The Border Collie is a noble breed of dog, somehow managing to be the most intelligent breed of a dog while concurrently being a big old goofball!
Owners of this collie breed from the borders of England and Scotland know the joy that is a happy Border Collie – but how do you keep them that way? Well, it’s pretty simple.
High energy, super smart, and family-orientated breed, your pooch requires a combination of physical exercise, proper nutrition, mental stimulation, and company to keep him at his best for many years to come.
When your puppy first arrives home, you should start by feeding them the best dog food for Border Collies, and as they get a little older – you can add in the obedience training, walks, and playtime!
5 Best Dog Foods for Border Collies
Border collie dog food needs to be high in carbohydrates, but it also needs to provide a great source of quality proteins and healthy fats for a complete and balanced diet.
Royal Canin satisfies this perfectly with the unique high protein and carbohydrate blend found in their dog food. They also include mannan-oligosaccharides and beet pulp in their product to promote optimal absorption and assimilation of the food your border collie is eating.
Key Specifications
- Flavors Available – Chicken
- Main Ingredients – Rice, chicken products
- Easy to Digest – YES
- Why We Recommend – High in dietary fiber to promote easy digestibility and features a unique blend of nutrients
This unique combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fats support a border collie’s natural inclination to be energetic and active.
This product will also help his immune defenses with antioxidants and vitamins E and C. The prebiotics present in the food will ease digestion as well.
If you are looking for all-natural dog food, this might not be the best option for you since the vitamin E in this product is not from a natural source. However, this is not to deny the multitude of other benefits that this product brings with its other wholesome ingredients.
Pros
- High-quality protein
- Contains a balanced supply of dietary fiber
- Promotes digestibility
- Contains an antioxidant complex and mannan oligosaccharides
- Fortified with Vitamins E and C and chelated minerals
- Contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids to promote healthy skin and shiny coat
- Maintains the immune system
- Good for high energy dogs like border collies
Cons
- Product quality can differ from batch to batch
- Source of vitamin E is not natural
Royal Canin is designed with the size of your border collie in mind, and the pellet size will encourage chewing to promote excellent oral health.
2. CANIDAE All Life Stages
CANIDAE All Life Stages
$64.99
The CANIDAE All Life Stages is carefully crafted to promote healthy digestion, optimal weight maintenance, and a robust immune system.
Key Specifications
- Flavors Available – Chicken Meal & Rice, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Fish, Lamb Meal & Rice
- Main Ingredients – Quality meat, wholesome grains, and vegetables
- Easy to Digest – YES
- Why We Recommend – Suitable for all stages of your border collie’s life, ideal for multi-dog families
Food for border collies is ideally optimized for a high energy dog. The unique blend of ingredients in Canidae makes it a top contender in the search of best border collie dog food.
Moreover, if you are a multi-dog family, you are also going to benefit from the fact that this food is suitable for multiple breeds, catering to all their unique needs, due to their vet designed formula.
Protein for this food is sourced from multiple animals, and while giving a broad spectrum of nutrients, this can cause some complications if your pooch’s digestive system is sensitive. Some trial and error might be necessary if this is the case for your pet.
Pros
- Multi-animal source of protein
- Made with only quality ingredients
- Nutritionally dense formula means you feed less per day
- One formula is suitable for all dogs (handy if you are a multi-dog family)
- Vet formulated for a broad spectrum of breeds and life stages
- With added probiotics for healthy digestion
- Antioxidants help the immune system
- Added Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids promote healthy skin and a shiny coat
- Does not contain corn, wheat, or soy
Cons
- Higher price point
If your border collie is an “only child”, this food will also benefit you because it is suitable for all life stages that your pooch will go through. You will also tend to feed less because of the high density of nutrients found in CANIDAE All Life Stages.
3. Instinct Original
Instinct Original
The number one ingredient in all flavors of Nature’s Variety Instinct is meat from free-range chickens or farm-raised animals to ensure that the quality of the most important ingredient is as high as possible.
Key Specifications
- Flavors Available – Beef, Chicken, Duck, Rabbit, Venison, and Lamb
- Main Ingredients – High-quality protein from meat, egg, fruits, and vegetables
- Easy to Digest – Yes
- Why We Recommend – Canned wet food that is natural and comes in various flavors
Animal protein is complemented in by wholesome vegetables and fruits for a healthy dose of carbohydrates. This complete blend of nutrients will do a great job of keeping your border collie strong, happy, and healthy.
Containing no fillers, such as grain, potatoes, corn, wheat, soy, carrageenan, by-product meals, artificial colors, and preservatives, the quality of this product is raised significantly, making meat a whopping 95% of its composition. Fillers cause allergies and sensitivities and their elimination in the cooking process ensures that your dog is getting pure nutrition all the way.
This product is prepared in the USA, and its manufacturing is controlled to make sure the highest standards are met. As a result, there won’t be any “surprise” ingredients in this product or cross-contamination.
Pros
- High-quality meat coming from free-range, farm-raised animals is the #1 ingredient
- Grain-free, with carbohydrates sourced from wholesome fruits and vegetables
- No fillers and no artificial colors or preservatives
- Made in the USA to the highest standards
- Made with the finest ingredients, sourced from around the world
- Comparable to the best brands on the market
Cons
- Higher price point
- Consistency can range from soupy to dry, depending on the batch
Nature’s Variety is a high-quality natural food but it does come at a higher price point than other brands, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for. After all, our amazing furry friends are worth it!
4. Whole Earth Farms
Made from all-natural ingredients, Whole Earth Farms lives up to its earthy name.
Key Specifications
- Flavors Available – Chicken & Turkey Recipe, Red Meat Recipe
- Main Ingredients – Chicken, turkey, egg, wholesome fruits and vegetables
- Easy to Digest – YES
- Why We Recommend – Grain-free recipe that is packed with nutrients and is designed for easy digestion
It is made with your pup’s health in mind, with the finest protein, fruits, and vegetables and then reinforced with vitamins and minerals, making it perfect for an energetic breed like the border collie.
The first ingredient, no matter the flavor is always meat, to make sure that your doggie is given the building blocks to build healthy muscle. Then, wholesome fruits and vegetables are thrown into the mix, along with some additional protein, and you have one of the healthiest wet dog foods on the market. The recipe is grain-free to promote healthy digestion, even for dogs that have a more sensitive stomach.
This product is cooked in the USA and made according to the highest standards, so you know you are getting a good product for your fur-baby. What comes out of this cooking process is a yummy meal that your pooch won’t be able to resist.
Pros
- Meat protein is the #1 ingredient
- Carbohydrates are provided by a wholesome selection of fruit and vegetables
- Packed with nutrients and vitamins
- Grain-free recipe
- Promotes healthy digestion
- Can be a complete meal or served as a topper
- Cooked in the USA, satisfying the highest standards
Cons
- Can cause your dog to have some gas
- Quality can vary from batch to batch
This wet food can be served to your pet as a stand-alone meal or as a topper for dry food. Either way, Whole Earth Farms provides a complete balanced meal for your beloved pet.
5. Nutro ULTRA
Nutro ULTRA
The Nutro philosophy is that our pets should enjoy food as much as we do and they have made it their mission to create the most wholesome and nutritious food for your puppy.
Key Specifications
- Flavors Available – Trio of Proteins: Chicken, Lamb, Salmon
- Main Ingredients – Chicken, Lamb, Salmon, and a unique blend of superfoods
- Easy to Digest – YES
- Why We Recommend – Features a unique blend of superfood including protein from salmon, chia seeds, flax seeds, kale, apples, blueberries, coconut, and whole grain oats
The Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food is one such line of products from this company, featuring three sources of protein: chicken, lamb, and salmon that are mixed with a blend of 15 superfoods including flax seeds, chia seeds, coconut, kale, spinach, and blueberries.
As is expected from a high-quality product, no GMO ingredients are included and also no chicken by-product meal, corn, soy, or wheat that could upset a sensitive belly. Chicken is the number one ingredient in this dog food, and high-quality protein is also provided by lamb and salmon.
This trio of protein is good because each animal protein brings extra nutrients to this food. However, this might not work for dogs with sensitive bellies.
Pros
- Promotes healthy skin and shiny coat
- Optimal food for healthy bones and teeth
- Supports lean muscle and a strong body
- Provides complete and balanced nutrition
- Easy to digest
- Made with an exclusive superfood medley
- Made with non-GMO ingredients
- Doesn’t contain any chicken by-product meal, corn, soy, or wheat
- No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
Cons
- A trio of protein can cause some digestive issues if your puppy has a sensitive belly
A single-source protein might be a better choice if your border collie has shown sensitivities to food having multiple sources of protein such as the Nutro Ultra.
Bottom Line
In our opinion, we like Royal Canin best! As the Border Collie isn’t as ruled by his stomach as other breeds, canned food can be a great option for ensuring that he gets enough calories to match his physical exertion on a daily basis.
Made up of a combination of high-quality meat, fresh vegetables, and not a single grain in sight! Not only does this mean that it’s packed with nutrients, but as gluten-free food, it’s less likely to cause upset tummies too.
As with any food, if you’re changing your dog’s diet – you should take it slow, but that is especially true if you’re moving them from a dry kibble feed and onto the wet canned dog food.
Add one tablespoon initially into your dog’s normal food, and gradually increase – if they do get any stomach upsets, take it a little slower.
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Razvan
Razvan is a dog trainer and veterinary technician with over 10 years of experience working with dog daycares, animal shelters, vet clinics and private dog training. Razvan is one of the lead publishers on Dog Struggles covering the latest product reviews and dog health advice.
