In 2020, it was ranked as the 35th most popular dog breed in America, and it is the UK’s 12th most popular dog breed overall. The athletic dog needs to stay busy by having a job to do and exercise in order to satisfy its high-energy demands, so it needs an owner who is as active and devoted as the dog itself and can work closely and intensely together.

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Its high intelligence and eagerness to obey makes it a wonderful detection dog for police, customs and other government agencies, but the breed is also excellent for competitive dog sports, bird hunting, guide dog work, and search and rescue. Learn more about the smartest dog breeds here.

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It was originally developed in the Anglo-Scottish border county of Northumberland as a hunting dog as well as a farm working dog for herding sheep and other livestock. With an affectionate, obedient, and intelligent demeanor, good health, long life, and speed and agility, the Border Collie makes an excellent family pet.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning Border Collies

Border Collie Size and Weight

The Border Collie is a medium-large sized dog with either a long and rough or a short and smooth coat. It has an average height of 24-27″ for males and 22-26″ for females. Males weigh 30-45lbs fully grown, while females weigh 27-42lbs fully grown. Border Collie puppies weigh 4-8lbs at 8 weeks of age and are considered fully grown at 24 months for females and 36 months for males.

Border Collie Common Health Issues

Pure bred border collies have a few common health issues, but most of the time, they are easily treatable or manageable. The most common is musculoskeletal disorders including hip dysplasia and osteochondritis dessecans (OCD), which come from age or too much activity resulting in accelerated growth during puppyhood. Idiopathic epilepsy, patent ductus arteriosus, and hypothyroidism are hereditary conditions disorders unique to this breed, while dental problems, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) and deafness are common. In sum, the most common health issues with border collies are:

Health and Entertainment for your Border Collie

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• Dental problems
• Collie Eye Anomaly
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy
• Deafness

Border Collie Temperament

Border collies have very lively personalities. Their temperament is curious and easygoing with mischievous, dominant, sensitive and hyperactive traits. They can be quite funny with their clever behavior. As adults, they are wary of strangers.

This does not mean they are mistrustful as puppies, however. They quickly take to socialization and they enjoy kindness and praise during training. A common Border Collie trait is being easy to train with consistent and clear messages as they were bred for hunting geese and other birds. Because of this, they also have a “gentle” or “soft” mouth, meaning they don’t bite hard when carrying items in their jaws.

How To Take Care of Border Collies

New pet owners looking for how to care for border collies, especially puppies, need to consider several unique factors. Whether it’s hereditary conditions or different care related to their coat and moderate size, border collies have breed-specific factors their owners must know.

The Best Dog Food for Border Collies

Every dog breed, especially puppies, has different health needs compared to others, and border collies are no exception. Therefore new owners should consider these needs when choosing a food for their pet.

Border collie puppy food: Because of their high energy, size, and genetic makeup, border collies may develop musculoskeletal, neurological, eye, and other issues. When considering wet or dry food for puppies, consider a premium brand that not only has higher calcium and complex nutrients to support growth, but fatty acids such as DHA and ARA to support cognitive function and eye health. Dog food specifically formulated for puppy growth or for all life stages will have enough protein for border collie puppies, while adult dog food has too much and can lead to permanent damage on a regular basis.

Border collie adult dog food: Like puppy dog food considerations, pet owners should consider feeding their adult border collie premium dog food that is high in meat-based protein with meat as the first and main ingredient. Since border collies remain active well into adulthood we recommend an active dog food variety of at least 25 percent protein and 15 percent fat to provide all the nutrients they need, whether as wet food, kibble, or patties. They can also eat a raw food diet, which can be purchased as a commercial diet or prepared at home. Border collies with dental issues may do best on a kibble-based diet. We compiled a list of all the best food for Border Collies here.

Here’s our A-Z Animals recommendation- the best dog food for Border Collies is Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult Oral Care for Dental Health Dog Food, Chicken Rice & Barley Recipe.

This vet-approved formula is expertly designed for dental wellbeing. Crunchy kibble bits remove plaque and tartar and freshen breath with interlocking fiber technology. Additionally, there’s a power combination of vitamin A and taurine in this recipe that nourishes the eyes and vision of dogs like Border Collies to help prevent eye conditions.

Hill’s Science Diet Oral Care Dog Food is available on Amazon and Chewy. Click the link below.

Overall Best

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Oral Care Dry Dog Food

• Made with natural ingredients
• Added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants
• Veterinarian-recommended
• Remove plaque and tartar

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Border Collie Maintenance And Grooming

The Border Collie is one breed but has two main types of coats, the long or medium-length rough coat, and the short, smooth coat. Both are double-layered. Although short-haired dogs are easier to maintain, both coats have average shedding throughout the year, and more so during the winter. For this reason, they need brushing at least three times a week to keep shedding to a minimum and. Long-haired border collies need special brushes for breaking up tangles. Two other, lesser-known coat types are curly-coated and bearded. While brown, red and white, red and blue merle, tricolors, and tickled colors are common to the other coat types, the colors the bearded has are various shades of grey.

Border Collie Training

Border collies are persistent in their own training and refuse to stop until they learn the task. Unlike other hunting breeds, however, their eagerness to please means it’s best to train border collies with praise and clicker training instead of electronic collars. They were originally used for hunting birds and herding sheep and other livestock. They can work quickly, relying only on hand gestures and noises from their owner, or even working independently or in teams with other dogs.

When they have found prey or livestock, they will make a wide perimeter while out of sight and then herd the prey towards the owner’s designated spot. Their intelligent, hard-working, and obsessive nature makes them a common choice for search and rescue work. While they bark a lot when bored, they can learn to put their energy into barking on command.

Border Collie Exercise

Due to their strong bodies and high energy, border collies need to live on spacious properties such as farms or ranches, or at least a large house with a large yard. You can help your Border Collie burn off excess energy with chewtoys and hiding toys and treats around the house or yard. Puzzles or other games give them the mental stimulation they need, while obstacle courses, playing fetch, or joining a flyball dog team exercises their athletic ability. Border collies ideally should get a minimum of 20-30 minutes of running everyday.

Border Collie Puppies

The Border Collie puppy needs a dog food specially formulated for puppies or for all life stages. It must be a premium brand for the highest quality nutrition possible. Training the border collie puppy should start as early as possible to replace chewing on household items with chewtoys, deter their herding tendency and meet their athletic needs. Typical colors are black and white but tricolor, red merle, blue merle, blue, grey, sable and tan also exist.

Bordier Collies And Children

Border collies are loyal to their families and get along with everyone. They are good with children, although they may express their herding instinct with them when they don’t stay where the dog wants them to. For the best socialization, expose the Border Collie to children while it’s still a puppy. Border collies are also hesitant towards strangers and should also be socialized early on to learn specific behavior around people they don’t know. Border collies from a rescue may have behavioral issues due to poor socialization, neglect or confinement.

Dogs similar to Border Collies

Herding and working dogs similar to Border Collies include Australian shepherds, Shetland sheepdogs, Icelandic sheepdogs and Finnish lapphunds.

• Shetland Sheepdog – Shares the same collie traits of high intelligence, high energy, and excellent working ability, but well-behaved within the home and with a smaller size that is better for first-time owners or those with smaller homes.
• Rough Collie – A similar build and intelligence to border collies, rough collies (Lassie is a famous example) aren’t as physically demanding, needing only long walks. They’re also easier to train by inexperienced owners.
• Lurcher – A hybrid from the crossing of a Border Collie with a Greyhound, this dog type is moderate in its traits to make it more versatile and suitable for different types of homes.

Famous Border Collies

Border collies are known for being affectionate, smart and energetic. Show dogs, rather than working dogs, are common as family pets since they’re bred for form over functionality, less behavioral diversity and prey instinct impulsivity. Regardless, there have been a number of border collies that became famous for their herding ability:

• Old Hemp was the common ancestor of modern border collies, siring the first litter and fathering over 200 males plus numerous females. He never lost a competition, first making fame when in a sheep-herding showdown he used only his hypnotic stare.
• TV border collies: Nana in Snow Dogs, Fly in Babe, Raffles in Rover Dangerfield, and Bandit in Little House on the Prairie are just a few of several border collies that have been in movies and TV.

Popular Names for Border Collies

Some of the most popular names for border collies are:

• Maverick
• Bandit
• Shadow
• Scout

Last update on 2022-07-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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