Border Collie puppies for sale

Dogs Australia’s breed standard gives a shoulder height of 48 to 53 cm for males and 46 to 51 cm for females. It gives no weight. Ask how big both parents grew.

It depends on the dog and the household. Dogs Victoria says the breed grows quickly and may be a little too energetic for very young children, and that active adults or older children make more suitable owners. It says children must be supervised at all times when they’re with dogs. Meet the mother to see her temperament.

Sources differ a little. Dogs Victoria gives an average life span of 12 to 14 years. The Border Collie Club of NSW, on Dogs NSW’s breed page, gives an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. Neither is a promise for any one dog.

Yes. The breed standard has two coat varieties, moderately long and smooth, each with a dense topcoat over a soft, dense undercoat. The Border Collie Club of NSW says the coat doesn’t usually mat or tangle, though it can when the coat drops, or sheds, if the dead hair isn’t removed.

Sources differ. Dogs Victoria recommends weekly grooming for the breed, and says the coat is relatively easy to maintain if it’s groomed regularly. The RSPCA’s general advice is that a double coat should normally be groomed every day, to stop dead hair and matting building up.

Sources differ. Dogs NSW’s breed page gives 60 minutes or more a day, and the UK’s Royal Kennel Club more than 2 hours a day. The Border Collie Club of NSW says catering for the breed’s mental energy is just as important as physical exercise, and that a Border Collie needs an active owner.

Dogs Victoria describes Border Collies as very much “people dogs”. It says boredom from being left alone all day may lead a dog to find its own things to do, which may not amuse you.

The Border Collie Club of NSW says a number of hereditary diseases occur in the breed. It lists DNA tests for ten, among them collie eye anomaly, trapped neutrophil syndrome and NCL5, and physical tests for hip and elbow dysplasia and for eye diseases. It says no test is available for discoid lupus, epilepsy or Border Collie collapse. It tells buyers to ask for evidence of both parents’ DNA and physical test results.

An inherited disorder of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. The University of Sydney’s OMIA database says the neutrophils are held back in the bone marrow. It says affected puppies show fever, gut signs, lameness and failure to thrive between 6 and 12 weeks of age, and commonly die or are put down by one year. A puppy is affected only if it inherits the gene change from both parents, so ask to see both parents’ DNA results.

An inherited storage disease of the brain and spinal cord. The University of Sydney’s OMIA database says affected dogs show signs at 18 to 24 months of age, among them behaviour changes, loss of coordination, dementia and blindness. A dog is affected only if it inherits the gene change from both parents. OMIA says a test is available, so ask to see both parents’ results.

Not under Dogs Australia’s rules. Its registration regulations list merle to merle in Border Collies among the colour breedings not permitted for health reasons, and say the merle gene carries an increased risk of impaired hearing and sight problems. Puppies from such a mating go on its Limited Register, marked never to be upgraded. Ask what colour both parents are.

An episodic nervous system disorder triggered by strenuous exercise, found in Border Collies and related breeds. Its genetic basis is unknown, says a 2021 study of 343 Border Collies by University of Minnesota researchers. The study concluded it’s moderately to highly heritable and comes from hundreds to thousands of gene variants. Ask whether either parent has ever collapsed after hard exercise.

We show a price range once 8 listings from 3 sellers have asked a price. Size, colour and health testing drive the price.

Every seller passes an ID check before their first listing, and each listing shows its checks and their dates. Then meet the seller and the animal in person before you pay anything, including a deposit. For a breeder’s puppy or kitten, meet its mother too. Ask for the vet check and get papers at handover.

Victorian source numbers are checked on the Pet Exchange Register.

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