If your Border Collie hits the pavement like a coiled spring – scanning, pulling, jumping at shadows, ignoring treats, and definitely ignoring you – you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.
Most Collies don’t struggle on walks because they’re “naughty”…
They struggle because they step outside already disconnected, dysregulated, and operating on adrenaline.
A brilliant walk doesn’t begin at the front gate.
It begins before you even pick up the lead.
In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through my favourite pre-walk routine for Collies — one that builds connection, lowers arousal, and gets their beautiful brains and bodies working together again. You’ll also find videos embedded throughout so you can follow along at home.
Let’s get started.
Border Collies are extraordinary thinkers. But when their arousal rises, those thinking skills switch off. Scientific studies have shown that:
So your pre-walk routine isn’t “one extra step.”
It is the foundation that determines whether your Collie can access their brain once they’re outdoors.
A good routine does three things:
Let’s look at each part.
Before you walk, your Collie needs to remember that you exist – kindly, clearly, and consistently.
The two easiest ways to do that?
This is one of the most valuable skills you will ever teach your dog. When you say their name, you want a bright, joyful “Yes? What’s up?” head turn.
This tiny behaviour creates the connection you’ll rely on outdoors. Without it, nothing else sticks.
Hand Touch is like a “Collie magnet.” When you present your hand, your dog moves towards you and taps it with their nose.
“Using a hand touch is a great way to reorientate them towards me… Dogs are conditioned to look at our hands.”
It creates movement, focus, orientation, and enthusiasm – even around distractions.
It’s also part of my self-study Inbetweener Dogs training course, where we use it to build reliable connection in real-life situations, not just in the kitchen or living room.
Many people walk out the door with dry biscuits or shop-bought treats… and then wonder why their dog isn’t interested.
If your Collie is already at a 6/10 or higher, their body won’t respond to low-value rewards. Moist, smelly, tiny treats are best – cheese, chicken, sausage, liver cake, or one of the homemade recipes from my website:
👉 https://www.gemmafisher.com/category/recipes/
A settled digestive system + high-value reinforcement = a much more connected dog.
This isn’t about perfection or obedience.
It’s about helping your dog pause, breathe, and switch from adrenaline to awareness.
This might be:
✅ A Sit while you drop a treat on the floor
✅ Waiting while you touch the door handle
✅ “Hand Touch before we go through the door”
✅ Sitting while you clip the lead
✅ One slow, calm exhale with you
Science backs this up: dogs who practise brief, gentle self-control moments show better emotional regulation and improved focus.
What we’re doing here is creating a neurological “reset” before the excitement of the outdoors.
Here’s a little example I filmed for my Collie Culture Club membership students.
This is the secret sauce of your whole pre-walk routine.
When a dog is too aroused, their thinking brain disconnects from their body – and they start reacting instead of responding.
Sniffing flips that switch.
“If they’re feeling anxious or a bit worried, sniffing is a really good way of helping them get back into their body.”
Research shows that sniffing:
And the best part?
Try one of the following before you leave the house:
• A simple Find It game with treats on the floor
• A slow scatter feed in the garden
• A 30-second sniff on a single patch of grass
• One tiny indoor search with a piece of cheese
Your Collie’s breathing will slow down, their body softens, and suddenly their brain comes back online.
Within 3 minutes, your dog goes from:
❌ scanning the world for threats
❌ pulling towards the door
❌ ignoring treats
❌ unable to listen
to:
✅ connected
✅ thinking
✅ breathing
✅ able to take food
✅ able to follow simple cues
✅ ready for a calmer, more enjoyable walk for BOTH of you
This routine isn’t about “training perfection.”
It’s about setting your Collie up to succeed before they step into a world full of triggers.
The Name Response & Hand Touch games in this blog post come from the foundation layer of everything I teach – and they’re also core components of my self-study online training programme:
For dogs aged 6 months and up (including rescue dogs, reactive dogs, anxious dogs, and the glorious teenage chaos stage).
Inside the course you’ll find:
✅ 40+ bite-sized video lessons
✅ Step-by-step training you can follow at home
✅ All the exercises I use when tackling ANY behaviour issue
Skills like:
✅ 2 bonuses (How to film your training + Canine Body Language Explained)
It’s everything your dog needs to become more focused, confident, and responsive – not just indoors, but anywhere.
If you want calmer walks, easier everyday life, and a deeper connection, this is where you start.
Choose:
✅ One connection game (Name Response or Hand Touch)
✅ One self-control moment
✅ One sniffing activity
It will change your walk – today.
And if you’d like to go further, build confidence, and get further training support, I’d love to welcome you into Inbetweener Dogs.
