Dog Tips

The Border Collie: A Remarkable Canine Breed

admin • 07 Jun 2023

The Border Collie is a dog breed that has caught the attention of many people since its inception. Your intelligence and your affection are great differentials. We'll talk a little about all their features in this article and show you everything you need to know about them.

Collie breed

The Border Collie is a canine breed of the Collie type, shepherd dog, which was considered the most intelligent dog that exists in the book “The Intelligence of Dogs”, by Stanley Coren.

It is known that they can learn to recognize more than a thousand words. In addition, they are also dogs that like to be commanded.

This all facilitates the work and relationship between the tutor and the dog. However, nowadays many people really want to have a dog at home, as it is a very docile breed.

Origin of the Border Collie

Even though the name is not officially registered, the appearance of these dogs dates back to the 16th century, in which they worked with herding and were better than many other breeds.

Border Collie (Border Collie) has this meaning due to the Anglo-Scottish border, which is in Great Britain. By the way, at that time they were already used for grazing. It is worth remembering that Collie in Celtic means useful.

Colors

This breed can have many colors, less predominantly white. This is even excluded from the standard by the International Federation of Cynology, as it is considered a color more conducive to attracting diseases due to genetics.

But there are several different colors like Black, Blue, Red Merle, Blue Merle, Brindle, Lilac, Sable Merle, Chocolate, Red, and Gold.

Size and height of the Border Collie

It is a medium-sized breed, not very suitable for living in small environments or apartments, as it is a very active dog and needs space to expend its energy.

The height of a Border Collie varies with the male being 48-56cm and the female 46-53cm.

Life expectancy

For the most part, life expectancy is between 10 and 17 years. However, this will depend a lot on how the Border Collie is cared for and on its genetics.

All whites may have more health problems, which can interfere with their lifespan. In addition, there are other forms of care that can affect the dog's health, but we'll get to that later.

The Border Collie breed belongs to group 1, designated to Shepherd Dogs and Cattle Dogs (Except Swiss Cattle Dogs).

The personality of a Border Collie

Personality is built little by little. This since his birth and living with his brothers. Socialization is an important step in defining a dog's behavior.

That's why it's essential to release the puppies only after 60 days at least, which is the time when the puppy will start to socialize.

They are not aggressive dogs

On the contrary, they are very calm, some can even be more shy depending on the creation. It is a process that greatly influences socialization as we said before.

When living with younger children, it is always good to be aware and avoid accidents such as a bite during play, as they really like to play that way.

Active dog

The Border Collie is an active dog and has a lot of energy to burn. That's why knowing this is fundamental because they need to spend that energy somehow. It's a great choice for anyone who likes to take their dog for a run.

It's a real companion

If you want to get a dog of this breed, it will probably change your lifestyle. And you'll need all the affection you can give. The connection between owner and dog must be deep and you will always have to leave time for him.

Breed history

The Collie's ancestors were in Scotland and its name refers to the Border valleys on the border with England.

They were raised and commanded by the shepherds and used to herd the sheep. But at the time most dogs made a lot of noise.

Until in a contest. A dog managed to intimidate the sheep with a simple look, without making any noise. In 1915 the name Border Collie was registered, before that they were known as sheepdogs (sheep shepherds).

After all this, the breed still became very competitive in obedience tournaments. Besides being one of the smartest races in the world.

Border Collie: Curiosities

• They are more sensitive than other dogs, precisely because they are on alert all the time;

• They are at all times with their hardworking and obedient instinct;

• The coat helps to deal with the different temperatures;

• It's a dog that doesn't need to take many baths, usually, 1 a month is enough;

• A dog's behavior is built from an early age.

Health care

When they are sick, they don't show much pain. So, it's important to observe your behavior in life. Despite this, you will hardly have problems with the health of your Border Collie. However, it is essential to spend his energy, running or playing. The lack of this energy expenditure can lead to problems such as anxiety, depression, or even behavioral problems. The same can happen due to the lack of interaction and affection. So remember that you need to repay all your fellowship!

And as I said before, removing the puppy before living with the siblings can also affect its behavior. As well as a lack of training, which has the same effect. It's basic care, but it makes a huge difference in their lives.