Border Collie

Prized for his intelligence, herding instinct and working ability, the Border Collie is a hard-working dog that also makes an affectionate pet for active families. Although he is a bit of a workaholic, he loves to settle down and cuddle when the work is done.

Temperament

Border Collies are affectionate, smart and energetic.

Characteristics

The Border Collie is a brilliant dog who is agile, balanced and durable.

As a herding dog, they are a high-drive, high-energy breed, which means they require a little more than just a walk around the block for exercise. Border Collies love to have a job to do, but if they don’t work they require vigorous exercise. The perfect companion to this intelligent breed is an active person.

Border Collies are easy to train and excel in herding events, obedience, agility, rally and tracking competitions. They also enjoy sports like flying disc and flyball.

Don’t be surprised if this lively dog herds everything they see – from other animals to people – it’s in their nature.

Lifespan

12 to 15 years

Colors

Border Collies’ coats come in a variety of colors including black, blue, blue merle, brindle, gold, white lilac, red, red merle, sable, sable merle, seal and slate. They can also have tan points, white markings or be white ticked.

Shedding

The Border Collie breed has two different kinds of dense, weather-resistant double coats: Rough and smooth. The rough coat is medium length and feathered, while the smooth coat is shorter and coarser. Both types shed seasonally and should be brushed one to two times a week.

Health

Generally, Border Collies are a hardy and healthy breed, but as with every breed, they are prone to some health issues.

Border Collies can experience hip dysplasia, progressive renal atrophy, deafness, epilepsy, collie eye anomaly, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and trapped neutrophil syndrome. A responsible breeder will screen for these conditions.

Best Dog Food For Border Collies

When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your Border Collie, it’s important to take his unique breed traits into consideration. Since Collies are an active breed, they may benefit from sport formulas to maintain their energy levels and ideal body condition.

Food for Border Collies can include:

• Purina Pro Plan SPORT 26/16
• Purina Dog Chow
• Purina One SmartBlend
• Beneful Originals

Best Dog Food For Border Collie Puppies

When choosing a food for your Border Collie puppy, remember puppies of any breed have specific nutritional needs during their early developmental years. A formula containing DHA nourishes brain and vision development while antioxidants support their developing immune system so they thrive during their first year of life.

The following foods meet the needs of a growing puppy:

• Beneful Healthy Puppy
• Purina Puppy Chow
• Purina One SmartBlend Healthy Puppy
• Purina Pro Plan Puppy Food

History

The Border Collie’s history dates back to the Roman Empire when the Romans conquered Britain. During this time, the Romans brought their own livestock and herding dogs. These sturdy dogs remained a fixture in Britain long after the Roman Empire dissolved.

Soon after, Viking raiders invaded Britain, bringing their own breed of smaller, spitz-type herders. As the breeds were crossed, a more compact and agile herder was produced, perfect for working stock in the hilly, rocky highlands of Scotland and Wales.

Over time the Border Collie became known as the world’s greatest herder with their sweeping outruns, stealthy crouching and creeping and explosive bursts of focused energy.

Facts

• The Border Collie grew popular in the 19^th century when Queen Victoria became a fan of the breed.
• The world “Collie” is a Scottish word used to describe sheep dogs.
• The Border Collie was first classified as the “Scotch Sheep Dog”.
• The breed was featured in the hit movie, “Babe”, alongside a talking pig.
• The 18^th century poet laureate of Scotland described the essence of the Border Collie as “honest” and “faithful”.