Here’s a few idea about what grooming tools you will need to invest in, if you own a Border Collie and trying to groom her at home. Border Collies are fortunate in that their fur is relatively dry and does not tangle easily. This is true of both the smooth and the rough haired varieties of the breed.

Although the breed is low maintenance, at least compared to some other breeds, a regular regimen of grooming is a necessity. Both coat types have a thick undercoat that can become tangled in the presence of dirt, brambles, and twigs.

• The basic hardware requirements for a complete Border Collie grooming session will include a good pair of scissors, a metal comb, a slicker brush, a pin brush, and a mat rake.
• Outside Border Collies will probably not need their nails clipped, but they should be checked regularly and trimmed as necessary, so good clippers are a necessity.

Invest a little extra in these items. Regular grooming, particularly if your Border Collie is an outside dog, can create a lot of wear and tear on grooming tools; cheaper tools will have to be replaced again and again. Better made grooming tools will hold up better, sparing you the cost of replacement.

Toys for Border Collie

Border Collies have to understand that a natural chewing instinct cannot be directed at everything around them.

Again, this is one of those situations where offering them alternatives to baseboards and draperies is better than trying to make them understand that the enormous hole in the couch is not acceptable, so have a good supply of dog toys available for your Border Collie.

Let Fido know what is his, what he can chew, and what he cannot. Keep the toys in the same place and available to your Border Collie at all times.

Balls

Good choices would be a ball small enough for your Border Collie to handle, but large enough that it will not get hung up in his throat. These balls are available in a number of materials, including rawhide.

Other toys that squeak, rattle, tinkle, and even talk are available to entertain the dogs in your house.

Chew Toys

Chew toys, like rawhide bones and beef bones are not toys but are excellent supplements to his collection. Coupled with a little discipline in keeping your shoes and other articles off the floor and out of sight, these toys can help keep your Border Collie, and you, happy as he adjusts to life with you.

Having some approved toys to shake, toss, and chew helps keep stress to a minimum and helps keep gums healthy.

Note: It is important to have toys available to dogs that live outside; even they get bored and stressed and toys help them too.