Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie
Australian Shepherd and Border Collie breeds were developed as working dogs that specialize in herding. In order to be successful as herding dogs, Aussies (which is another name for Australian Shepherds) and Border Collies are very active and require a great deal of exercise every day to stay healthy both mentally and physically. Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are closely related and there are many similarities in their appearance. Although Aussies come in different sizes that include medium which is the largest, mini and toy Australian Shepherds that are the smallest type. In comparison to Australian Shepherds, Border Collies come in one size only - medium.
When comparing Border Collie to Australian Shepherd, their temperaments are similar in many ways. Both breeds are easily excitable, highly active and have a very strong work drive. Border Collies and Aussies need to have a job and they both excel at herding. Both of these breeds are especially suitable for living in a farm and helping with keeping the livestock safe and organized. These active dogs need lots of space and an active lifestyle. Only toy Australian Shepherds may be comfortable living in a city apartment, the larger varieties as well as Border Collies are more suitable for a life on a farm or in the suburbs, where there's plenty of space for the dog to run all day long and a job to do, otherwise these dogs are prone to getting in all sorts of trouble.
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds have similar grooming needs and their coat needs daily brushing to stay healthy and beautiful. Both breeds produce a good amount of shedding and potential owners need to be prepared to spend some time every day on caring for the dog's coat. While Aussies and Border Collies are still young puppies, owners need to concentrate on helping the dog to develop good manners that include being potty trained, socialized with other dogs and pets, not jumping on family furniture if that is among the house rules and train the dog to follow all the basic commands at the very least. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds are among the most intelligent dog breeds that can learn as many tricks or commands as they are being trained to do. Positive training methods are the most effective with these eager students. Border Collies as well as Australian Shepherds really dislike being left alone or being bored with nothing to do. If you are considering one of these breeds, ask yourself a question if you have the time that it takes to keep either of these active breeds sufficiently exercised during the day. Herding dogs such as Aussies and Border Collies have excessive amounts of energy and they need at least 3 to 4 hours of exercise during the day, especially while they are adolescents and young adults. Potential owners need to be physically fit and very active and should have lots of time every single day to spend with the dog.
Border Collies were among the breeds that made up the Australian Shepherd dog breed and as a result there are many similarities between these agile breeds with strong work ethic.
Border Collie Australian Shepherd Mix
Australian Shepherd Border Collie cross dogs can resemble both breeds and just like purebred Aussies or Border Collies, they are full of work drive and energy. Depending on which type of Australian Shepherd, the size of Border Collie Aussie mix can range from small to full size. For example, if one of the parents of the Border Collie Australian Shepherd mix puppy was a Mini Australian Shepherd, the pups can be smaller in size than a full grown Border Collie.
Half Border Collie half Australian Shepherd dogs can have very versatile coat colors that may include markings. In appearance Border Collies and Australian Shepherds may be similar in many ways, with the most noticeable difference in size varieties in Australian Shepherds.
Image of Border Collie and Australian Shepherd mix.
Half Border Collie half Australian Shepherd dogs may come in different sizes because Aussies have three different sizes that range from full size to miniature Australian Shepherds to the smallest toy Australian Shepherds. In height Border Collies can reach up to 22 inches in males while full size Australian Shepherd male can be up to 23 inches in height. A puppy that is a mix between Border Collie and full size Australian Shepherd can reach in height up to 23 inches. A puppy that is a cross between Border Collie and Miniature Australian Shepherd in height can reach from 15 inches up to 22 inches. A puppy that is a mix between a Border Collie and a Toy Australian Shepherd can reach in height from 10 inches up to 22 inches.
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Grooming
Both breeds feature a weather resistant double coat that can vary in texture. Border Collies, just like Australian Shepherds can have two varieties of coat that include straight and slightly wavy. To keep the coat healthy, owners of Australian Shepherds or Border Collies need to regularly brush the coat, remove any stray hair and pay close attention to the areas around the ears and around legs where mats and tangles frequently start forming. Both breeds produce a significant amount of shedding and daily brushing helps to keep the dog's coat in best condition.
Dental care is very important for dogs of all breeds, including Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. Starting at a young age, get your puppy comfortable with having his or her teeth brushed. Use a canine toothpaste and a brush to keep the dog's teeth healthy. Dogs with healthy teeth and gums are stay healthier overall and live longer.
How to groom an Australian Shepherd breed
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Lifespan
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds have similar life spans and while on average these breeds live from 12 to 14 years, some dogs can live up to 17 or even 18 years of age. Health, lifestyle, diet and genetics affect a dog's life span.
Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie: size comparison
Full size Australian Shepherds are close in size to Border Collies. While Border Collies can reach in height up to 22 inches, Australian Shepherds can be slightly taller and can reach up to 23 inches in height. Since there are significant size variations between different types of Australian Shepherds, Miniature Australian Shepherds as well as Toy Australian Shepherds are much smaller in size than Border Collies. Miniature Australian Shepherds can reach from 15 to 18 inches in height at the shoulder and Toy Australian Shepherds reach from 10 to 14 inches in height, which is significantly smaller in comparison to Border Collie breed.
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Shedding
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds feature a double coat that produces a noticeable amount of shedding. Managing the shedding can be accomplished by regular coat brushing that helps to remove the dead hair, and by investing in a pet friendly vacuum cleaner that helps to keep the floors and furniture clean from the dog's hair. Brush your Australian Shepherd or Border Collie outdoors to save time on clean up after the brushing.
Difference between Border Collie and Australian Shepherd: Price
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds prices can range from $250 per puppy to thousands of dollars, depending on the dog's pedigree, color, age, training level, temperament and many other factors. Typically dogs with well known pedigree or show dogs cost significantly more.
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Temperament
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds share many similarities, including their temperaments. As herding dogs, both of these breeds are very active and require a sufficient amount of physical activity during the day. When approached by strangers, Border Collies as well as Aussies tend to be reserved but with their families they are loving and display affection freely. Border Collies just like Australian Shepherds are known as smart and very intelligent breeds, capable of making independent decisions as they do their herding work. In the right hands, Border Collies or Australian Shepherds are capable of being trained to a high level. Both breeds need and enjoy physical and mental games and are ideal for owners who enjoy spending hours outdoors every day, interacting with and keeping the dog busy. These breeds aren't suitable for a city life, they are too energetic and can be too loud for apartment life. A large farm or a country home with a big fenced yard are a must for people who are interested in getting either a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd.
Australian Shepherd versus Border Collie: Country of breed origin
Border Collie breed was developed along the borders of Scotland and England.
Australian Shepherd breed was developed in the United States of America, despite the breed name that suggests otherwise.
Good with kids: Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd
Although Border Collies and Australian Shepherds can live in a household with children, these herding breeds are built for work and require plenty of time that families with young kids may not be able to provide to the active dog that needs to stay busy during the day. Not only do Border Collies and Australian Shepherds require a lot of time investment, but they may also take on a job of herding members of their own family especially if these dogs aren't getting a chance to stay properly occupied. These working herding breeds aren't ideal for families with small kids and need an owner who has the time and energy to channel the dog's energy in a constructive way every single day. A Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd that is confined in a small apartment for most part of the day may start displaying various behavior issues and get destructive and loud as there's no proper way for the dog to use all the energy while living in a small apartment and not getting sufficient exercise, which explains why these breeds aren't suitable for families with young children who live in a city environment.
Border Collie and Australian Shepherd compared: Companion dogs
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies make suitable companions for people who have plenty of time and energy to keep up with an intelligent and demanding for attention dog. Australian Shepherds are also known as velcro dogs, because they are extremely attached to their owners and happiest in the presence of their families. Aussies follow their owners from one room to another and aren't happy when left alone. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds make good companion dogs for people who can keep the dog busy and bring the best qualities from their pet. People who live on a farm and have sheep or other farm animals may benefit from having one of these breeds. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds are natural herding dogs that enjoy to help and be involved in activities such as herding. Of course, as with any task, Border Collies and Australian Shepherds need to be taught how to behave around other animals and introducing a young pup to animals such as cats, chickens, cows, horses and sheep will help the dog to get the proper socialization that is needed for a farm dog. Both breeds are very much into herding and will try to herd any groups of animals they can, even your kids. Aussies may even need to be taught not to bite running kids on their heels as this is a natural herding behavior for these breeds.
People with low energy who don't see themselves outdoors working with a dog several hours each day should consider other breeds because Aussies and Border Collies are specifically built for people who can make the most of their high energy, natural intelligence and desire to work. A bored or neglected Border Collie or Aussie are prone to different psychological and behavioral problems.
Good with other dogs: Australian Shepherd compared to Border Collie
Well socialized Australian Shepherds and Border Collies get along fine with other dogs. Of course, there can be exceptions with temperament differences where either an Australian Shepherd or Border Collie may display more aggressiveness towards other male dogs, but that is not generally common for these breeds. Early socialization is important for all breeds, and introducing a pup to other friendly dogs helps to teach the dog to be comfortable around other dogs.
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Intelligence
Border Collies and Australian Shepherds are among the most intelligent dog breeds. Despite being smart, these breeds can be difficult for a novice dog owner to handle. The combination of intelligence and high energy requires a skilled approach to obedience training. Both breeds can excel at agility training, obedience, tracking and more. Owners of either of these breeds need to provide the dog with enough intellectual exercises and interactive activities every day that help to develop the dog's mind further. A bored Border Collie or Australian Shepherd will find something to keep themselves busy with but that may not be a desirable behavior for their owners.
Border Collie compared to Australian Shepherd: Trainability
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies respond well to obedience training. Puppies need to start training early as these intelligent dog breeds need to be taught how to behave in different situations early on. Household rules need to be established as soon as a new puppy joins his or her new family and all family members need to be on the same page in regards to what behavior is expected of the new four legged family member. For example if a dog is not to be on a family couch, every family member needs to follow the same rule and the dog should not be allowed to spend any time on the couch. In some households dogs are not allowed in the kitchen area and this rule must be upheld by all family members in order for the dog to understand that entering the kitchen is not allowed. Consistency is very important when training either a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd. These smart dog breeds can learn new commands or tricks very fast and they enjoy being physically and mentally stimulated. During obedience training reward good behavior and ignore undesirable behavior. For example, if a puppy is learning how to use a designated area as a toilet, reward the dog with praise or a small treat whenever the pup used the designated area as his or her potty area. In case of an accident, ignore the accident, clean up as soon as you can and do not punish the dog. This way the dog will learn much faster which behavior gets him your approval. Dogs who get punished for bad behavior often confuses being punished with getting extra attention, and that is why punishing a dog is not an effective way of training and accomplishing fast results.
Although Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are among the smartest dog breeds, training either of these breeds has certain challenges, specifically it may be difficult to get the dog's attention. Before you start training your pup any commands it is important to first teach the dog to pay attention. Don't expect miracles as these easily excitable breeds may be interested in everything that is happening around and getting your Border Collie or Australian Shepherd to only focus on you can be rather challenging. You can start training your dog to give you his or her undivided attention by choosing a place that is quiet and there's not much going on to distract your dog. Have your dog's favorite toy or a small treat handy so you can reward your Border Collie or Aussie for good behavior. Call your dog's name and as soon as the dog looks you in the eyes reward your pet immediately to help your dog understand which specific behavior is rewarded. You can also teach your dog to pay attention to you during a playtime. Use your pet's favorite toy as a reward for good behavior.
Border Collie versus Australian Shepherd: Barking
If you are looking to get a quiet dog breed, Border Collie or Australian Shepherd are not in that team. Both breeds are vocal and have a tendency to bark when the opportunity arises. Throughout their herding careers, Border Collies and Australian Shepherds were conditioned to let humans know that something unusual is happening by barking. Barking also helped these dogs to keep the sheep under control. With the herding history of these breeds, it is not surprising that Border Collies and Australian Shepherds often choose to express their feelings through barking. If there's something exciting happening around or the dog is lonely or bored, you will hear either of these breeds expressing themselves through barking. The tendency to bark makes these breeds unsuitable for apartment living, where neighbors may not appreciate a loud dog living next door.
Border Collie vs Australian Shepherd: Exercise needs
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are among the most active dog breeds and need more than average exercise every single day. Herding breeds were developed to have a strong stamina and plenty of energy that is necessary for herding all day long and potential Border Collie or Australian Shepherd owners need to keep in mind that their dogs have endless energy that they need to channel in the right direction, otherwise the dog will find other outlets for his energy such as destroying the family couch or ripping up all the socks the dog can find. Excessive energy can translate into many undesirable behaviors if the owners fail to provide the dog with enough daily exercise that may include running around in a large fenced space, agility exercises, obedience training, tracking or any other activity that gets your dog to spend lots of energy.
Some of the favorite activities for Border Collies and Aussies are fetching balls and frisbee and they can spend hours just doing that. High working drive means the dog needs to stay busy doing some type of work that keeps the dog mentally and physically engaged which can be a challenge for most people who simply don't have the time or energy to keep up with their highly active pet. Obstacle courses for dogs can be another way to keep your Border Collie or Australian Shepherd happy and engaged. If you see yourself spending hours every single day exercising your dog outdoors and you have a large backyard and lots of time that you want to dedicate to your dog as well as experience in dog training then one of these breeds may be right for you.
Health issues: Australian Shepherd and Border Collie compared
Some of the health issues associated with Border Collies include hereditary eye disease, epilepsy, hypothyroidism and canine hip dysplasia. As for Australian Shepherds, the breed is susceptible to eye disease, hip and elbow dysplasia, and thyroid issues. Many veterinarians recommend testing a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd puppy for eye, thyroid and hip dysplasia.
Border Collie versus Australian Shepherd: Dog behavior issues
One of the reasons why Border Collies and Australian Shepherds are among the most challenging breeds to own is because of the multitude of various behavior problems that tend to occur when either of these breeds is left alone, bored and has no occupation in a household. Among the most active working breeds, Australian Shepherds and Border Collies require lots of mental and physical stimulation every day along with several hours of exercise outdoors. If a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd do not have a "job" to do, such as herding or working on an agility course or any other canine sport that your dog enjoys, behavior problems tend to occur. The dog may start excessive and unprovoked barking, tearing things apart at home and just being restless because of the built up unused energy. When not occupied as a herding dog, a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd need to stay busy doing other constructive things. Chasing things, herding neighborhood kids or running after anything that moves are among normal behaviors for both, Aussies and Border Collies. These breeds display these behaviors because of their strong herding instinct that causes them to chase and nip on anything that runs. Can these behaviors be controlled? Owners of Border Collies and Australian Shepherds need to work on resolving undesirable behaviors by rewarding positive behaviors. Understanding these breeds can help to manage the dog's desire to run and nip on moving things. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds can be trained to not chase joggers or moving vehicles and with patience it is possible to train the dog to resist his urge to chase and nip.
Border Collie vs. Australian Shepherd: Popularity
Full Size Australian Shepherd takes 17th place if 193 in popularity ranking in the United States.
In comparison, Border Collie ranks 35th place in popularity of 193 dog breeds in the United States of America. Australian Shepherd is a more popular breed in the USA.
Difference between Border Collie and Australian Shepherd: Loyalty to the owner
Australian Shepherds are also known as velcro dogs because they tend to always be close to their owners and need plenty of time with their families every single day. Border Collies are also very close to their owners and make wonderful and intelligent companions for people who can put the dog's strong working drive and intelligence to a good use.
Border Collies vs Australian Shepherds: apartment dogs
Due to high working drive and a lot of energy, neither a Border Collie nor American Shepherd make suitable apartment dogs. These herding breeds have a different purpose in life and they aren't happy living in a small space with no space to run and no occupation to keep themselves busy. Border Collies just like American Shepherds are among the best herding breeds and they can be excellent helpers around the farm, helping to herd and living an active and fulfilling life as a working dog.
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