Border Collie
Breed Group: Herding Group
Size Group: Medium Dog Breeds
Origin: Scotland
Height: 19”-22” (male) 18”-21” (female)
Weight: 30-55 lbs
Color: Black, Blue, Blue merle, Brindle, Gold, Red, Sable, Sable merle, White & black, White & red, Red merle, White & blue, White & blue merle, Lilac, Saddleback sable, White & red merle, White ticked with or without one or more: White markings, Merle markings, Tan points, Ticked, Brindle points
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Temperament: Energetic, alert, eager, loving
Set Your Pup Up For Success
Overview
Border Collies were originally bred as sheepherding dogs. Their explosive speed and ability to creep into position unseen have led many to considered them as the world’s greatest herders. These pups can work tirelessly throughout the day only to settled down just before bed.
Border collies are exceptionally high energy. They are best suited, and maybe only suited, to very active homes that have the time an ability to devote to exercise with their pups. Bored borders will pick up unattractive traits like chasing cars. They are additionally prone to separation anxiety and do not do well being left alone for long stretches of time. This breed loves having a job to do, and often takes to training as work. Easy to train, wonderful at sports, and devoted to family make border collies one of the most popular pups around.
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Celebrity Owners
Bon Jovi, Prince Christian, Adam Telfer, Cheryl Cole, James Dean, Megan Gale, Selena Gomez, Anna Paquin, Jeff Bridges, Tiger Woods, Ethan Hawke
Fun Facts
Renowned poet Robert Burns wrote one of his most famous poems, “The Twa Dog” describing man and dog’s intense bond inspired by his Border Collie, Luath.
Health
Border collies are generally very healthy dogs. Some health concerns to be aware of include hip dysplasia, deafness, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, collie eye anomaly, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, trapped neutrophil syndrome, osteochondritis dissecans, portosystemic shunt, lens luxation, pannus, and hypothyroidism.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
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Grooming
Border collies should be brushed several times per week. Their coat is prone to tangles and matts, which if left alone can lead to hotspots, skin irritation and hair loss. When working on your pup’s coat you can use detangler spray to help loosen the matted hair. Work your brush all the way to the skin to make sure no matts are hiding. BCs go through seasonal shedding where you will need to brush them daily to help contain the hair loss. Bathing is only necessary once every 3 months or if you pup gets dirty. Over bathing can lead to skin irritation. As with all dogs, keep your pup’s ears and eyes clean and clear of debris. Clip your pup’s nails regularly and brush his teeth several times per week.
Cost
$700 – $2,000
Exercise
Border Collies are all energy. Plan to spend at least 2 hours engaged in activity with your pup. Keep your pup leashed or in a secure fenced in area when outside. These dogs tend to chase things that move be it a squirrel or a car. Having ample space for your dog to run is a must. Brisk walks, jogs, runs, hikes and games of fetch will all do the trick for your border collie. This breed will quickly become destructive if their energy is not spent entirely.
Nutrition
A full grown border collie will eat around 2.5 cups of food per day over two meals. The exact requirement of your dog will depend on age and activity level. If you are concerned with your dog’s weight consult a vet.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
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Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. Border collies’ intelligence and eager to please nature makes them exceptional students. This breed loves to work and approaches training as such. You should continue training sessions throughout your dog’s life to keep him mentally stimulated.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
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Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
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The Good
Easy to train
Loving family dog
The "Ruff"
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