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Description
The Border Collie, also referred to as the Scotch Sheepdog, is a popular breed of medium-sized dog that originated in Great Britain. It belongs to the Herding breed family which is remarkable for their excellent skills to control the movement of other animals. Border Collies have been bred to become reliable sheep herders. Their dense double coat is weather resistant and close-fitting. It has two variants: the short, sleek coat, and the coarse, rough coat. Coat colors usually come in tricolor, black and white, red and white, yellow and white, black and gray, yellow, sable, and pure black.
Height and Weight
The male members of the Border Collie breed commonly stand a height of 19 to 22 in at the withers, and weigh 30 to 45 lbs. Bitches, on the other hand, typically have a height of 18 to 21 in, and weight of 27 to 42 lbs.
Temperament
Border Collies, in general, are active and very energetic with enormous stamina. They are highly intelligent and very quick to learn. In fact, the breed tops in numerous competitive sport levels; excelling in obedience training, agility skills, Frisbee, and sheepdog trials. With sufficient physical and mental stimulation, Border Collies can get along well with children and other dogs. Daily exercise along with consistent leadership from their handlers can also make these dogs happy. Although they commonly cannot be trusted with small non-canine animals, the breed can relate well with family cats. To keep them from becoming shy, proper socialization has to be introduced at their young age.
Grooming
Whether your Border Collie pet is soft-coated or rough-coated, they need to be brushed once or twice a week. Combing frequency may be stepped up during their heavy shedding seasons. The breed needs to be bathed and dry shampooed only when needed. They are a medium shedder. In addition, checking their ears and coat on a regular basis is recommended to get rid of ticks.
Health Concerns
Although Border Collies are sporty, and seems to be buffing up in terms of health, the breed, in truth, is prone to several health problems. They are very allergic to fleas, and are likely to suffer from chronic heart diseases, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and deafness. Nevertheless, with proper care, nutrition, and exercise, the breed can live for as long as 10 to 14 years.
Best Environment
Border Collies are generally not suited for apartment-living. They are extremely athletic dogs that need a large, secure yard space to romp about. Besides, they tend to chase almost everything that moves. In terms of exercise, the breed is quite demanding. Border Collies require extensive physical and mental activities every day. Biking, running, tracking, and off-leash vigorous play are great for them.
Cheryl Dwyer
Jan 13, 2013 at 12:49 pm
We have a Border Collie, and love him to bits. he was trained for sheep, but since he came to us, herds the chickens. My only question… he lost a great deal of hair. we had his thyroid tested, and it was normal. The only thing the vet could find suggested he had a overload of testosterone, so we had him neutered to reduce it. Now we’re waiting to see if the hair grows back. He doesn’t lick, so we know it’s not from him being bored. We run with him everyday, play constantly and he plays with the other dogs. His diet is vet supervised, he gets enough protein, we’re at a loss to figure it out.