Border Collie running with its tongue out

Border Collie Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Intelligent, agile and extremely friendly – it’s little wonder Border Collies are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. With their glossy coats and button-bright eyes, the Border Collie is one of the most alert and agile breeds out there. They’re certainly not the type to lay about – so make sure you can keep up with them. 

If you’re looking for an intelligent, caring canine companion who’s not afraid to get their paws dirty, the Border Collie could be the perfect fit for you.

Border Collie Facts

Dog breed type icon
Type
Collie
Dog breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
10 - 17 years
Dog breed size icon
Size
Medium
Dog breed weight icon
Weight
12 - 20 kg
Dog breed height icon
Height
46 - 56 cm
Dog breed temperament icon
Temperament
Energetic, intelligent, responsive
Dog breed exercise icon
Exercise
120 mins per day
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Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Border Collie Right for Me?

Originally bred as a sheepherder, Border Collies thrive on having a job to do. They’re one of the hardest working and intelligent dog breeds, but can become easily bored. Training and agility classes are an ideal way to keep them busy and strengthen your bond.

They love to work hard and play hard, so can be a great family pet. Though sometimes their working dog instincts kick in, so you may come in one day to find them herding the kids. But if you’re as keen as they are to get out and about, the Border Collie could be the breed of dog for you.

Border Collie puppy sitting on a table

What Are Border Collie Puppies Like?

Border Collie puppies are highly intelligent and quick learners, but they are also playful with high energy levels. They want to be on the go all the time and thrive when testing their mental and physical abilities. 

Tiring a Border Collie out is a challenge. Their curiosity will keep them on their feet for hours. Teaching them herding or obedience work from a young age will provide them with the stimulation they seek.

Border Collie lying in the grass

Life with a Border Collie

A Border Collie’s enthusiasm and personality can be infectious – they’re forever on the move and keen to learn new things. You’ll often find them displaying their deep-rooted herding instinct, whether it’s during a spirited game of fetch or a training session.

While their herding nature may seem cute, it is not unheard of for a Collie to herd people, including children. Now this could be handy when it comes to getting the kids moving, but part of this herding instinct can be to nip. If you have children and are thinking about getting a Border Collie consider training to try and reduce this behaviour.

Caring for Your Border Collie

Border Collies are among the liveliest of dog breeds, so a healthy balanced diet is essential. Keep your dog fighting fit with advice from your vet about how much they should eat and how often. If they’re not getting the amount of physical exercise they need – two hours a day or more for walks – they might resort to chewing your furniture.

Whether long or smooth on top, Border Collies have a dense double coat that needs a brush at least once a week. They can grow rather fetching manes that often require detangling. 

Bathing your Border Collie once a month is fine, unless they come home covered in mud. Be sure to clean their ears during grooming sessions. These are a prime place for dirt to build up, potentially leading to infection.

Border Collies need big workouts, not quite full on dog sports, but you'll still need to sure there’s plenty of safe space outdoors where they can burn off all their energy. Try to teach them new games and tricks to stimulate the physical exercise and mental stimulation they need. 

Proper training is essential – they’re naturally wary of new people because they’ve still have their herding dog habits that can be difficult to shake. Border Collies might chase, bark or nip at others to try and herd them.

Border Collie Insurance

You may want to think about getting Border Collie insurance so you can focus on getting to know your new addition when they come home. At Everypaw, we offer comprehensive Border Collie insurance – there’s no need for a fine-toothed comb when it comes to our cover.

Everypaw’s are all about the Lifetime Cover for dogs, with a range of levels of insurance to choose from. All you need to do is choose the level of cover that works best for you and your Collie.

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Common Border Collie Health Problems by Vetstream

Border Collies are lively and generally healthy breed of dog, but they can be susceptible to certain health conditions. So we've teamed up with vet experts Vetstream who've given us the facts around some of the most common Border Collie Health Issues they are particularly prone to.

First signs of Collie Eye Anomoly (CEA) can be seen in puppies as young as 5 weeks old, but mostly affects older dogs. It is a hereditary disorder that causes holes to form in the layers of the eye. If the holes continue to increase in size, it can lead to complete blindness. 

Unfortunately, there is no treatment and diagnosis can be difficult. But dogs adapt well to vision loss and can still lead a long, happy life.
 

Hip dysplasia is an inherited condition that affects the ball-and-socket joint. The surfaces of the joint rub together causing damage, pain and leg weakness. This can lead to arthritis in later life. The severity of the condition is affected by weight, growth rate and exercise. 

Restricting exercise and controlling your dog’s diet will help with the symptoms. In severe cases, complete hip replacement is needed to resolve the issue. Smoothing the surface of the joint has been effective in mild cases.

Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome (TNS) is an inherited condition involves neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) not being released into the bloodstream. This leads to a weakened immune system, which causes delayed development, swollen joints, facial abnormalities and fever. TNS has been seen in puppies that are 11-12 weeks old. 

Fluid therapy has shown improvement of symptoms but in most cases, the dog will need to be put to sleep. It is an uncommon condition that can be tested before breeding.

Epilepsy is a condition that causes fits (seizures or convulsions) due to abnormal brain activity. They cause the dog to fall on their side, followed by rapid leg movements. Usually, the fits last for a few minutes and injuries are rare, but if the fit lasts more than 10 minutes it may cause brain damage. During a fit, releasing of the bowels or bladder is often seen.

There is no cure for epilepsy, but medication can be given to control the fits.

Quick Border Collie Q&A

Originating in the Scottish Borders, the Border Collie is breed primarily bred for sheepherding and their working ability. The word Collie can be traced back to an old Celts/Scots language meaning ‘useful’. The Border Collie often carries more cognitive ability than other breeds, and can learn new commands in as little as five seconds.

A Border Collie is a medium sized dog breed and they tend to reach its fully formed height aged between 12 to 15 months. However, it could take two years for it to become a mature adult.

A Border Collie’s typical lifespan is 12-15 years. To help give them the best life expectancy possible, it's important to look after your dog as best you can. This includes regular vet health checks, grooming sessions, a good diet, and as much exercise as you can keep up with.

Twice a year, as Border Collies prepare for and recover from the colder weather, shedding season is in full effect. Regular brushing and bathing will help reduce shedding.

No breed of dog is fully hypoallergenic. How they are raised and groomed will affect the amount of dander they produce. If you’re a dog allergy sufferer and unsure how you’ll get on with a Border Collie, spend some time with the litter and see how it goes.

That’s All You Need to Know About Border Collies

This intelligent breed needs lots of physical and mental stimulation to keep them healthy and happy. They’re not afraid of hard work or getting dirty and are better suited to rural living where they have lots of room to run and play. Welcome a Border Collie into your home and they’ll quickly become a loved member of the family... As long as you're prepared to be herded a little every now and again.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.
 

 

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