If you are looking for a herding dog or just a great pet,which breed due you choose?The Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd,here are the facts,for you to make decision between these two gorgeous breeds.
Border Collie
The Border Collie hails from the English border counties,specifically in Northumbria,England.Their first name (Border) originated from the geographical region,of the border counties that the Northumbria county embraces.
These counties seperate Scotland and England.The origin of the term (Collie) is not so certain.The Scottish word for coal is collie,which could explain the black and white color of the collie’s coat
The other version of the dog’s origin of name is,that the word collie sounds similar to the word “cooly”,which refers to the black-faced mountain sheep of Scotland.
Border Collie Temperament
Border Collies are a extremely versatile breed, that possess the qualites of intelligence,herding,great temperament and loyalty to their owner.They are known for their “hard work” ethic and their thick coat is ideal for frigid Scottish winters.
Borders have a average lifespan of twelve years,and from birth need to work by herding sheep and cattle to satisfy their energetic spirit.If not used as a working dog,they will require plenty of space,preferably small acreage to feel satisfied.
As borders are accustomed to running many miles a day on the land,a timid owner would not suit them.Rather a owner who enjoys becoming involved with their daily routines,and issues exercise routines to run off their stockpile of energy.
Border Collie Dimensions And Color Variety
Border Collies can grow up to 23 inches, which is 58 centimeters and weigh up to 45 pounds Which is 20 kilograms.Their thick double coat comes in color combinations of black,blue merle,lilac,brindle,red merle,chocolate,liver,sable merle,gold and red.
Australian Shepherd
In the early 20th century, the Australian Shepherd truly made its debut in the United States. Their average livespan is 12 years.
The only reason the canines are known as Australian Shepherds is because they were connected to Basque Shepherds who immigrated to America from Australia. This type was utilised in the eighteen hundreds to labour long days in the fields, herd cattle, and perform any necessary tasks.
Australian Shepherd Temperament
The Australian Shepherds temperament is characteristically affectionate,good natured, alert, energetic, hardworking and smart.
They require firm and confident leadership. This makes them a bad choice for first-time or timid dog owners that don’t know how to raise dogs.Like many herding dogs, Australian Shepherds are by nature loyal to their family, but standoffish of strangers.
This breed is also very intelligent, delightful, energetic and thrive and being given something to do both of the border. Collie and Australian shepherds were bred to run and work all day, herding sheep.
Australian Shepherd Dimensions And Color Variety
The Australian Shepherds, most identifiable characteristic is the natural or dog bobtail. Their eyes come in a variety of colors,and include blue hazel and all shades of brown.They stands up to 23 inches, which is 58 centimeters, but weighs up to 65 pounds, which is 29 kilograms.
Their thick double coat comes in a variety of color combinations including merle,black,red merle,red tricolor,black tricolor,blue merle,red.
Training
Both breeds are easy to train. They benefit from early socialization,training them requires careful preparation, consistency, patience and it’s, important that they know who the master or they will take control.
Their intelligence and keen learning ability make repetitive training boring so always come up with new training, ideas, tricks and comments to keep them entertained and happy.
They also need mental exercise, which is why you should play games,teach them new tricks and let them experience more stimulation than on your normal walks down the block. They still need to exercise and move a lot, which means you need to spend a lot of time with them.
They require at least one hour of exercise a day, so they can burn off their energy.They not only require physical activity,but also mentally challenging tasks to keep them happy.
If they get bored they will get destructive.They can use their pent up energy,by way of constant barking or running around in the house.This is a signal to pursue physical activity. These are two social breeds therefore they like to be with family.
Both Breeds Are Child Friendly
Due to the friendly and playful characteristics, they are affectionate with families and love to play children of any age.You should just make sure to take care of toddlers because they may be too small for medium sized dog breeds.
They are also quite friendly to other dogs and pets and with a proper socialization from puppyhood, they will learn to love other animals in your house.
Border collies are also very friendly toward strangers, and don’t give them any reason to be afraid of them.Whereas the Australian Shepherd has a higher alertness and guarding instincts which makes them also good watchdogs and guard dogs.
Both Breeds Are Generally Healthy
Health problems that are common for the Border Collies are hip: dysplasia, epilepsy and collie eye anomaly, issues that Australian Shepherds are prone to are hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.
When your grooming your dog be sure to check for any sores rashes or irritated skin,that may be the result of an infection.
Cost Of Puppies
The cost to buy a border collie vs australian shepherd puppy varies greatly and depends on many factors, such as the breeders occasion, the litter size, lineage of the puppy breed lines and much more. If you are looking for a good quality border collie puppy, you can pitch at an average price of $600, the average price you can expect to budget for an Australian Shepherd with papers is $800.
If you’re looking for a Border Collie puppy with show quality in the high quality lineage, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,300 upwards to 4,000 and for a high quality Australian Shepherd puppy you can budget anywhere from $1,900 to $ 10,000.
The recommended daily intake of food will be 1.5 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day. The border collie will eat less than an Australian Shepherd because he weighs much less most.
These dogs are prone to weight issues if they don’t experience daily exercise.Watch the calorie consumption of your dog, also, research, which human food is good for your dog.
