The Best Toys for Border Collies to Satisfy Their Workaholic Nature

Border collies are a notoriously hardworking, intelligent dog breed. Originally bred to herd sheep, these dogs require dog owners who can commit to giving them the exercise and mental stimulation they need.

Make no mistake — these are working dogs. If you let a border collie get bored, expect destroyed belongings and undesired behaviors.

Unless you own a farm or ranch and require a border collie to work on the land, you need to find other outlets for it to burn energy and stay mentally satiated. The following types of toys are some of the best toys for border collies that’ll do the trick.

Border collie with dark background

The Best Toys for Border Collies

These highly intelligent dogs need interactive dog toys to satisfy their natural instincts. The following Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound dog puzzle toys can curb destructive behavior by keeping your border collie doing what it does best — working!

MultiPuzzle

multipuzzle dog game

Let’s start off with the most challenging interactive puzzle. The MultiPuzzle is a level 4 brain game that will really test your dog’s smarts. Using problem-solving skills, your pooch will learn step-by-step how to uncover the kibble in each hidden treat compartment.

The level of difficulty of the MultiPuzzle can also be adjusted as your dog learns! Between the moveable green tiles, spinning wheel, orange locks, and center sliders, your doggy will stay busy working for a treat for a good while.

The Snoop with Nook

best interactive dog toys

One of the best dog toys for any breed is the Snoop treat-dispensing toy. Simply pop open the top, fill it with treats, and pop it back in before playing with your pup! For extra-smart dogs like border collies, pair it with a Nook rubber ball insert for an added challenge. You can also stuff it with a tennis ball.

Orbee-Tuff Balls for Interactive Play

The Orbee-Tuff soccer ball is a durable multi-purpose dog toy that can be used as a treat dispenser, chew toy, and fetch ball.

You can put it in a ball launcher for an epic game of fetch. Each ball comes with a hole to stuff your pup’s favorite treats for a tasty reward. It can stand up to aggressive chewers and is made of TPE material that is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free. It’s durable yet gentle on your dog’s teeth. Flavored with natural mint oil, this dog ball will also help freshen your dog’s breath as they bite.

Dogwood Chew Toy

dog with chew toy

A safe and long-lasting alternative to chewing real wood sticks, Dogwood has the taste and texture of a natural tree branch, but lasts much longer and won’t splinter and make a mess as your pup chews.

Fattiez Sheep

A squeaker sheep toy can’t replace the real thing, but it’s only fitting for a border collie!

Border Collies & Sports

best toys for border collies

Basic playtime with a squeaky toy isn’t going to cut it exercise-wise for a border collie. You can’t toss a plush toy or peanut butter-filled kong in its direction, or have a brief tug-of-war session and expect that to be enough. These herding dogs need to be active each and every day.

Try dog sports! Border collies are excellent candidates for dog sports like agility, flyball, flying disc/frisbee games, rally, herding competitions, and scent work. You could also test their intelligence by signing them up for an advanced dog training course.

In the meantime, you can find interactive toys, rope toys, tug toys, treat balls, and more for large dogs and small dogs alike on our website, Amazon, Chewy, or your local pet shop.

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