Care for a Collie
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How To Avoid a Dog Bite
Never look directly into a strange dog's eyes. This can be viewed as a threat or challenge. It can trigger some dogs to bite.
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Feed your collie high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat. Crude protein should be no less than 26 percent, and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less. Consult your veterinarian about the best food and feeding schedule for your dog.
Brush a collie with a rough coat (long hair) weekly. Smooth coats (short hair) require infrequent brushing.
Bathe your dog every couple of months. The collie is an average shedder and sheds in spring.
Check and trim her nails every two to three weeks.
Train your puppy early so that she knows the boundaries of your yard and won't need to be chained up.
Provide obedience training with a gentle hand. Collies are extremely obedient but can be a bit stubborn during training and may refuse to learn something if treated harshly.
Give your collie plenty of daily exercise. Keep in mind that these dogs are sensitive to the heat and need plenty of shade and water while outdoors.
Be prepared to have your collie become part of the family. If left alone, collies may exhibit bad behavior such as barking and digging.
Understand the health problems that collies are prone to. These include progressive retinal atrophy, arthritis, bloat and collie eye anomaly, which can cause blindness.
Get ready to enjoy a good 14 to 16 years with your dog, as this is the collie's average life expectancy.