With time, the demand for Border Collies has been slowly increasing among the Indian dog admirers and pet owners. And, because of that, there can be sometimes availability issues as there is a finite number of these Scottish sheepdogs that a trusted and reputable breeder can provide. Their easy-going attitude, less taxing and pocket-friendly maintenance et cetera are some of the reasons for the gradual rise in their demand. Also, they are an overall good fit for a hot and humid country like India as they have a decent tolerance to high temperatures and can thrive efficiently and better than many other breeds here. So, the answer to the question, are Border Collies good for Indians, is a resounding YES!
The Border Collie is a medium-sized dog with an athletic appearance and a well-balanced body. It always carries a keen and eager expression on its face and is fairly quick and agile. Official standards for the Border Collies are given below:
As the Border Collies are uniformly well-proportioned, their physical characteristics like mass and stature complement each other very well. On average, they weight somewhere around 14-25 kg and stand tall with an average height of 18-22 inches (at the shoulders).
|
GENDER |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
18-25 kg |
19-22 inch |
|
FEMALE |
14-20 kg |
18-21 inch |
Their coats are available in two varieties with one being Rough and other one being Smooth. The Rough variety coat is slightly longer in length than the Smooth coat which is short over the entire body and is also quite coarse in texture. But both types of coats are weather resistant, dense, tight-fitting and have an under and an outer coat with the inner coat being soft and short and the outer coat being coarser in texture and is either straight or wavy in appearance. They also possess a good amount of feathering on the chest, forelegs and underside regions.
They may not be the largest breed, but their body is fairly strong and muscular possessing a good amount of strength, endurance, and stability. They have an adequately long neck, which is slightly arched, blending smoothly into the shoulders. Their chest is deep and broad with well-sprung ribs. They have a low-set tail which is moderately long and their forequarters and hindquarters are both quite strong, muscular and provides stability and sturdiness to the rest of the body.
They have a slightly flat head which is moderately wide. Their eyes are of average size and are oval in shape and are set well apart. The ears are evenly shaped and are quite sensitive and mobile.
They have well-developed jaw region with a very strong underjaw. Their teeth meet in a scissors bite when the mouth is closed and their muzzle is also quite strong and slightly tapered.
Border Collies are quite friendly and even-tempered canines. They are very affectionate with their owners and other family members and are always in a playful mood. They are fond of pleasing their loved ones and wants their attention and love in return, and that is why training them is quite an easy and fun task to do. They are also very intelligent and clever and are always quite alert and attentive. This makes them an excellent watchdog and they are also utterly protective of the ones close to them. General temperamental traits of Border Collies are listed below:
Border Collies are very popular and are one of the most loved and adored breeds out there. They originated in a region which was on the “Borders†of Scotland and England, and this might explain the first half of their name.
These fun-loving and playful dogs are extremely energetic and agile with a well-boned and robust body. But apart from physical fitness and durability, they are also quite mentally strong and powerful. They always remain aware of their surroundings and because of their loyalty and tendency to protect their close ones, they prove to be an excellent guard dog.
They also are very adaptable in nature and are comfortable in most weather conditions because of their dense and weather-resistant double coat. They generally remain quite healthy and fit for most of their lifetime and thus have an overall decent life-span.
One thing to note for the Potential dog owner who is looking to raise this Scotch Sheepdog is that they were bred to be used as herding dogs and thus they like to spend their time outside the house a lot. They should not be left idle for long periods of time, they love to spend their energy on some kind of physical activity and it is very important for their overall health and body.
Border Collies are divided into two types on the basis of the texture of their coats and these types are:
Also, their coats are available in various colors which are as follows:
|
Adaptability |
*** |
Sensitivity Level |
***** |
|
Affection Level |
***** |
Potential for mouthiness |
*** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
*** |
Energy Level |
***** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
*** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
*** |
Intelligence |
***** |
|
Child Friendly |
***** |
Playfulness |
***** |
|
Exercise Needs |
***** |
Shedding Level |
*** |
|
Grooming Needs |
*** |
Social Needs |
***** |
|
Good for novice owners |
** |
Stranger Friendly |
**** |
|
Trainability |
***** |
Watchdog Ability |
***** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
*** |
Tolerates Cold |
**** |
Border Collies do well on a good-quality food rich in essential nutrients and it can be either prepared at home or purchased from a store. Food must be given according to the dog’s age. Overfeeding must be avoided at any cost.
These dogs are extremely athletic and agile with lots of energy inside them which they love to spend on some physical tasks like running in an open field, playing games with their owners, going on long and brisk-paced walks with their loved ones et cetera. They require a daily and good amount of exercise to remain in perfect health.
Border Collies are a fun breed to train. They are highly intelligent and learns and grasps a lot of things very quickly which are taught to them. Their obedience training is mostly started from an early age and once they start to listen to simple commands of their owners, they are ready to be taught various other things. Training a Border Collie is a lot less time-consuming and is more exciting and effortless than many other breeds.
Although they are available in two types of coats, they both require an equal amount of time and effort to fulfill their grooming needs. Brushing the coat with a pin brush twice a week to keep the coat away from mat formation, bathing and trimming of nails on occasional basis should suffice their grooming requirements. Also, they are seasonal shedders and sheds their hair in moderate amount.
They are normally very healthy and fit and have a good life-span. But still, they are prone to some health problems which are listed below:
They do not require the assistance of a veterinarian on a frequent basis because of their general sturdiness and sound health.
Border Collies were bred for herding purposes and were primarily used to herd a large flock of sheep. Their ancestors are believed to be the Landrace Collies which were found on various British islands.
These dogs were very smart and rather than barking, used their intense glare to control the sheep. They were very good and effective at their job and thus gradually started to get recognized for their efforts and intelligence.
Around the late 1850s, they began to get imported to various other countries because of their herding prowess and eventually they became popular in other parts of the world too. And around 1906, the very first Border Collie standard was written and registered. They were finally recognized by the AKC in 1995.
