Border Collie Mix

Quick Take

• Keeping this hybrid in an apartment is more than just inconvenient. The article uses language that is much stronger than that.
• The Border Collsky inherits a health risk from its Husky parent that can appear in puppies as young as three months, and most new owners never see it coming.
• Two working-dog parents sounds like a recipe for a well-behaved hybrid, but the temperament reality is far more complicated.
• Border Collsky puppies can cost anywhere from $50 to $1,000, and the difference between those price points tells you everything about the breeder you're dealing with.

It’s hard not to love the captivating personality of the border collie. Their lust for life, intelligence, and never-ending energy is enough to catch anyone’s attention. However, border collie mixes have gained popularity over the years. These hybrids are typically healthier than their purebred parents, and they might have characteristics you find appealing in a different breed. Therefore, learning about the different border collie mixes is a great start to finding your next favorite breed.

This article will focus on the border collsky (border collie and husky mix), but before delving into this adorable hybrid, have a look at some other popular border collie mixes.

Types of Border Collie Mixes

If you love border collies, you might be interested to know what their offspring would be like when crossed with a different breed. So, here are three of the most fascinating border collie mixes:

Collcorgie (Border Collie and Corgi Mix)

The Collcorgie is quite a mouthful to say! This designer breed is a cross between a border collie and a corgi, resulting in a loving and affectionate canine companion. However, they are best suited to families with older children, as they display herding behaviors like nipping at ankles. Additionally, if owners do not train them properly, they can become defensive, territorial, and aggressive.

While it is not impossible to inherit some of their parent breed’s health conditions, they are generally healthy dogs. Furthermore, collcorgies often have thick, long, wavy coats. Therefore, they are heavy shedders and will require extensive grooming.

German Collie (Border Collie and German Shepherd Mix)

The German collie, also called the shollie, is the result of crossbreeding a border collie and a German shepherd. This hybrid is energetic, intelligent, and loyal, inheriting some of the best characteristics from both parents. Additionally, this border collie mix is a fantastic family dog that loves to be around its humans and will protect them with its life. Furthermore, their energetic and playful nature means they are not well-suited for apartment living. Instead, they need a large backyard with space to burn off their excess energy.

German collies typically have dense, straight, medium-length hair, making them heavy shedders. Unfortunately, this means they need a vigorous grooming routine. Therefore, they will need daily brushing to keep their coats tangle-free, shiny, and healthy.

Collie Beagler (Border Collie and Beagle Mix)

The collie beagle has a strong personality. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea because of their powerful herding instinct and high prey drive. This is a hybrid you should not leave unsupervised with small children or small animals. However, this border collie mix is eager to please its owner, making it easy to train.

The collie beagle does not usually inherit any severe health conditions from its parent breeds, but it is not impossible. Hip dysplasia and epilepsy are two diseases to pay close attention to. But reputable breeders should always screen their breeding pairs for any hereditary concerns.

This border collie mix must get both physical and mental stimulation. Firstly, it keeps both their mind and body healthy. Secondly, it will keep them from acting out with destructive behavior like chewing, barking, messing in the house, and digging. So, as soon as that puppy comes home with you, you should start an exercise routine.

Pros and Cons of Owning a Border Collie Mix

Size and Weight

The border collsky is a medium to large-sized dog weighing between 30 and 55 pounds. Additionally, their height ranges from 18 to 22 inches.

Common Health Issues

While the border collie mix is relatively healthy, they can sometimes inherit their parent breeds’ health conditions, which include:

Deafness

The border collsky may become deaf in one or both ears. If you suspect your pooch is a little hard of hearing, take it for a brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test.

Collie Eye Anomaly

This hereditary disease is often found in border collies, Australian shepherds, Nova Scotia duck-tolling retrievers, and Shetland sheepdogs. It can cause vision loss, and in severe cases, complete blindness.

Heart Diseases

The border collsky is susceptible to various heart diseases that can cause abnormal heart rhythm and murmurs. Diagnosis can be made through:

• X-ray
• ECG
• Echocardiogram

Most treatments include weight control and medication.

Hip Dysplasia

This border collie mix is prone to hip dysplasia, a painful and debilitating condition resulting from abnormal joint sockets. While hereditary, other factors can contribute to the deterioration, such as:

• Injury
• Excessive weight gain
• Excessive exercise

Taking your hybrid for regular vet checkups is essential, as some dogs display symptoms while others don’t. Luckily, it can be managed through medication or hip replacement surgery. Unfortunately, there is no cure. However, breeders can prevent this by not breeding with dogs with hip dysplasia parentage.

Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia is a structural defect in the elbow joint caused by inflammation, injury, or disrupted anconeal process. This condition occurs mainly in large breeds, leading to pain, lameness, and arthritis.

Eye Disease

As the border collsky’s parent breeds are both prone to eye problems, they may also be plagued by the same ailment. For example, Siberian huskies are no strangers to cataracts; it is even present in puppies as young as three months. Therefore, vets recommend bringing this border collie mix in once a year for an examination.

Life Expectancy

Border collskies have a long lifespan if cared for properly. This hybrid can live for around 10 to 15 years.

Temperament

Because the border collsky’s parent breeds are hardworking dogs, mainly used to herd animals and pull sleds, they will need proper socialization to cope with new people. Additionally, they could inherit the husky’s strong prey drive, so they need to be exposed to different pets from a young age. However, they also retain fantastic qualities from their parents, like stamina, determination, and a great work ethic. Furthermore, these hybrids love their owners and need plenty of attention. So, if left alone for too long, they can become depressed and anxious, leading to destructive behavior.

How to Take Care of a Border Collie Mix

The border collsky’s maintenance routine can be quite demanding. So, if you do not have the time to dedicate to this energetic breed, this is not the hybrid for you.

The Best Dog Food

It is always best to feed your border collsky a high-energy-based diet. There are several dog foods that cater to active dog breeds. Alternatively, you could opt for medium-sized dog food to cater to their size. Lastly, their food needs to be age-specific: puppy, adult, and senior.

Because of their endless energy, these border collie mixes need three meals a day, so they receive energy throughout the day. However, the quantity will differ depending on their size. While many people love feeding their dogs from their plates, owners really should not do this. Human food will make your pup put on weight very quickly and cause obesity, which leads to other health complications.

Grooming

The border collsky comes from two heavy-shedding parents, so if you do not brush them every day, there will be hair all over your home. Additionally, they need their teeth brushed at least three times a week. Their nails and ears need trimming and cleaning every 3 to 4 weeks, but let a professional take care of this. If you don’t know what you are doing, you can severely injure your canine companion.

Training

It’s important to socialize the border collsky from a young age. Once they get used to different situations, like new places, strangers, and different animals, they will grow into calm adults that don’t see anything new as a threat. Thanks to their border collie parent, this hybrid is incredibly smart, so training should be easy. However, they have stubborn streaks and require plenty of mental stimulation, making things a bit more challenging. So, when teaching your border collie mix new tricks, use activities they enjoy alongside positive reinforcement for best results.

Exercise

The border collsky has a lot of energy to burn; they never seem to run out of stamina. So, this hybrid thrives in homes with large backyards and plenty of open space to run. Additionally, their parents are working dogs; giving them a job or purpose would be ideal.

Keeping this designer breed in an apartment would be cruel; they are happiest when playing outside with their owners. However, if they do not get the necessary exercise, they will start to display destructive behavior like digging, barking, and chewing.

Puppies

Female border collskies can have between 4 and 8 puppies per litter. These pups might be hard to find because this hybrid is pretty rare. But there is a possibility you could find one at a rescue or shelter. You can put your name down and ask to be informed if they come across one.

Border Collie Mix and Children

The border collsky is not the best dog to have around small children. Due to their reserved nature and herding instinct, they could nip your kids. In addition, they can be very protective of their owners and do display aggressive behavior, if provoked.

Cost

Border collsky puppies cost around $50 to $1000, depending on their location, breeder, pedigree, and size. You must use a reputable breeder, as puppy mills and backyard breeders don’t screen for genetic health conditions. Reputable breeders can tell you about the parents’ medical history, provide proof, and answer any questions you throw at them. Additionally, if someone wants to sell you a puppy younger than 8 weeks, do not accept, as this is not the norm.

Dogs similar to the Border Collie Mix

• Shetland sheepdog
• Scotch Collie
• Rough Collie