Border Collie

Border Collie: A Versatile and Intelligent Breed for Active Families

Understanding the Border Collie Breed

Border Collies originated in Scotland near the border of England. The word “Collie” is a scotch word for sheepdog and with the dog being from the border of Scotland and England, the name “Border Collie” was born. Border Collies are highly energetic, hardworking, tough and problem solvers who are known for their excellence in herding livestock. They have also been a great addition to search and rescue teams with their relentless drive to work and their friendly disposition. This breed is ranked as one of the most intelligent breeds so owning one of these working dogs inherently requires a lot of engagement from their handlers to thrive.

Characteristics

Size: Medium-sized breed, weight range of 30-45 pounds (13-20 kg)

Health: This breed in particular is known for its work ethic. Working several hours a day, this breed will run miles upon miles while herding livestock. Border Collies are known for their vitality and being superior athlete’s. Although these working dogs are listed in the top 15 of the working breeds and are typically very healthy there are some congenital disorders which they are more prone to.

As these dogs age, or even if they’re too exuberant as young adults, their joints get quite a workout. Some veterinarians will start these working dogs on supplements to help prevent injury, promote healing and protect their joints from further injury. If they land the wrong way or a joint simply wears out from overuse, it can lead to painful canine conditions. Those conditions can typically be discovered through hip X-rays displaying hip dysplasia or even osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). Both of those conditions can cause chronic pain and disability and may even require surgical intervention. These conditions cause the joint cartilage and underlying bone to develop cracks from accelerated growth as a puppy or repetitive overuse without any recovery rest. Aside from the joint and bone injuries, Border Collies are more prone to canine epilepsy, congenital heart defects, and hypothyroidism. This is one main reason for selective breeding by responsible breeders is to mitigate the probability of passing along of these congenital disorders.

Breed variation: Different temperaments are suited for different families. Education on breed variation and their genetic line is especially important in high-drive working dogs. Sounds simple right? Determining your lifestyle habits and/or living situation will assist you in choosing the right line of Border Collie for your human pack. This specific breed has been around for ages and has been bred for as a multi-purpose dog. For example, a show line of Border Collies may have a slightly different physical structure, texture of coat and disposition than its counter part, the working line. The working line of collies have been intentionally bred to have a high-drive and undeniable work ethic that would be wanted working long hours in the field. The breeding standards for both lines are well calculated and strategically thought out to bring forth the best of the best blood lines. Although there are more differences in variation of this breed, one thing is for certain they must have room to run and have some sort of work within in their pack to be happy.

“Border Collies are highly energetic, hardworking, tough and problem solvers who are known for their excellence in herding livestock.”

Unique Characteristics:

Border Collies are a breed of herding dogs known for their unique characteristics. They possess several traits that set them apart from other breeds. Let’s review some of them:

Very Intelligent. They are considered one of the most intelligent breeds in the world. This intelligence allows them to excel in various activities, including herding, search and rescue, personal assistance dogs, obedience training, and agility competitions.
Highly energetic. They require plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. They have an incredible amount of stamina and thrive in environments where they can engage in physical activities such as agility courses, running, playing fetch, or participating in sports like dock diving.
Strong work ethic. Bred for herding livestock, they have an innate instinct to gather and control animals with precision. Their sharp focus enables them to quickly learn commands and perform complex tasks with ease. Their willingness to learn and work, in addition to, their superior hearing gives a handler the ability to communicate the desired behavior through the use a whistle from long distances.
Stamina. They can work for hours on end and actually like to. They prefer to work versus sitting around lounging. Just ensure they are resting and rehydrating often. These pups have a hard time shutting off work mode.
Problem-solvers. They have a natural ability to assess situations and find creative solutions to overcome any challenge. One item I do use at home personally is a puzzle feeder. It provides mental stimulation for my working dog, in addition to, slowing him down so he doesn’t aspirate his food or bloat.
Easily trainable. Due to their eagerness to please their owners this breed can be taught and unlimited number of commands, tricks, and a variety of other fun things etc. They respond very well to positive reinforcement training methods and they actually enjoy learning.

In conclusion, Border Collies stand out as a breed due to their unremarkable intelligence, high energy levels, laser focus, problem-solving skills, trainability, and strong work ethic. These qualities make them ideal working dogs. The handler who chooses this breed must be well versed in understanding them and their uniqueness. It almost must be understood for this breed to thrive within a family they require a lot of time and energy. If this breed is chosen for companionship an active family will be the best handlers and they will be able to provide them the positive outlet for releasing all of that unstoppable go power.