There’s no denying that the border collie golden retriever mix is a very interesting and unique breed.
On one hand, you’ve got the beautiful golden retriever that’s full of energy and life, then on the other, you’ve got the border Collie who is smart, sharp and used for herding.
It’s truly an amazing time to be alive! I decided to a dog a little digging to find out what information I could discover about this breed. Today I’ll be sharing what I found in order to help you make a clear decision as to whether this dog s for you!
What’s a border collie golden retriever mix?
A border collie golden retriever mix is a mix between the American favorite golden retriever and lovely border collie. The golden retriever was originally bred in the mid 19th century from a mix of a yellow-colored retriever with a Tweed Water Spaniel.
The Tweed water spaniels are now extinct. The border collie was first founded in the early 1900s by the Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society (James Reid). The term ‘border collie’ was the name given to this dog in order to distinguish the border collie form all other collies from the same working stock.
The history
According to Wikipedia, there have been mixed bred dogs around for almost 20 years now. To date, there is no exact trace as to when the first appearance of the breed was made. I guess we’ll have to keep searching to find the answers as to when. The purpose of the dog is considered to be used for sporting and working.
By looking at the parents you can easily gather up an idea that these dogs were made to be useful. You have the golden retriever that is highly intelligent and used for many advanced roles in our world today. And then you have the border collie that was originally bred for herding sheep. No doubt that this was going to be a hard-working, loving & caring dog!
Skillsets and Purpose
The main purpose of this new bred dog was based around the characteristics of the potential breed. By looking at the parents of both there are many reasons why this was a useful and smart decision to make. If we look at the appearance to then you can also see how beautiful this dog is too.
With a smart intelligent mind and good looks, there is no telling how popular the breed can become. Coltrievers have am an amazing problem-solving ability with high energy to back it up. It may seem straightforward but it is not just as simple as breeding any to given dogs together to create this breed.
The parents are to be carefully monitored for temperament first before a decision is made to create a new pup. This is because you could not breed a lovely caring golden with an angry aggressive collie as you would be at risk of creating a dangerous dog. This is because these dogs are ramped up with energy and if anger was placed on top then it wouldn’t be a nice dog to be around.
Breeders Job for this dog
The process has to be carefully thought through and research os the genetics had to be first made before any mixes where made. A lot seem to think that it was not a bright idea to mix but from looking at the genetic alignment of the two.
The profession of a Border collie golden retriever mix
You may have guessed already that these dogs are used as service dogs because of their genetic makeup. The capabilities of this dog extend from helping those suffering from mobility disorder, post-traumatic stress as far as diabetes and visually impaired.
Because the breed has a natural caring and loving heart with the willingness to learn. They make great dogs for those who need additional help and a companion to live with. There are no records to show that they are used for anything beyond the above mentioned. It would be no surprise if you see them as policing dogs in just as little as a few years from now.
These pups are good at reading unusual behavior or characteristics of their parents. This is a vital skill needed for those in need as there have been multiple reports of these breeds saving lives.
Size
You will find a range of different sizes on this particular breed of dog based on the size of their parents. A male Border Collie will stand 19-22 inches, while a female is 18-21 inches. A male Golden Retriever will stand 23-24 inches tall, while a female is 21.5-22.5 inches tall. So you can find a border collie golden retriever mix standing anyway between a range of the sizes.
It’s also interesting to look at the color of these dogs too. As you will find some of them taking the color of the Golden whilst others to have a mix of white and black from the border collie.
Coltriever Training
Task training is a method that is used for this specific type of dog. This will involve a very similar training to what you would find a for Golden Retriever. Tasks can include Retrieving dropped items, opening doors, closing doors, placing items in different locations, Pulling/dragging objects, alerting parents fo danger and fetching plus more.
A great way to get started is with dog obedience training! Brain training for dogs is a great program that will teach you everything there is to know and its a great way to brush up on your knowledge too! Check it out here.
Service dog’s duties include taking care of the less fortunate and alerting danger ahead. What’s for other purposes you can find dogs being used for more advanced techniques such as searching, nuzzling and preventing panic attacks.
Health risks
If you look at some of the issues associated with the parents of these dogs. You may find that golden retrievers are highly prone to hip and elbow dysplasia as well as cancer in the current climate. Cancer as being one of the biggest killers of some of the most popular breeds as of today.
When we look at border collies we again can find out cancer is one of the most common ways that the breed is prone to in later ages. Another growing issue in Golden Retrievers is the problematic eye disorders that have been popping up time and time again.
This can range from conjunctivitis to heavily infected eye infections that could lead to lead to bigger problems down the line. Border Collies tend to have a much more reduced risk of big health problems but you can still find lots of things such as deafness, epilepsy and trapped neutrophil syndrome.
What to consider first
Looking at the inherent issues that the parents are prone to…You can better determine I understand some of the potential risks to the This breed.
Unfortunately, the downside to the breed is that they can be potentially harmed by any of the above mentioned from the parents.
There’s no record of any genetic pass on of this order as of yet but it is something to closely look out for if you were to purchase coltriever. Any professional breeders that decide to mix this hybrid dog must first meticulously analyze birth parents to prevent any potential future harm to the pups.
How and where to buy this dog
As it’s now the most common place I have found to locate the storks is online. Not as he’s ready you need to be very careful when finding companies through an online portal. Make sure to do as much research as you can prior to potentially buying this dog. And also check out the track record of the potential breeder that you may purchase from.
A good honest dog breeder will always issue a certificate and encourage show proof of visits to the vets for their jobs. The dog must also be dewormed which means to ensure the pup is risk-free of any worms and common parasites.
Either way, if you decide to buy this. Then I’m all for it as it looks that they are in a lovely addition to the family. And with all the multiple user’s skills, and abilities that they have it definitely will be a good choice for anyone.
Whether you’re someone in need or someone just looking to have a new companion then I think this will be a great choice for you.
Conclusion
As of today, we can only conclude that this breed has been around for an average of 10 to 20 years. There is no concrete evidence as of yet as to when they first came around. One thing that we do know is they are loving, caring and bill with a ton of different skill sets.
