The Best Food for Border Collies

A Helpful Guide to the Best Food for Border Collies: Feeding Tips For Pet Parents

What’s the best food for Border Collies? We offer a helpful guide. If there were ever a canine poster child for the boundless energy and enthusiasm of dogs, the Border Collie would be it. Their entire evolutionary array of physical features, tendencies, and habitual behaviors is built around the concept of working dogs. Such as, herding large flocks of livestock in challenging terrain and changing weather. They’re sleek, agile, and fast. And and just like the high-end sports cars that share these desirable characteristics, they also need premium fuel to unlock their peak performance.

Different Dog Breeds need Different Dog Foods

For potential Border Collie parents that have not previously owned high-energy dogs, it may come as a surprise to learn this. Just as the same meal may not be best for humans of varying ages and metabolisms. A Border Collie’s nutritional needs are very different than, say, a Basset Hound’s. Their bodies are built for speed and activity. And if they are Agility Dogs, which many are, it means their diet should be high protein to support their hard-working muscles. Furthermore, it needs to fuel their physical adventures throughout the day. So what exactly is the best food for a Border Collie? The answer is those right quality ingredients, with high protein for a well-balanced diet. Here’s why.

The Physical Demands Of Border Collies: Best Dog Foods For The Breed

It only takes a few minutes of watching a Border Collie on an agility course to understand just how nimble and flexible this beautiful breed truly is. However, all that twisting, turning, flipping, and jumping puts a great deal of strain on bones and joints.

While the protein needs of a Border Collie will decline slightly though life, they’re still very much present. That’s why the best pet food for Border Collies should include plenty of high-quality protein among its list of ingredients.

In addition to protein, carbohydrates are an essential part of this energetic dog’s food ingredients. The best food for a Border Collie’s needs is a premium formula with natural, high-quality dog food ingredients. This food allows the carbohydrates to be consumed quickly but burned slowly, resulting in steady levels of energy throughout your dog’s busy day.

Determining The Best Food For Your Border Collie: Do They Need Better Nutrition?

A dog formula high in protein, calcium and carbohydrates is best for a well-balanced diet for your Border Collie. How do you know if a selected diet isn’t working for your dog? With Border Collies, this can be a little tricky, as they will generally show their displeasure with a kibble by picking at it half-heartedly. If their owner isn’t paying close attention, it might simply seem that the pup is taking a little bit longer to finish their food.

Look for these tell-tale signs that you might need to switch to high-quality dog food for your Border Collie:

Their coat will seem less glossy and full: Border Collie coats are known for their beauty, so the change should be noticeable fairly early on. If you groom your pup regularly, watch for excess shedding in non/low-shedding seasons, as this can indicate their skin or coat is not as healthy as it should be.
They may beg more often for “people food,” or become uncharacteristically food-aggressive around treats: If they aren’t getting a full belly from their regular feedings, they’ll start seeking out food elsewhere. And this means even if that means begging at the table. Likewise, if you have a multi-pet household, watch to make sure they aren’t swiping for other pet food. For example, the cat’s food instead of their own.
They seem to scratch themselves a lot, even though they’ve been routinely treated for flea prevention: While Border Collies are fairly resistant to food allergies, that doesn’t mean the breed is immune. If you notice that your canine’s skin seems suddenly dry or irritated, have a chat with your vet. They may recommend starting a grain-free dog food to eliminate or whittle down the list of potential food allergies.

How To Improve A Border Collie Diet: Feeding Suggestions

So you’ve determined that you need to switch to high-quality dog food for your dog’s health – what now? Even though a dog may enthusiastically wolf down a new food, your pooch still needs time to adjust to any changes in his diet. Here are some helpful suggestions to make the transition:

Start Small: Use the individual pieces of high-quality Border Collie dog food the way you would training treats. Make your dog work for each piece by doing tricks or performing tasks, such as sitting down or giving a paw. This will help them have a positive association with the taste and texture before the big switch.
Don’t Go All-In: While it may seem logical to completely replace your dog’s old food with the new food brand, do it gradually. This will give their system time to adjust to new ingredients while still absorbing the nutrients from familiar ones. Each day, mix a little more new food in with the old food until the bowl is eventually filled with new food.
Pay Close Attention To Volume: As a pet parent, you’re the best judge for determining whether your Border Collie is eating enough. You can gauge enthusiasm for the new food by precisely measuring it at feeding time. If you have a multi-dog household, other dogs may help themselves to their Border Collie sibling’s food. Feed your Collie separately from other canine siblings to ensure only they have access to their new food for a while.

Summary: Choosing The Best Dog Food For Your Collie

Here are just a few of Lucy Pet’s all-natural, healthy Dog Food Formulas. Try one today and get free shipping!

Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa Formula

Lucy Pet’s Salmon, Pumpkin and Quinoa Dog Food contains all the premium proteins and nutrients your dog needs to live their best dog life!

If you’re looking for the best grain-free dog food on the market, then this is certainly the formula to try. With our advanced P.B.F Prebiotic Fiber™ for gut health, this superfood blend of ingredients is also naturally preserved.

Duck & Potato Limited Ingredient Diet Formula

For dogs with food and grain sensitivities, a grain-free, limited ingredient diet may be an excellent choice!

Our Duck & Potato Limited Ingredient Dog Food features a single-source premium duck protein. Absolutely no duck by-products and limited carbohydrate sources.

Premium whole fresh potatoes and sweet potatoes are blended to provide your dog with important dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals and energy. And our P.B.F Prebiotic Fiber™ to creates an optimal environment for your dog’s digestion.

Tactical Fuel™ High Energy/Active Dogs Formula

Knowing that a dog kibble high in protein, calcium, and carbohydrates is best for a working dog or sporting dog. This formula may be just the ticket for the active Border Collie! Lucy Pet’s Tactical Fuel™ with Chicken, Brown Rice & Oatmeal has everything the high energy Border Collie needs to power through their day.

Lucy Pet™ Tactical Fuel™ was developed for adult professional working dogs. It’s also the perfect formula for athletic dogs participating in sports, like hunting, agility, tracking. And it’s great for high-energy working dogs as well.

Finally, Tactical Fuel™ was designed to support the digestive tracks of hard-working dogs. And this features premium chicken, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Get Lucy Pet Formulas for Life™ Today!

When it comes to picking the right food for your dog, there’s one clear winner: Lucy Pet Foods™.

On a final note, if you have specific health concerns you’d like to address regarding your dog’s diet, be sure to have a chat with your Collie’s vet about the best dog food choices. You may want to discuss the benefits of natural, whole-food dog kibble options, such as Lucy Pet Formulas for Life™. Our premium line of pet foods and treats are not only verified by nutritional research but guided by science. With high-quality ingredients, you can feel good while your beloved pet. Learn more about the benefits of our premium products and make your dog or cat a Lucy Pet today!

Sources Cited:

Rosenberg, Deanne. “Border Collie Nutritional Requirements.” LovelyBorderCollie.com, August 8, 2013, http://www.lovelybordercollie.com/health/nutrition. Accessed January 16, 2020.
Gallagher, Ashley, DVM. “Large Breed Puppy Food vs. Adult Dog Food: What’s the Difference?” PetMD.com, (no publish date), https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/agallagher/2014/april/large-breed-puppy-food-vs-adult-dog-food-31531. Accessed January 16, 2020.
“Feeding Border Collies.” Feeding My Dog Breed.com, (no publish date), http://www.feedingmydogbreed.com/feeding-border-collies.html. Accessed January 16, 2020.