THE BREED OF BORDER COLLIE DOGS: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEM

The dog Border Collie is one of the most sought after breeds today. There seems to be a border collie fever. Although they are very popular here, the place where they are most frequent is the United Kingdom. Border collies are highly intelligent, energetic, loyal and very good-natured dogs. If you are thinking of adopting one, there are 10 things you need to know before:

1. ORIGIN OF THE BORDER COLLIE

Do you know where this breed of dog comes from? Why is it called that? The origin of the border collie is in the border region between England and Scotland. Border means border and collie means useful. The first to call these dogs by this name was in 1915 James Reid, the first director of the International Sheep Dog Society (International Society of Sheep Dogs). The border collie dog is a descendant of the Old Hemp, an ancestor from 1893 that, in dog competitions, was always the winner. It is a shepherd dog of Celtic origin, used by shepherds to work in the fields and move flocks of sheep.

2. BORDER COLLIE DOGS ARE THE MOST INTELLIGENT IN THE WORLD

According to a 2009 study conducted by the University of British Columbia, the border collie breed leads the ranking of the most intelligent dog breeds. The canine intelligence ranking is calculated based on three aspects: instinctive intelligence, adaptive intelligence, and working and obedience intelligence. The intelligence of these dogs is equivalent to that of a two-year-old child. Border collies recognize up to 200 different words. That is why it is so easy to train them, since they understand all the orders in an amazing way. By repeating an order less than five times, they already understand it, and they are more than obedient: they always obey the first order.

An exceptional case was that of a female named Chaser, who understood up to more than a thousand words, and recognized 1022 different toys.

3. WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A BORDER COLLIE DOG?

Border Collies are medium-sized dogs. Males usually weigh between 13 and 20 kg and females between 13 and 19 kg. The height of the males can reach 55 cm, while the females do not exceed 50 cm. They have an athletic complexion, a broad chest, a muscular body... With a sweet expression, they have wide-set and erect ears.

4. INEXHAUSTABLE ENERGY

Border Collies are not only intelligent, they are super active dogs that have lots of energy. If you want a border collie, you have to know that these dogs need to go out three times a day and take long walks. But it is not enough for them to walk, they need to run to exhaust all their energy, which seems infinite. If they don't exercise enough, they get bored and have stress problems, which lead to behavioral problems. They can even suffer from depression, if they spend a lot of time alone without anyone to entertain them. The border collie is the perfect dog if you live in a natural environment, in the countryside, and you like to take long walks or even go on excursions.

5. INFINITY OF COLORS

Border collies can have infinite ranges of colors in their coat, but always on a white coat. The International Cynological Federation (FCI) has recognized the following shades of this breed: blue merle, tricolor, lilac, white, sable, gold, chocolate, brown, black... We love the blue merle, we think it looks beautiful and very different.

Of all the border collies, the blue merle border collie is the most similar to a wolf. And why this color? This tone has its origin in the M gene or Merle gene, which carries all the information of the blue color and manages to dilute the black. When this gene is dominant in a dog, the result is this color in its coat, producing irregular spots, stripes and swirls. The blue merle is a beautiful dog, although it is the least common of the border collies. It also affects the nose and eyes. The blue merle has a pink nose and bright eye color, or even sometimes different colored eyes.

You may not know it, but if two blue merles mate, the pup is born with two copies of the same dominant gene and may suffer blindness or deafness, among other health problems.

6. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER DOGS

The border collie is a very sociable and affectionate dog, even with other unfamiliar dogs. With a calm character, he will never have problems with the rest. Even so, if you are going to live with other dogs, the ideal is that they live together from birth, to avoid possible jealousy. The breeds that are most similar to the border collie in terms of character and, therefore, those with which it will be easier for them to get along with are the fox terrier, the Dalmatian, the Yorkshire terrier, the Irish setter, the beagle…

7. BORDER COLLIES ARE FAITHFUL AND GUARDIANS

All dogs are very loyal to their owner. However, this breed is extremely faithful to its master. If you are its owner, it will be constantly aware of you and will go out of its way for you. Given its fidelity, it is the ideal dog for children. Of course, for restless children who like to move and have time, because for sedentary children it is not the most suitable, since they will get bored.

he Has a very advanced instinct to lead, and is always alert, making him an ideal herding and guard dog. It is not aggressive at all, but if it perceives any strange presence, it will quickly notify its owner.

8. A SPECIAL LOOK

The most characteristic feature of the border collie is its look. He has a very deep and penetrating look. Most have light brown, caramel eyes, although it is very common to see a border collie with blue eyes. Have you ever seen a dog with one eye of each color? In this breed, heterochromia is very common, with one brown eye and one blue eye.

There is a disease that, due to their characteristic eyes, they are quite likely to develop. In the next point we explain it to you.

9. HEALTH AND COMMON DISEASES

This breed is quite prone to hereditary diseases. Before adopting a dog, it would be advisable to carry out specific tests for its diagnosis. We cite the most common diseases:

• MDR1

The MDR1 gene produces the P-glycoprotein protein, responsible for regulating the absorption and elimination of drug substances. When the gene undergoes a mutation there are certain substances from the drugs that accumulate in the brain and other organs, becoming toxic and causing neurological damage, coma and even death. Unfortunately, collies are quite prone to this mutation.

• CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly)

Technically known as choroidal hypoplasia (CH), CEA is an inherited disease, an eye disorder that causes the choroid to fail to develop properly. The choroid is a layer of tissue under the retina. The symptoms can vary within the same breed, but they usually manifest as vision problems and, on some occasions, lead to blindness. The collie can be free of CEA, affected or a carrier. Carriers do not have the disease, but pass the defective allele to 50% of their offspring.

• DENTAL HYPOMINERALIZATION (RAINE SYNDROME)

Disorder in the development of teeth consisting of significant tooth wear, with a light brown color and swollen gums. The symptoms appear from a very young age. His heritage is equal to that of CEA.

10. BORDER COLLIE COAT TYPES

Border Collies can have short, smooth hair or, conversely, long, thick hair. But these differences go beyond the physical, keep them in mind because they greatly influence their care. On the one hand, the short-haired border collie is much easier to care for, since, having these characteristics, its hair does not collect the same dirt or water as if it had long hair. It is much more comfortable to dry it, the hair does not get tangled, nor does it accumulate mud. On the other hand, the long-haired collie, due to its Nordic ancestry, can have excessively long hair on its chest, legs and belly. Sometimes it is practically impossible to clean it. These different coat types can be distinguished by five weeks of life.

If you finally make the decision to take care of one of these dogs, you will be delighted, since they are dogs that will make you have a great time and will take care of you at all times. They are the fidelity and protection that a family needs.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT A BORDER COLLIE BEFORE ADOPTING ONE?

he is a fantastic dog, he will always be with you and is very protective. He learns everything very quickly, since he is tremendously intelligent. Of course, you have to know that he has a lot of energy, so if you lead a sedentary lifestyle or have little time, this dog is not for you.

• HOW DO I KNOW IF A BORDER COLLIE IS PURE?

Although mixing different breeds of dogs is very common, if you want to know if it is a purebred it will not cost you anything. The border collie has specific characteristics that you can easily recognize. First, take a look at his appearance. A true border collie will measure about 53 cm and weigh 20 kilos, the coat is usually long, although they can also be short, their eyes will be well separated and usually brown (or one or both blue), the ears will be erect and their body will be athletic On the other hand, look at their behavior: an authentic one will always ask to be in nature and move. If you add to all this having all the certificates in order by the breeder or by the person who has a litter of this dog, you will make sure if it is a purebred border collie or not.

• WHAT IS THE CHARACTER OF A BORDER COLLIE?

Border collies are super sociable, docile and affectionate dogs.

• IS THE BORDER COLLIE AN INTELLIGENT DOG?

The border collie is considered the most intelligent dog breed in the world, based on three types of intelligence: instinctive intelligence, adaptive intelligence, and work and obedience intelligence.

• HOW MANY TYPES OF BORDER COLLIE ARE THERE?

Depending on their coat, there are two types of border collie: short-haired, smooth-haired border collie or wire-haired, long-haired border collie. These differences considerably influence the time of their care.