Border Collie is among the most talented and hardworking dog breeds. It will try its best to impress its owner with its intelligence and win hearts by its eagerness to please its owners. Dogs’ experts widely agree that this particular breed of dog is an intelligent workaholic.
They are capable of learning a remarkable number of words and commands than any other dog breed. They are the happiest when they are assigned work every day.
Border Collies excel at the task given to them because of their strength, stamina, intelligence, and work ethic, which is in their genes.
What’s a Border Collie Dog?
The Border Collie originally came from Scotland and then had thrived around the Border of Scotland and England.
The word Collie is a Scotch term that was used to describe sheepdogs. As Border Collie flourished in a border area, it was christened the name Border Collie.
This breed was originally bred to the herding sheep and very famous for their eye look- they stare intensely at the flock member to intimidate them when the earliest recorded sheepdogs trail took place at the Bala, Wales, in 1873.
The crowd got astonished that the Border Collie could herd sheep into a small pen with the help of only a few hand signals and whistles from their owners.
Border Collie does well with high-quality food, whether commercially manufactured or homemade food. They love to get attention and love from their owners and do anything to their approval and pats.
But remember, even if they love their owners, if you keep them in an uncomfortable place or make them feel uncomfortable, they might get aggressive and stop listening to your commands. Therefore, always be affectionate and patient with them.
What Does Border Collie Dog Look Like?
Border collie has upright ears, but their ear tips tend to drop over, giving them a confident appearance. The breed is pretty very athletic and has a muscular, solid body with a slightly V-like face like a collie, making them look even cuter. Their chest gets covered with fur, and they have a very straight back.
They have their tail very furry, and it is a moderately medium-length tail that reaches the hocks. They mostly keep their tail towards the ground all the time.
Its coat is most often black with some white blaze on the neck, face, feet, tail tip, and also legs with or without a tan.
Border Collie Dog Temperament
Border Collie’s temperament typically gets characterized as very intelligent, energetic, alert, tenacious, keen, and responsive, and quite simply, this breed is a dynamo. It can learn quickly, and sometimes it can learn so quickly that it is challenging to keep them challenged.
This breed likes to be busy.
It must be active, or they become bored, leading to annoying behavior like barking, digging, or chasing cars.
It is not a breed that likes to lie quietly on the house’s front porch while its owner sips a glass of lemonade. It desires to thrive on activities and always remember that it is a breed with running and working all day long herding sheep.
Is Border Collie Dog a good family dog?
Border Collies are fantastic family dogs; they are friendly and do not attack until they see something unusual happening around them.
If you are a person with a kid, you don’t have to worry about the kid and dog being together. This breed is very gentle and calm with kids if you train them correctly.
Border collies are amazingly energetic dogs, and they have to get the opportunity to get lots of exercises. They also need plenty of attention and love from their owners and a job to do, whether herding livestock or fetching a ball.
Remember, if you choose to adopt a Border Collie, then you should socialize them with others with to time as when they are young they do not have shyness around strangers.
They should have obedience training to help cope with its nipping behavior and tend to run off or instinct to chase cars.
And if you live for long with time, your Border Collie will develop an uncanny ability to know and tell what you’re going to ask of them before you even think of asking them to perform that particular task. But apart from all the other things, they are amiable and curious dogs.
How Big Do Border Collie Dog Get?
Border Collie has a medium-sized body, and the female Border Collie tends to be smaller than their male counterparts.
The males can stand up to 19 to 22 inches tall and 34 to 45 pounds, and with a minimal difference, the females can stand up to around 18 to 21 inches.
Though their size varies from dog to dog and environment to environment, the above numbers are the standard size of a Border Collie.
How Much Does Border Collie Dog Weigh?
Both the female and the male counterparts of the Border Collie vary in weight. The male Border Collie has a standard weight of 14 to 20 kg. At the same time, the female Border Collie weights have an average weight of 12 to 19 kg.
It can quickly get overweight, so you might have to watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight levels.
While training your Border Collie, make sure that you go easy on the treats as they can be a sure-fire way to make your dog overweight and cause obesity.
Before you give your dog food, remember to get it checked by your vet if there is any problem with your dog’s diet or weight.
Does Border Collie Dog shed?
The Border Collie breed has two types of coat; rough and smooth. Both are generally double coat, with a coarser outer coat and soft undercoat. The rough coat of fur is generally of medium length, featuring some body parts like the legs, chest, and belly.
On the other hand, the smooth coat is short all over their body. But both the coats are dense, weather-resistant double coats, and grooming for both types of coats is the same.
Border Collies tend to be average shedders. Therefore you might have to brush them at least weekly with a pin brush to keep their coat friendly, healthy, free from dead hairs and tangles.
You might have to groom it more than twice to keep the coat free of mats, specks of dirt, and debris. And during the shedding season, you might have to brush it daily.
How Often Should You Bathe A Border Collie Dog?
Once every 3 to 4 months is the ideal frequency to bathe a Border collie. If your Border Collie gets dirty more often, you might have to bathe it more than average. But if it can go without getting dirty, then you can go longer without washing it.
They need less bathing times because Border Collies are naturally very hygienic, and they can maintain their coats themselves.
Border Collies spend a reasonable amount of time licking and cleaning their coat themselves. They are very similar to cars in this respect.
Another interesting fact about Border Collies is that they hardly smell foul or produce the classic dog’s odor. Their skin coat does a great job of keeping the balance of their natural oils, which effectively prevents the bad smell.
If you end up bathing your Border Collie too much using a natural and mild shampoo, it will cause permanent damage than good in the long run.
Frequent bathing will lead them to lose their natural oils from their skin and coat. And it is these natural oils that are very important for keeping its skin and coat clean and healthy in the first place.
Do Border Collie Dog Bark A Lot?
Unlike many other breeds of dogs, Border Collies have a whole lot to say to their owners. They will bark if they are bored, stressed, fearful, lonely, and playful and have excitement or curiosity. They will bark their emotions towards their owners.
Border Collies also bark as a warning of their owners that something unusual is going on in the house’s neighborhood like a stranger approaching.
While Border Collies naturally tend to bark a lot but with their intelligence level and eagerness to please their owners, you can train them when it is and is not appropriate to bark aloud. Consistent training can cure the problem of barking in no time.
Is Border Collie Dog Hypoallergenic?
No, Border Collie is not a hypoallergenic dog. The first thing to bear in mind is that completely hypoallergenic dogs are those dogs that do not produce any allergy symptoms at all, and unfortunately, that kind of dog does not exist yet.
The breeds called hypoallergenic shed less and have interlocking coats, leading to minimal allergens but not a complete lack of them.
Border Collies have a double coat that naturally produces a fair amount of shedding, resulting in releasing allergens into the environment.
Is Border Collie Dog Easy To Train?
With the right owner, the Border Collie is a beautiful dog to live with; its intelligence and tractable nature make it very easy to train.
If they are well socialized and trained from their puppyhood, they can adapt to almost any kind of living situation that needs it to perform any mental or physical exercise if required.
With just the correct type of training, this breed can excel in all kinds of activities that he tries, including sheepdog trials, agility, flyball, flying disc, advanced obedience, freestyle obedience, or tracking.
Border Collie has to entail positive exposure to various people and situations from its early puppyhood, which is about seven months.
Obedience training has to start and should continue throughout their life as it would keep them happy by giving it the needed mental stimulation.
Broder Collies are highly trainable, which makes them remarkably good at canine activities than many other dogs.
Border Collie Dog Behavioral Problems
Border Collie gets prone to a specific type of deviant behavior because of their genes themselves. But, not all Border Collies are that way. While some might have no interest in barking, others might bark at their owner’s faces.
There are the top destructive behaviors that you might see in your Border Collie. But remember, these might be more common in Border Collies when compared to many other breeds.
- Jumping
Border Collies are amiable dogs, and this might cause your dog to jump up on people when it wants to show its love towards them.
While you may not care if your Border Collies jumped on you, other people might. Therefore you should try to train your Border Collies from its puppyhood.
A polite dog waits till the human notices them and gives them a pet. Whereas a naughty dog jumps up on people the moment they enter the room, leaving them with muddy paws, prints, and claw marks on their clothes.
Do you want to train your dog to stop jumping? Then do not reward them when they jump on people. Instead, quickly turn your back to it and freeze until it starts to wait patiently for your attention. When they are sitting, then you can give them a treat for their action.
- Running Away
This is a nightmare for any dog owner. If their dog gets loose and takes off at a sprint, and sometimes the faster you chase them, they run from you. To them, it is a game, but it can indeed turn out to be a very stressful incident.
Only you know how dangerous the incident can get. You might even try to call your dog, but it might not listen to you at that point your dog; the reward of chasing is much better than whatever treat you would offer to listen to you.
Therefore, for the incident to occur, you should practice the “come” command again and again with your dog if your Border Collie likes to wander off.
Practice this command in all the different and usual places that you go with your dog. Reward them for listening to you nicely and generously.
- Chasing Cars
There is something about a speeding car that reminds Border Collies of flocks, as this breed commonly chases speeding vehicles. It can be irritating to be on the other end of the leash when your goes tend to go crazy, but it can also be downhill dangerous.
Therefore, to break your dog of this inclination, you have to let your dog know that there is no reward if it wants to chase cars at their full speed.
Also, tell them that if they stay calm and collected in one place while the vehicle passes, they would receive more treats than usual.
You can also use the “watch me” command on your Border Collie to distract them while there is a speedy vehicle approaching.
While you are walking, you may notice that your dog gets into a crouch when a car arrives. Do everything to get your dog’s attention off the speeding vehicle.
If you are proficient with the “watch me” command, they will take their eyes off the car and onto you. Preventing it from running after the car, then you could reward it with a treat.
How Much Does Border Collie Cost?
A Border Collie puppy price ranges from an average of around $ 800 to USD 1200. The current median price for all the Border Collie sold is about $ 983.73.
If you are looking for a Border Collie with a higher lineage, you should quickly expect the price to be around $ 1700 or even higher.
Where To Buy/Adopt Border Collie Dog?
Do you want to purchase or adopt a Border Collie? Start researching the pet shops around you over the internet.
Sometimes, when you explore pet shops and markets, you would come across many shops that give you the breed you want. But never trust the advertisement of a shop.
If you have a chance to speak with your friends who had bought a dog or a Border Dog themselves, ask them where they got it from and the best pet shops around. People that you know can be the best source of accurate and correct information about a shop.
If you cannot do that, do plenty of research and read many reviews before finalizing a shop. Many shops illegally bring pets into their shops and keep them in bad shape; therefore, not to encourage them in their field to buy or adopt from a verified shop.
Ending Note
Border Collie is a very charming dog, and sometimes it can be irresistible when it pleads for your affection with its soft eyes and puppy looking.
But they are fun to have around as they are happy, excited, and outgoing dogs. They are very loyal towards you and would give you all their love and affection once they are comfortable around you.
