Border Collie Dog Breed Facts & Information

Loyal, super-smart, and not ones to be left alone, Border Collies can make a great furry sidekick with time and effort. With high energy levels and a need for mental stimulation, these dogs should have plenty to do, or they’ll create mischief to keep themselves busy! Unfortunately, many pet parents are unprepared for the commitment, so lots of Border Collies often end up in shelters. 

Border Collies might be known for their herding abilities, but the breed is great for so much more. They can be trained for all kinds of tasks and, with correct socialization and boundaries, make great family members. While Border Collies aren’t a good option for those who like to chill out, knowing when to ease up with exercise is still essential. “The harder they are exercised, the more they will need,” says Barbara Sykes, MFCBA, MBIPDT, with Mainline Border Collie Centre and FOSTBC Border Collie Rescue.

While farmers have been herding livestock for centuries, Border Collies haven’t always been there to assist. Records of the breed start around the late 1800s, but uncertainty remains around which working and herding dog breeds were mixed to create it. Either way, their presence has brought hundreds of thousands of parents joy over the years! 

Breed Characteristics

Want to learn more about whether a Border Collie is right for you? Check out this quick video.

Border Collie Appearance

While we often think of Border Collies as black and white, Marcelle Allision, a breeder and founder of Umdlwane, says this breed can come in various colors, including tri-colors, merles, golden colors, reds, and even lilac. Additionally, Allison explains the type of fur can also differ between Collies, from short and silky to long and rough.

As for their size and shape, Lights Wilhour, a breeder with Solid Gold Border Collies, says most weigh between 28-42 pounds. Additionally, they are often longer than taller. Personality-wise, Wilhour says every Border Collie is unique, but it is common to see females described as very ‘businesslike’ and interested in their careers, with males more often described as being cuddly and more forgiving to training mistakes.

Another striking Collie feature is their eyes. “Their eyes are most common in brown but can differ to gray, hazel, yellowish, and blue,” Allison says. “They can often have one of each color.”

Border Collie History

Originating from the borders of England and Scotland, the name “Collie” means “Sheepdog” in Scottish — with the “Border” being added due to its breeding location. According to Rigel Border Collies, the “Father of the Border Collie” was a dog named Old Hemp, born in 1893. Old Hemp’s owner was impressed by his skillful yet quiet herding abilities, leading him to breed over 200 puppies from which many Border Collies today are descended.  

It didn’t take long for Border Collies to arrive on American shores. “[They] started trickling into the United States in the early 1900s, shortly after the International Sheep Dog Society was formed,” Wilhour says. The AKC officially recognized the breed in 1995.

Appealing in both appearance and personality, it’s hardly a surprise that many Border Collies have made their way into movies — including Fly and Rex in Babe and Shep in Hotel for Dogs. Other famous Border Collies include Shep, who waited for five and half years at a train station for his deceased owner to return, and, more recently, a dog called Chaser, who learned over 1,000 words as part of a research experiment. 

Border Collie Personality

Border Collies have a multifaceted personality; they’re loving, affectionate, tolerating, non-aggressive, and mischievous (sure to bring a lot of laughs!) But, they can also be high-maintenance and challenging, requiring plenty of physical and mental stimulation. “Border Collies want to feel they have a job,” Allison says.

If they don’t have enough to do, expect things to get a bit chaotic. Additionally, Border Collies are prone to excessive barking and howling, although quality dog training can reduce this unwanted behavior.        

Despite their outgoing nature, Wilhour says Border Collies can become anxious due to poor genetic selection and training mistakes. She adds that since Border Collies are very intelligent and sensitive, building a solid relationship and earning their trust is the best way to combat anxiety before it happens.

Lastly, Allison says if you want a more relaxed dog, don’t get a Border Collie. Their lifestyle requires a good mix of physical activity in the form of long walks, runs, agility tasks, and obedience training.

Ideal Environment For Border Collies

With their high energy levels, some might not recommend Border Collies to a first-time dog parent. “It’s a big learning curve,” Sykes says. “The [pet parents] need to be fully committed to understanding the dog and accept that an older, well-mannered Collie may be the best option to start with.” Furthermore, Sykes adds she would not recommend Collies to first-time pet parents with children and a busy household.

So does that make Collies unsuitable for potential pet parents with children and other pets? Not necessarily. “Border Collies often get a bad reputation regarding children, but it’s about understanding their instincts,” Sykes says. For example, she explains that their natural herding instincts are okay around sheep, but in a domestic home, those instincts need to be kept harnessed. “The Collie needs to understand that children are not their siblings, and they need boundaries,” she adds. “With this in place, Collies can be great with the children.”  

Lastly, Sykes says to establish boundaries as soon as possible. “What they do in the first week is a forever behavior to a dog, making it harder to redirect,” she notes. Essentially, you should aim to “parent the dog as you would a small child: train for good manners and don’t over-excite them.”

Ideal Human For Border Collies

Sykes reveals the ideal Border Collie pet parent will be someone who:

• Is calm
• Is happy to be with the dog a lot of the time
• Loves the countryside and walking
• Doesn’t always feel the need to keep “doing”
• Can provide sensible, fair, and kind parenting
• Has a sense of humor

Various resources can aid potential owners in finding their new four-legged pal. The Border Collie Society of America lists numerous breeders by state, while Border Collie Rescue has a directory of many rescue centers nationwide. 

Border Collie Training

We’ve touched on setting boundaries, but Border Collies require proper training to keep their behavior in check — especially as their herding instincts typically develop when they’re “between 6 and 8 weeks,” states Trevor Smith, a certified dog trainer with Pupford. “However, their herding skills tend to become more refined and instinctual as they mature, usually around 6 to 12 months old.”

The time it takes to train a Collie depends on various factors. Smith says these include personality, command complexity, and training consistency. “However, in general, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to train a Border Collie to basic obedience commands,” he adds.

Additionally, Border Collies have a fantastic ability to learn all kinds of behaviors, skills, and tricks. Aside from herding, they can be trained in everything from basic commands to search and rescue tasks. “[They] are willing to learn most anything; you just need to take the time and be consistent when training,” Smith says. 

As this breed requires a good blend of mental and physical stimulation, mixing up activities is vital to keep them entertained. Smith outlines the following good examples.

• Agility training
• Flyball
• Herding
• Obedience training
• Fetch
• Dock diving

Unstimulated and poorly trained Border Collies will busy themselves, including “herding” up children and pets in the home. Fortunately, there are approaches to help resolve this behavior! A qualified dog trainer or behaviorist will be able to assist, but Smith shares these strategies.

• Redirection. “Teach your clever Border Collie commands like ‘leave it’ or ‘relax’ to divert their herding focus to more suitable activities.”
• Positive reinforcement. “Praise and treats work wonders! Reward your Border Collie when they respond well to redirection, reinforcing the desired behavior.”
• Socialization. “Early and proper socialization helps your dog understand appropriate interactions, reducing their urge to over-herd kids and other pets.”

Encouraging downtime

As vital as physical activity is for your Border Collie, rest time is equally crucial. “It is common for [pet parents] to overwork their dogs’ bodies to tire them out and create a dog who craves nothing but fetch, fetch, fetch, for hours,” Wilhour says. “This can not only be harmful to the Border Collie’s joints but also to their psychological well-being.”

Providing your dog with adequate mental stimulation will aid in creating an “off-switch”, Wilhour says. “Teaching or practicing one new trick with your Border Collie every day will help strengthen your bond [and] ensure you have exercised their brain!”

Border Collie Grooming

Great news for pet parents who aren’t so nifty with a brush: “Border Collies as a breed are fairly low maintenance,” shares Caroline Donoghue, a dog grooming specialist and founder of Lovemud Dog Grooming. But this doesn’t mean they’re “no maintenance”!   

Border Collies have a double coat, so pet parents should give their four-legged pal a good brush “2-3 times a week,” Donoghue suggests. However, she says this will have to become a daily ritual during heavy shedding phases. These occur twice a year, in spring and autumn.  

Donoghue adds that regular brushing keeps hair silky, skin healthy, shedding to a minimum, and temperature regulation. Border Collies should be “professionally groomed around 4 times a year, to have longer areas such as legs and paws trimmed,” she adds. 

While keeping them warm in winter, a Border Collie’s double coat helps cool them in summer. Shaving and clipping can negatively impact their temperature regulation and lead to patchy regrowth.

Thanks to Border Collies’ active lifestyles, their nails often file down naturally. However, Donoghue says this can vary depending on the surfaces they usually walk and run on. If the nails touch the floor when the dog stands on all fours, take them to a groomer for clipping.

As for their ears, Donoghue says they need more regular attention and cleaning. Watch for any changes in the ear, as these can indicate an infection. Signs include redness, dark discharge, ear scratching, and head shaking.

Border Collie Health

While Border Collies are very active dogs and generally healthy, the breed is known to face some health issues —particularly concerning their joints. 

When adopting, “It is important to talk with the breeder about the history of the line and find out what testing [has been done] or if any concerns have been noted,” says Preston Turano, DVM, a veterinarian and AKC Pet Insurance spokesperson. 

Some notable Border Collie health issues include the following.

• Hip dysplasia. A common inherited concern among Border Collies but not unique to the breed. It involves the ball of the hip socket not fitting correctly into the joint.
• Collie Eye Anomaly. This genetic disease can lead to vision loss and even complete blindness. Turano says genetic lab tests can be done to screen for the concern in the bloodline.
• Trapped Neutrophil. Only seen in Border Collies, this inherited health issue affects a puppy’s immune system and leaves them much more susceptible to disease and infection.
• Arthritis. “Border Collies are very active and, depending on their lifestyle, may have arthritis in their senior years,” Turano explains. “However, the severity will be less if they do not have any underlying bone issues, such as hip dysplasia.”
• Hypothyroidism. This breed is at high risk of hypothyroidism (when the thyroid gland is underactive). It’s not unique to Border Collies, and the MSC Veterinary Manual says symptoms include weight gain, lethargy, and changes to the skin and coat.  

8 Similar Breeds To Consider

Don’t have the time to dedicate to a Border Collie but would still like an intelligent, affectionate, active dog? One of the following breeds might be a better fit.

• Australian Shepherd
• Australian Cattle Dog
• Golden Retriever 
• Briard
• Rough Collie
• Shetland Sheepdog
• Belgian Tervuren
• Bouvier des Flandres