Breed Information - Border Collie

Breed Type: Herding Dog

Countries of Origin: England, Ireland, Scotland, United Kingdom, and Wales

Size: Medium sized dog

Also known as: Northern Sheepdogs, Welsh Sheepdogs, and Scotch Collies

Males: Height: 48-56 cm cm Weight: 18-25 kg kg

Females: Height: 45-53 cm cm Weight: 13-20 kg kg

Exercise Requirements: Border Collies are among the extremely active types of dogs. They need to be given at least 2 hours of exercise time per day. Border Collies enjoy games that keep their brains active. It is recommended that they are given time to walk around while also solving puzzles and games.

Care Requirements: It is important to provide a border Collie a yard that is big enough for it to run around. Being an athletic dog that has an intense drive for herding, there is a need for it to release its high level of energy so that it can live peacefully together with its owner.

Lifespan: 10-17 years

Best Suited as: Family pets

Overview: Border Collies are well-known for being working or herding dogs. They are prized dogs because of their instincts and intelligence. The Border Collie has been regarded as one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world. The Border Collie can be made into wonderful family pets, as long as it is given enough exercise to use up all of its pent-up energy. There are owners who still use Border Collies to work their livestock.

Appearance: The Border Collie is medium in size. A male can be slightly taller than a female Border Collie. The eyes of a Border Collie are set apart and are oval in shape. A Border Collie may have eyes that have a different shade of blue, gold or brown. A Border Collie with a merle coat usually has blue eyes. When it comes to the ears, the Border Collie has either erect or semi-erect ears. The ears are set apart and may fall outward or forward. It has a strong muzzle. The muzzle slightly tapers to its nose. The sides of its head taper into its muzzle. It has a fully pigmented nose. The Border Collie has a scissors bite. For its tail, it is moderately long that is set on low. One way to identify a Border Collie is its way of swirling the end of its tail upward when it is concentrating. The Border Collie has a double coat. It has a long, feathered, and smooth outer coat.

Temperament: The Border Collie is a very alert dog breed. It is a type of dog that constantly keeps an eye on its family or the livestock it is guarding. With its high energy, it can easily react to any movement that is out of the ordinary. It is a good breed to use as a watchdog because it is very protective of its family. They react very nicely to their families. However, when it comes to strangers, they may show irritability by nipping at their heels. It is known to be among the barking breeds and can bark frequently, especially if it is visually stimulated. Any fast movements can cause this type of dog to react by barking. A Border Collie that is not given any type of work and exercise can become uncontrollable since it will try to find ways to use up its energy. Pet owners that wish to own this breed of dog should be ready to live active lifestyles. The Border Collie may develop separation anxiety if it is kept away from its owner for prolonged periods of time. Pet owners need to devote time and effort to ensure that their dogs will be comfortable living inside their homes. The Border Collie is a sociable dog. However, it needs to be trained to live together with other dogs or animals at an early age. By ensuring that you give your Border Collie some time to run around with you while adding games to your activities, it can get excited, which is shown when it raises its tail. It loves to play games that can challenge its mind.

History: Originally, the Border Collie was a breed that was used mainly for herding sheep. However, this type of breed can easily adapt and herd just about anything, even the children of the family it belongs to. It has been said that modern pure bred Border Collies trace their ancestry to Old Hemp. Old Hemp was a stud dog that had parents that were both sheep dogs. Old Hemp was bred extensively that caused the birth of more than 200 puppies. It lived in Northumberland, which is located along the border of Scotland and England. The Border Collie moved around the world for the purposes of herding sheep farms.

Care and Grooming: The Border Collie is a type of breed that needs constant attention. With its high level of energy and intense drive for herding, it needs to be given some work or exercise to release all of the energy and concentration it gathers on a daily basis. Pet owners need to provide their dogs with spaces that are large enough for them to run around. Also, it is highly recommended that a Border Collie is provided some puzzles and games to stimulate its mental health. When it comes to the care needed for the coat of a Border Collie, the owner must ensure to brush its hair at least twice a week to remove dead hair. Having a double coat makes a Border Collie shed its hair moderately during most of the year. However, during spring and fall, owners must be ready to brush the hair of their dogs on a daily basis because they will completely blow their coats to prepare for the incoming season. Seeing that there is a need to regularly brush the hair of a Border Collie, it needs to be bathed less frequently, usually once every three months. Bathing often may irritate its skin. Owners are highly advised to use bathing products that have been formulated for the use of dogs.

Health: To ensure that your Border Collie, it is recommended that you regularly bring it to a veterinary clinic on a regular basis. Just like any other pet, there may be conditions that you may not be aware of that are developing within your pet. Mental health conditions are among the important considerations that veterinarians need to check with Border Collies. This is a dog breed that does not like being left alone for long periods of time. It may develop unpleasing habits and anxiety that a veterinarian would be able to diagnose. Other health conditions that a Border Collie may have include retinal atrophy, hypothyroidism, Collie eye anomaly (CEA), canine hip dysplasia (CHD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), or seizures.

Suitability as a Pet: The Border Collie is a good pet if it is provided with an area that is large enough for it to play around on a daily basis. Since it has a tendency to bark frequently when it sees moving objects, it is not advisable to get one as a pet for an apartment. Its protective nature can be advantageous for families that have young children. If it senses that a child strays away from the group, it can effectively lead the child back towards the family with its herding nature.

Training: The Border Collie is a type of breed that must be trained during the early stages of its life. Socialization needs to be trained once it is still a puppy. This is crucial for a Border Collie to develop a positive attitude towards the family and animals that it is living with. The Border Collie is well-known for its intelligence. It is highly trainable and can be obedient as long as it is kept happy and contented with its surroundings. Also, it is important for the owner to establish leadership over the Border Collie at an early stage. This will develop the mindset of the dog on who it regards as its master.

Border Collie Organisations in Australia

The Border Collie Club of NSW Inc

President: Lauren Somers

Email: nahrof@iinet.net.au

Secretary: Ann Moy

Email: secretary@bccnsw.com

Border Collie Organisations in the UK

The Border Collie Club of Great Britain (http://www.bordercollieclub.com/)

Border Collie Organisations in the US

Border Collie Society of America (https://www.bordercolliesociety.com/)

American Border Collie Association (http://americanbordercollie.org/)