Border Collies are one of the most favored dogs’ breeds; people love their border collies; they are highly intelligent, fun, and brimming with excitement and love. However, no dog comes without a few complications that you need to keep your eyes peeled for.
Read More:
- Border Collie: How Many Colors Do They Have?
- 4 Dog Breeds That Love to Be Active and Relax
- German shepherd Border Collie Mix Breed Dog
- Five Dog Breeds You’ll Find Easier to Train
- The Comprehensive Overview on Different Dog Breeds
They have a strong work instinct, and they are highly responsive to training, which is why you often see them used as sniffer dogs, rescue dogs, and often even farm dogs.
They are loyal, loving pets that are big lovers of plenty of company and riveting stimulation.
They are great as family dogs or just as a furry friend, but remember that every dog has its own complications, just like each individual person does too. So, we ask ourselves questions about these breeds.
If you have a border collie, especially if they are a pup, you may find yourself brimming with questions about your dog, so many that you would feel like you are giving your vet a quiz.
When do border collies stop growing, when will they start teething, or stop teething, will they ever calm down? All these questions and more will jump into your mind. These are worth asking your vet.
Today though, we will focus on the things you should be looking out for in the lifetime of your Collie. The important things you need to know and what to expect from your fabulous furry friend.
Coat Care
Border Collies have a gorgeous coat, and their coats can be black and white, white and tan, or all three, a bit like the tortoiseshell variety of cats. In terms of texture, they will have two main types, smooth or rough, which could also be known as long or short-haired.
The amount of hair on a border collie can vary from dog to dog, but they are generally rather heavy shedders, especially during the seasons in which they molt. This means that you will need to take a great deal of care of their coat.
Regular brushing and bathing. They will typically need grooming once a week, and learning to groom them properly yourself will save you a pretty penny at the groomers. Luckily these dogs do not typically need trimming or trips to a professional groomer, and you can do it yourself.
However, if fur does get matted, it is best to take them to see a groomer get any matted areas of fur sorted out properly.
Common Health Conditions
Dogs will always come with a few possible health conditions, and it varies from breed to breed what to expect in terms of health conditions.
Border Collies are prone to particular conditions, and you should start off your journey with a collie from a professional breeder or rehoming plan; this will guarantee the healthiest dog and one less prone to health complications.
You should be aware of several things, so we will point them out to you.
#1. Epilepsy
It is not uncommon for a Border Collie to suffer from a condition that can affect their brains, spine, and some particular nerves. This can include conditions such as epilepsy, which is a brain disorder that results in seizures and fitting. It can begin in dogs as young as only 6 months.
While seizures look painful, they usually are not, but they may need to be controlled if they are severe; this can be done with certain medications.
#2. Lameness
There are not too many breeds prone to becoming lame; however, Collies are one of the breeds which are. This can happen for many reasons, but some of the primary reasons are in health conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia will happen when bones that make up the hip joint do not properly fit together, which can cause wear and tear. Arthritis is not dissimilar to this; it can simply be a result of wear and tear throughout life.
A dog that shows signs of stiffness in the joints or is not too fond of exercise or stairs may have one of these conditions. You should seek out your vet in the event that you start seeing symptoms of lameness.
#3. Vestibular Syndrome
This is a disease that impacts the nervous system. Particularly the part that helps you to keep balanced. As such, a dog that has this disease may be a bit wobbly on its feet, lose its balance, and have a head tilt.
There are many causes of this disease, and treatment will thus vary depending on the root cause. Your vet will help you with this.
#4. Behavior
This particular breed has working traits, and its instincts are formed to chase herds. This means that they need a lot of stimulation and exercise. If they start to develop behavioral disorders, then seek out a professional trainer to help in correcting this.
#5. Urinary Problems
For Collies, urinary incontinence is a real issue, which means they lose control over when they relieve their bladder. USMI is usually the primary cause of this, and it usually affects female dogs which have been spayed more but can happen in males too.
Medication should help to manage this issue, although in severe cases, surgery may be required.
#6. Lifespan
Border collies will traditionally have a life expectancy of 12 years; however, it can be anywhere from 10 to 15 years.
The main causes of death in this breed are Cancer, old age, and cerebral vascular.
This breed will typically reach sexual maturity at any time from 6 to 16 months. Males reach their sexual maturity slightly older. Before then, your dog will be focused on growing, averaging at a weight gain of a pound per week.
They will become adults between 16 and 36 months old. At this point, they should have gained enough weight and will be fully grown adults. They may continue to grow past this stage until they reach their full size.
Female Border Collies are adults around 24 months old, and males are adults at 36 months, on average.
