Best Dog Food For Border Collies: Energizing Nutrition for Your Agile Athlete

Border Collies are some of the cutest dogs around. They’re ultra-smart, very energetic, and so so so fluffy.

You’re probably most familiar with rough coats, especially those adorable black and white medium coated ones, but they come in a variety of coats, colors and other popular mixes too.

Every one of them, however, will need careful grooming to prevent matting and keep shedding under control.

They’re bred to be working dogs, and if they don’t have a “job,” they’ll find one. The internet is full of owners laughing and lamenting their Border Collie’s antics, but all they need is regular exercise and mental stimulation.

They may be reserved when around strangers, but once they warm up, they are affectionate and loyal.

Why Quality Food Matters

Border Collies have high energy and higher mental acuity. Food for this breed should be nutrient dense and contain essential fatty acids to help keep that beautiful coat shiny.

Their high levels of activity mean that most normal adult dogs need about 1109 calories per day to maintain energy levels without gaining unnecessary weight.

Puppies and older dogs will need to alter that number, but overall, a Border Collie’s caloric requirements will need nutrient dense food that doesn’t add fillers or other artificial ingredients that can add calories and not nutrients.

Poor quality foods can cause weight gain and could potentially cause skin allergies that can affect the coat. Smooth and rough coats are profoundly affected by skin allergies, so foods should support the health of the coat.

 

Best Dog Food for Border Collies

We’ve put together a list of our top picks for the best foods for Border Collies. They all offer dense, quality nutrition that can help support your Border Collie’s high energy without all the empty calories.

1. Ollie Fresh Pet Food

Ollie is a pet food company that was founded in 2016 by Gabby Slome, Alex Douzet, and Randy Jimenez. This New York-based pet food company set out to turn the pet food industry on its head by offering fresh, custom meals for dogs similar to meal-prep services like Maple and Sprig for humans.

Their fresh food is made and hand-packed in the USA. They are partners with a veterinary nutritionist to formulate their nutritionally-balanced recipes in accordance with AAFCO standards. All of their food is cooked in small batches in their USDA-regulated kitchen.

They carefully source their ingredients from reputable farms in the U.S and Australia. Each partner must go through an extensive certification process to become a supplier. All of their food is made only with whole, organic & fresh ingredients.

2. We Feed Raw Turkey Recipe

This is a top-tier, nutritionally complete meal designed to support your dog’s health and well-being at every life stage.

Made with high-quality, human-grade turkey as the primary ingredient, this recipe features a rich source of lean protein to help build and maintain strong muscles.

It also includes nutrient-dense organ meats like turkey liver and heart, providing essential vitamins and minerals to promote overall vitality. Finely ground bone is incorporated for a natural source of calcium and phosphorus, essential for strong teeth and bones.

This recipe is carefully crafted by a PhD animal nutritionist, ensuring it delivers an optimal balance of nutrients tailored to your dog’s biological needs.

Free from fillers, artificial additives, and unnecessary grains, the Turkey Recipe Patty offers a clean, wholesome option for your pet. Packed with flavor and nutrition, it’s a perfect choice for pet parents who want the best in raw, natural feeding.

3. Petcurean Summit Coastal Grill 

This a thoughtfully crafted meal designed to provide adult dogs with complete and balanced nutrition.

This premium formula features high-quality poultry and fish as the primary protein source, offering essential amino acids and omega fatty acids to promote lean muscle development, a shiny coat, and healthy skin.

Enriched with wholesome grains, vegetables, and fruits, this recipe delivers a natural source of fiber, antioxidants, and key nutrients to support digestion, immune function, and overall vitality.

The Coastal Grill formula avoids common allergens like wheat, corn, and soy, making it an excellent choice for dogs with food sensitivities.

Carefully created to meet the nutritional needs of adult dogs, it combines flavor and nourishment in every bite, ensuring your furry friend thrives with every meal.

4. Nom Nom Pet Food Delivery

If you want to feed your dog a raw diet, but you don’t want to be responsible for it, you can outsource that responsibility to a company like Nom Nom. It produces excellent gently-cooked meals for your dog that can help clear up pickiness and skin issues your dog may be experiencing.

Whole veggies and fruits help with antioxidants and vitamins to promote bone health, coat health, and proper brain function.

You can design your dog’s meal plan directly on the website, and the meals are delivered to you to be frozen or refrigerated until you need them. They’re easy to do, and if you’ve got the budget, you may transform your dog’s mealtime.

Nom Nom teams up with canine nutritionists to help create the most fulfilling raw food diet for your pet. You have meals delivered, making everything simple, and you can fill out a questionnaire to find the right dog food for your Border Collie.

5. Evolve Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe 

This is a premium quality dry dog food that is designed to provide complete and balanced nutrition to dogs of all breeds and life stages.

Made with real salmon as the first ingredient, this recipe is high in protein and provides essential amino acids that support muscle development and maintenance.

It is also grain-free and does not contain any artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors, making it a great choice for dogs with food sensitivities. The addition of sweet potatoes provides a healthy source of carbohydrates that are easy to digest and provide sustained energy throughout the day.

6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe (Grain-Free)

Blue Buffalo’s salmon recipe uses their famous LifeSource bits for essential nutrients and vitamins. Deboned salmon provides an excellent source of essential fatty acids and high-quality proteins essential for your Border Collie’s high energy. Fish is excellent at helping dogs maintain a beautiful coat and this one should be no different.

There’s no soy or corn, and it’s gluten and wheat free. It uses whole, quality products with none of our usual suspects with skin or other food allergies. It’s meant to mimic the ancestral diet your canine would have had before the days of human couches and apartment living.

7. Purina Pro Plan Sport High-Protein Active 26/16 

This is a premium quality dog food formula designed to provide adult dogs with the energy and nutrients they need to maintain an active lifestyle. This recipe is made with real chicken and poultry by-product meal as the primary protein sources, which are essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass.

In addition to its high protein content, this formula contains a blend of wholesome grains to provide your dog with carbohydrates, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. It is also enriched with omega-6 and -3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and coat.

This formula is specifically designed for adult dogs that lead an active lifestyle, as it contains optimal levels of protein and fat to support their energy needs. Additionally, it contains a mix of antioxidants to help support a healthy immune system, as well as a blend of prebiotics and fibers to aid in digestion.

Overall, it is a great choice for dog owners looking for a high-quality dog food formula that provides their canine companion with the nutrients they need to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.