The Border Collie guide

Weight: Male 14-20 kg, Female 12-19 kg
Maleheight: male 53 cm, female 51 cm
Energy level: Energetic
Life expectancy: 10-12 years
Tendency to drool: Medium
Tendency to snore: Slight
Tendency to bark: Medium
Digging tendency: Slight
Social needs: High
Designed for: Herding
Colours: Black and white or tri-coloured
Health problems: Eye diseases, hip dysplasia

Personality

Border Collies are not only known for their intelligence and willingness to work, but they also have a unique personality that makes them a beloved breed. These dogs are usually devoted and loyal to their owners and develop strong bonds with them. They are also known to be responsive and willing to please, making them great companions and training partners. Border Collies are often very alert and have a natural ability to pay attention to their surroundings. Their attention span and ability to focus make them excellent at training exercises and obedience trials. However, it is also important to provide them with a balanced and stimulating environment to prevent them from becoming bored or over-stimulated.

Training

Border Collies need extensive physical and mental exercise to stay healthy. Since it is the dog's nature to whelp, it may have a tendency to whelp anything that moves, including children, if not given enough time and exercise. To avoid the dog developing unwanted behavioral problems and feeling bad, it's crucial to activate it properly. An adult dog needs at least two hours of exercise every day as well as mental stimulation. Activities such as agility and herding help to use their natural instincts. Positive reinforcement and consistency are key to successful training. By giving your Border Collie adequate exercise and activation, you will have a happy and well-adjusted dog.

Grooming

The Border Collie's coat is easy to care for as long as you brush it once or twice a week, depending on the length of the coat. You only need to bathe or shower your dog when necessary, using a shampoo specially formulated for dogs.

Dog clipping

Of course, your dog's claws need taking care of! Claws should be clipped as needed, but a recommendation is not to wait too long, once a month may be enough. It's better to clip a little and often than a lot and rarely. You need to get your dog used to having its claws clipped from an early age, in the claw clipping course we give you our best tips on how to clip your dog's claws!

Hereditary problems

A Border Collie normally suffers from few health problems. Like many other breeds, it is at risk of hereditary eye diseases and hip dysplasia. Before breeding, it is therefore important to have an eye and hip assessment.

Lameness

Among Border Collies, lameness problems are a little more common. You can learn more about the different types of lameness and what to do if your dog is lame in this course.

Skin problems

If you have a border collie, you need to be aware that there is a risk that they may suffer from skin problems such as allergies. Just like us humans, dogs can be allergic to something in their environment as well as something in their food. Learn more about the different types of allergies and what the symptoms are here.

Socialisation

It's important to socialise your dog. Start practicing environmental training at an early age, you need to let your dog experience both sounds and places that it will experience even when it is an adult. Learn more about socialisation and environmental training here.

Stomach problems

At some point during its life, your Border Collie is likely to eat something that is not good for it to eat, which can lead to vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Vomiting and diarrhoea in particular are a common reason for dogs and cats to take their dogs to the vet, but the fact is that in many cases you can treat your dog for vomiting and/or diarrhoea at home. Learn more about vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs here. In some cases, you can actually treat a dog with vomiting and diarrhea yourself at home, you can learn more about that here.