Border Collie

Quick facts

	AKC Group:	Herding
	Height:	Male: 20-23 Inches, Female: 18-21 Inches
	Weight:	30-45 pounds
	Colors:	solid, bicolor, tricolor, merle, and sable, of various colors; solid white not allowed
AKC recognized in:		1995

Among the many types of dogs, the Border collie is considered to be one of the most intelligent, and have gained popularity all over the world for their extreme usefulness in handling farm animals.

Today, they are popular with homeowners and pet lovers because of the affectionate nature of the dog with people who handle them well, as well as being generally sociable creatures that make for excellent pets, for as long as the owner is able to give the dog enough time to meet the social and physical needs of the dog. The dog is also used today as a sports dog and is regularly entered in many competitions.

The first dogs originated from Scotland, Wales, and England, and are now bred in a large number of countries.

Temperament

Border Collie Summary
Affection
Cold Tolerance
Ease of Training
Energy level
Exercise Requirements
Friendliness : Children
Friendliness: Other Animals
Friendliness: Other Pets
Grooming Requirements
Heat Tolerance
Playfulness
Protection Ability
Watchdog Ability

The Border collie is one of the most active dogs and has led to serious consequences for people who are not prepared for the time and effort required to keep these dogs busy and happy. Natural herders, the collie is known to exercise their herding expertise inside the house on smaller children, which can make it incompatible with large households that are heavily populated with small children. In spite of this, the collie is an incredible pet to have and will reward an owner with it fair share of loyalty as well as affection.

The Border Collie excellent when it comes to training and is very responsive when it comes to commands, which has made it one of the best show dogs and regular winners in competitions. The Border collie, however, demands a mature owner capable of handling the many requirements of the dog.

Health and Exercise

Because of the active nature of the Border collie, various health problems such as neurosis can crop up when the dog is not given enough attention and not regularly subjected to a variety of exercises and practices that will meet the emotional as physical needs of the creature. In terms of health, however, the Border collie is prone to a variety of hereditary diseases such as those concerning the eyes and the joints. Some of the diseases that can affect a collie begin as early as in the first four to twelve months, and regular consultation with a veterinarian is crucial. Some of the common diseases are the following:

• Epilepsy
• Ceroid lipofucinosis
• Collie eye anomaly
• Hip dysplasia
• Osteochondritis Dissecans

Balanced protein and calories in the diet as well as regular movement and exercise can be used, however, to prevent the diseases. Most of the diseases that affect the collie are either hereditary, environmental, or due to faulty diet. Some of the measures that can be taken to avoid an unhealthy collie is by screening the parents of a puppy to ensure that the genes are healthy, as well as by removing irritants early on such as kennels that are layered with synthetic chemicals, or dog food that does not contain all-natural ingredients. A regular visit to the veterinarian's office should be scheduled to catch any disease quickly.

Visitor Comments

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