Border Collie

Where the breed comes from

Border Collies were developed in the hill country along the border between England and Scotland to gather and move sheep. Breeders selected for working ability above all, and the breed's crouching approach and intense stare, called eye, are part of that skill.

Personality and family life

They are extremely intelligent, sensitive and energetic. A well-known research dog named Chaser learned the names of more than 1,000 toys. For an active family that loves training, a Border Collie is a brilliant partner; for a quiet household, it can be a hard fit.

Daily care: exercise, grooming, training

Plan on lots of daily exercise plus mental work: herding, agility, flyball, frisbee or trick training. A bored Border Collie may invent its own jobs, like herding children or chasing cars, so channel that drive. Their coat needs weekly brushing.

Is this breed right for you?

Great for very active people, farmers and dog sport fans who want a brilliant training partner. Less suited to busy households without time for daily training, to apartments with little exercise, or to people who want a relaxed couch dog.

Fun facts

Border Collies dominate agility, obedience and herding trials worldwide. In sheepdog trials, handlers guide them with whistles and voice commands over long distances. Black and white is the classic coat, but red, merle, tricolour and other colours are common too.

A day in the life

A typical day with a Border Collie might include a long morning walk or run, a training session with new tricks, an agility or frisbee game and a puzzle feeder at dinner. Teaching an off switch, a calm settle on a mat, is just as important as exercise. Without enough to do, they can become anxious or obsessive.

Health and good to know

Health tests to ask about include hips, eyes (collie eye anomaly) and certain inherited conditions screened by DNA tests.

Every pet is an individual, so use this as a starting point and ask your vet about diet, vaccines and health checks for your own animal.

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