Border Collie: how to recognise one
Border Collies vary more in coat, colour and ears than most breeds, because they were bred for work, not looks. Upload a photo above, then compare with the signs below.
Also known as: Border, BC, Working sheepdog
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About the Border Collie
The Border Collie comes from the borderlands between Scotland and England, where shepherds selected dogs purely for their ability to gather and move sheep. Working sheepdog registries still judge dogs on herding trials, while the FCI places the breed in group 1 and kennel clubs worldwide show it. It is a quick, focused and sensitive dog with a famous stare, the “eye”, that it uses to control livestock. Border Collies excel at agility, obedience and flyball, and need real mental and physical outlets every day.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedigree breed
- Size
- Medium
- Adult weight
- 12–25 kg
- Life expectancy
- 12–15 years
- Exercise
- Very high
How to recognise a Border Collie
- Two coat types: a moderately long rough coat with mane, breeches and feathered tail, or a short smooth coat; both have a dense undercoat.
- Black and white is the classic pattern, but red, blue, merle, tricolour and sable occur too, usually with white on the face, collar, legs and tail tip.
- Ears may be fully erect, semi-erect with folded tips, or dropped; even littermates can differ.
- Athletic, slightly longer than tall, with a moderate head, tapered muzzle and oval eyes, usually brown; merles may have one or two blue eyes.
- Low-set tail reaching at least the hock, ending in an upward swirl; carried low at work and never over the back.
Photo tip. Photograph the dog standing side-on with the tail visible, plus a face shot. White markings, ear set and the low swirled tail separate a Border Collie from an Aussie or Sheltie.
Border Collie or look-alike?
Australian Shepherd
Often merle too, but stockier, with a broader head, fuller coat and frequently a naturally short or docked tail. A Border Collie has a long tail with an upward swirl.
Shetland Sheepdog
Much smaller, with a heavy mane and frill, a long, refined wedge-shaped head and small ears with tipped-over tops; usually sable, tricolour or blue merle.
Rough Collie
Larger, with a far fuller coat, a long slim head with almost no stop and small tipped ears. It has the “Lassie” look rather than a working sheepdog’s outline.
Border Collie mixes
Border Collie blood runs through countless farm dogs and rescues. Common crosses include the Borador (with a Labrador), Border Aussie, Border Collie × Husky and × Springer Spaniel. The white collar, blaze and tail tip, the semi-erect ears and the low, swirled tail survive often, as does the intensity. Merle can pass to puppies when one parent is merle. On a photo, a Border mix usually comes back as Border Collie plus a retriever, spaniel or another herder like the Australian Shepherd. A DNA test sorts out the percentages.
Health and care
- Hip dysplasia is known in the breed; ask for hip scores on both parents, plus a current eye examination.
- Ask the breeder for DNA results for Collie eye anomaly (CEA), trapped neutrophil syndrome (TNS) and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CL), all known in the breed.
- Epilepsy also occurs in Border Collies. Merle dogs, especially those with a lot of white on the head, are more prone to deafness.
- They need plenty of daily exercise and, above all, mental work: herding, agility, scent and trick training. Under-stimulated dogs can develop compulsive habits such as shadow chasing.
- Feed in line with activity, since working dogs burn far more than pets. Rough coats need brushing a couple of times a week, more during moults.