- not to approach a dog who is wanting some privacy
Regardless of the breed, a dog is likely to bite when he is protecting resources, feeling defenseless, highly aroused, or in pain.
🐶❗ If the tail doesn’t wiggle, Doggo doesn’t want to mingle.
Since toddlers are too young to understand, you should supervise your child when he is in a room with the dog.
Are Border Collies Aggressive?
Aggression is rare in Border Collies. Nipping and chasing are vital aspects of herding, but a Border Collie would never do so with malicious intent. Regardless, there will be occasions when a Border Collie may growl at humans and other dogs.
The following are the most common reasons that may trigger border collies to behave aggressively:
📌 🧸Resource Guarding
Guarding objects of high value, such as food and toys, is a behavior our domesticated canines inherited from their wild ancestors. Although this behavior is normal, it is potentially dangerous if young children have yet to learn to leave dogs alone.
A puppy wolfing down its food whenever someone approaches is the first stage of food aggression. You can try to nip this habit in the bud by giving your border collie a tasty treat whenever you try to touch the food bowl. Doing so will teach your clever pooch that you aren’t there to take away the food.
📌🩺 Physical Pain
Any dog recuperating due to an illness or a medical procedure is under a lot of stress. So, don’t be upset if your border collie snaps at you. Your pooch just needs privacy and more sleep.
📌 Threat
Did you know that fear motivates the majority of dog bites rather than aggression? But as with any dog, a border collie would always show warning signs before it does something drastic. If your furry pal feels threatened by strangers, it will let them know by baring its teeth.
For the most part, aggression is uncharacteristic of border collies. But if your pooch does act aggressively for an extended period, something might be up. You need to determine why your dog behaves in such a way so that you will know how to respond.
Adopting an Adult Border Collie: When Will they Get Attached to You?
Since rescues are often overwhelmed by all the changes they have been through, you can’t immediately expect your dog to transform into a ball of sunshine.
Some collies might show off their best behavior hours after being adopted, but there is no telling how your adult collie will react to different situations, people, and other pets. A rescued dog can have deep-seated fears that are triggered months after adoption.
Nevertheless, that should not stop you from doing something so noble. Be patient and let your collie open up at his own pace. Once he becomes more comfortable and confident in his new surroundings, he will become more responsive and his personality will shine through.
Conclusion
If you decide to buy a Border Collie puppy, then you will have the responsibility of shaping its character just as you would with a child. Border Collies are not aggressive, and these smart guys don’t bite their humans to assert dominance. But if you have children, you need to educate them on how to deal with the peculiarities of this herding breed.
Misbehavior is not the main reason why Border Collies end up in shelters. It is the owners’ lack of understanding of this wonderful breed, which resulted in undesirable outcomes. If you decide on adopting a Border Collie, you will give your best efforts to help your Border Collie overcome any baggage leftover from its previous home.