Border collies, by their nature, are working dogs. And just like with other working dogs, a border collie is notoriously active, with a lot of high natural energy. However, they tend to be hyperactive, which might mean you have to take proactive action to calm them down.
Neutering or spaying a border collie will calm it down and reduce some of its aggressive tendencies. Spaying removes the uterus and ovaries of a female border collie, while on the other hand, neutering removes the testicles of male border collies.
The rest of this article talks about the benefits of neutering or spaying your collie. It will also cover how to take care of your dog after neutering or spaying, as well as other ways to calm your border collie down.
How Can Neutering or Spaying a Border Collie Calm Them Down?
Border collies are naturally working dogs, but many people still see them as the perfect family dogs. As expected, they have some behavioral issues that cause them to become aggressive when their owners are far away. This behavior can cause people to ask how they can calm their border collies down.
Neutering or spaying a Border Collie can calm them down by reducing the chances of aggression. When a vet spays or neuters a dog, he removes their reproductive organs, making them lose the drive to get overly excited around other dogs.
Both neutering and spaying will eliminate so many undesirable behaviors from your collie. However, it’s essential to wait for your border collie to be at least five months old before spaying or neutering it.
Border collies are also naturally prone to adjust their behavior based on how you train them. Brain Training For Dogs is a fantastic online training program and I highly recommend it. Check out the site to see other user reviews and get for less than $50!!
Benefits of Neutering or Spaying
Neutering or spaying has both mental and physical benefits for your border collie.
Millions of pets become homeless every year, and spaying or neutering can go a long way towards reducing the number of homeless pets which have to be euthanized each year for lack of shelter.
Below are some of the behavioral and physical benefits of neutering your border collie.
Improves Your Pet’s Health
Spaying your female collie reduces the chances of getting pyometra, which is a urinary tract infection, and cancers such as uterine, mammary gland, and other reproductive system cancers.
Neutering has the same health benefits for male collies, as it reduces the occurrence of testicular and prostate cancers.
Increases Your Pets Lifespan and Longevity
The improved health from spaying or neutering your dog has a direct impact on their longevity. Several reputable studies showed that neutered or spayed dogs have a longer lifespan than their unaltered counterparts.
Another reason for this can be because neutering or spaying reduces the tendencies of dogs to roam. This then reduces their chances of getting into fights and sustaining injuries or getting knocked down by vehicles, or other accidents.
Neutering or Spaying Produces a Better-Behaved Dog
Although neutering or spaying is not a quick fix for behavioral problems, it reduces dogs’ aggressive and temperamental behaviors. Less testosterone and hormones make them calmer.
When female dogs are in heat, they tend to be aggressive, howling and urinating all over the house. Spaying them will take care of this behavior. Male border collies also behave similarly during the heat. They mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house.
Furthermore, the male might try to mount and hump other dogs, objects or humans, or escape the house searching for a mate, increasing its risks of getting injuries. Neutering will help deal with this behavioral problem.
How To Take Care of Your Dog Before and After Neutering or Spaying
It is essential to take several precautions before and after the procedure to ensure your Collie’s comfort and quick recovery when neutering or spaying. Let’s talk more about how to care for your Collie before and after surgery.
Before Surgery
The veterinarian will typically check to make sure that your dog does not have any underlying health conditions, while the clinic usually provides a list of guidelines to follow before surgery. Generally, you must avoid giving your dog food after midnight before surgery because anesthesia can cause nausea. You can give your dog water before surgery, but you should check with your veterinarian to be sure that it’ll be okay.
After Surgery
Post-surgery care is essential and critical for recovery, which is why there is a list of post-surgery guidelines that a veterinarian will provide you.
Post-surgery care involves doing the following:
- Create a safe and quiet place for your dog to recover, away from the busy activities of other animals.
- Most dogs usually want to play the next day after surgery. However, you must restrict any activity such as running or jumping after the surgery, up to two weeks.
- Your dog is most likely going to try licking the incision site, which might lead to infections. It is crucial to restrict that action and distract your dog with treats or use an Elizabethan collar (the cone of shame) around its neck.
- The incision site might have mild bruises, and the vet will show you how to check the incision to ensure proper healing.
- You should avoid bathing your dog after surgery to ensure adequate recovery, which is usually for 10 days.
When Should You Spay Or Neuter Your Dog
When it comes to deciding the appropriate age to neuter or spay your pet, several arguments have been raised by different people. The generally accepted period for neutering or spaying your pet is five to nine months.
Although puppies as young as eight weeks old can be neutered or spayed, they have an increased risk of getting hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament rupture.
Also, neutering or spaying older dogs increases the risk of postoperative complications.
Other Ways To Calm Your Border Collie Down
Neutering or spaying plays a part in making your border collie calm. However, using it alone as a means of preventing hyperactivity may not be entirely productive.
You should also use the following methods to calm your dog down.
1. Exercise
Border collies have a lot of energy which they often let off by being hyperactive. Instead of letting them engage in excessive barking, destructive behaviors, or nervousness, you can take them outside for a run or walk to help them burn off excess energy. I use this hand-free leash from Amazon when jogging or walking with my dogs and I love it.
Typically, you should break down an hour of daily exercise into two sessions to help your dog let off excess energy. You can play activities such as frisbee toys, fetch, hiking, or swimming. Check out my recommended toys page on this site for some ideas.
2. Training
It is essential to train your dog while it is still a puppy to help control hyperactivity. Patience is vital, and good training should involve verbal commands with corresponding hand gestures. As mentioned before, Brain Training for Dogs will help everyone learn to become an effective leader with their dog.
The five basic commands to teach your dog include:
- Come
- Heel
- Sit
- Down
- Stay
3. Aromatherapy
A lot of research shows that dogs respond positively to aromatherapy. Certain scents such as lavender, chamomile, orange, as well as a few others, in the form of a canine lotion or spray, have a calming effect on border collies. I have never used a product like this, but Amazon has several options if you are interested in learning more.
Final Thoughts
Neutering or spaying has both medical and mental benefits for your border collie.
It reduces some of the hormones that cause aggression in dogs, resulting in calmer behavior. The procedure also increases your dog’s health and lifespan.
You should carry out this procedure when your dog is five to nine months old. Additionally, you should also incorporate exercise, training, and try out aromatherapy as other possible methods of calming your dog down.