Best Toys for a Border Collie
A Border Collie is bred to work, and a toy box built only for fetch will leave that brain understimulated even if the legs are tired. The toys worth having for this breed are the ones that ask for a decision — puzzles, foraging and controlled tugging — alongside the ordinary chew and fetch toys every dog uses.
Why fetch alone isn't enough
Collies were bred to read movement and respond to it, which is exactly why a thrown ball is so satisfying for them and why relying on it alone can leave a dog wound up rather than settled. Physical tiredness and mental tiredness aren't the same thing, and a Collie that's only ever run hard can still be restless in the evening.
Balancing a fetch session with something that makes the dog think — working out how to get a treat out of a puzzle, or following a scent trail across the garden — tends to produce a calmer dog afterwards than exercise alone.
Puzzle feeders and snuffle mats
Puzzle feeders that hide kibble or treats behind a sliding or lifting mechanism give a working breed something to solve rather than simply swallow, and they slow down a dog that eats too quickly as a side benefit.
A snuffle mat or scattering a meal across the lawn taps into the same scent-driven problem solving collies were bred for, and it's a cheap way to turn an ordinary meal into ten minutes of occupation.
Tug and fetch toys, used with rules
Rope tugs and fetch toys still matter for this breed, but a Collie tends to get more out of a game with a clear start and stop — a cue to grab, a cue to drop — than an unstructured free-for-all, because it turns physical play into another small mental task.
Durable rubber toys that bounce unpredictably also suit the breed's instinct to track and chase movement, which is part of why a simple ball often gets more use than a squeaky toy that just sits there.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Kowloon All Senses Branch Bone Bacon
A 15cm bacon-scented rubber branch bone, for chewing, fetch and dental play
£4.19
Guru Distracto Pod Bone
Medium Guru suction treat pod for paste-based distraction on hard surfaces
£5.19
Kingdom Fruit Rope Dog Toy
A plush fruit-shaped rope toy with a squeaker in both the head and the body
£6.99
Inflatable Herding Ball for Dogs with Pump
A large inflatable herding ball with pump that taps into your dog's chase instinct.
From£19.99
Plush Strawberry Snuffle Mat
An interactive foraging mat with removable plush strawberries that hide treats and kibble. Encourages natural snuffling and slows feeding, providing mental enrichment for dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs alike.
From£13.99
Durables Toy Crocodile
A crocodile dog toy from Red Dingo's Durables range: a 150g character toy for fetch, tug and carrying about, backed by Red Dingo's five-year guarantee.
£20.49
Tuffy Junior Zoo Hippo Dog Toy
A junior-sized Tuffy hippo built in bonded layers with webbed, multi-row stitched seams, light enough for smaller dogs and puppies, that floats and is machine washable.
£18.99
Guru Pet Company Guru Squeaking Rope
Guru squeaking rope dog toys in two distinct tug-and-sound designs
From£9.49
Ancol Orva Puzzle Ring
A 30 x 3.5cm dog puzzle ring for treats or paste, with a built-in lick mat
£21.99
Common questions
- Do Border Collies really need puzzle toys, or is a ball enough?
- A ball covers physical exercise but not much else, and this breed is known for wanting a job to do with its brain as well as its body. Rotating in a puzzle feeder or scent game alongside fetch generally produces a more settled dog than fetch on its own.
- How do I stop my Border Collie destroying toys quickly?
- Choose genuinely durable rubber or rope toys for unsupervised chewing, and save softer plush or squeaky toys for supervised play you can put away afterwards. A dog that destroys everything quickly often also needs more mental occupation, not just a tougher toy.
- Is it bad to play fetch every day with a Border Collie?
- Daily fetch isn't harmful on its own, but if it's the only activity your dog gets, it can leave them physically tired but still restless. Mixing in scent work, puzzles or training sessions alongside fetch tends to settle a working breed better than exercise alone.
- What toys help a Border Collie that herds or nips at things?
- Redirecting that instinct onto an appropriate toy, such as a tug or a flirt pole that mimics moving prey in a controlled way, gives the dog a legitimate outlet. If herding or nipping is a real problem around people or other pets, a qualified trainer is worth involving.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.