Your Questions About Collie

admin answers:

The official name is “Collie” but it would not be improper when trying to explain to say “Rough Collie” or “Smooth Collie” as those are official varieties within the breed. Something like “She’s not a Border Collie, actually she’s a Rough Collie like Lassie was, but they do look a little similar, don’t they?”

That’s about my line when my Belgian Malinois gets the German Shepherd comments – “Actually he’s a Belgian Shepherd, but they do look a lot alike don’t they?”

Sometimes you just have to drop a soundbite and move on with life.

admin answers:

Don’t measure their food in bowls for one. The amount of food you give is determined by activity level, age and size (or weight).

My border collie is on the small side, but is VERY active (about 25 lb). She gets a little less than a cup of a high quality kibble daily. I separated into two feedings since that’s what I do with my German Shepherd. My Border is 12 months, so it’s a good age to start the twice daily feeding routine. Puppies I normally feed 3 times a day (small amounts, divide their total amount recommended per day by 3 to know how much to feed).

Also, be conscious of your dog’s weight. If it’s gaining weight even though you exercise it regularly, you’re probably feeding to much–losing weight, then not enough.

These dogs are VERY high energy and WILL be destructive if you don’t give them adequate exercise and mental stimulation. I work with both my dogs EVERY day and walk them each twice a day for around 30 minutes. Between vet care, bedding or crate, a high quality kibble for adequate nutrition, training lessons, and toys, leashes, etc. I spend anywhere from $500-$1000 every year per dog. This of course does not include the adoption cost or unforseen medical problems. My GSD is a rescue, as is my Border, and he recently had to have hip surgery with a bill totaling around $1200.

You also will need monthly heart worm prevention medication and flea/tick prevention (cost for both depend on the size of your dog), and vaccinations when you adopt. There is a lot of initial cost when you first get the dog, but it does taper off after a while. For six months of heart worm medication for my Border, its around $30, and $35 for three months of flea and tick prevention. It’s MUCH cheaper to treat preventatively than to treat once they have worms, so DON’T skimp here.

Good luck with the new dog, they are great!

admin answers:

They are BORDER-Collies – from the BORDER of Scotland.
Sheesh! :-0

BCs can have from ONE – a singleton, usually oversized –
to a dozen or more.
Anything over 10 is a very big litter.

Q –
Why do U want to breed Ur BC?

Has she been tested for Brucella? Negative?
Have U screened her for heritable problems?
Has she had OFA or Penn-HIP radiographs of hips + elbows?
Has she had CERF eye-exam + is she free of defects?
A CERF certificate is only valid 12 mos – it is an annual exam,
NOT by a ‘vet’ but by a board-certified k9 ophthalmologist.

BREED-specific Qs –
does she herd?
Compete in other k9 sports?
Is she a conformation-champion?

‘wanting to’ is not a valid reason – she needs to be WORTH breeding.
IOW – an exceptionally good example of both dogs in general,
AND her breed.
Good sires are only put to good Fs – so any local intact-M Border Collie
is not a ‘good’ potential sire. He, too, has to be screened + evaluated
as a worthwhile sire to create pups that are potentially BETTER THAN
either parent alone –

‘breed the best TO the best, and then hope for the best’ !

Also – do U have $$ for complications?
An emergency C-section is about $1200 for a BC-sized F.
That is without any blood transfusion or other extreme measures!