How long do border collie australian shepherd mix live

The Australian Shepherd-Border Collie Mix is a combination of the two best herding dogs in the world. They are beautiful dogs, full of energy and they definitely need a job! This DogAppy article provides some interesting facts about the Border-Aussie breed.

So Versatile!

The Border-Aussie is quite popular for its ease in mastering training, and also for its agility and tracking abilities. These workaholics need plenty to do and if they don’t get it, may become bored and possibly destructive.

Also known as the Australian Collie and the Border-Aussie, the Australian Shepherd-Border Collie mix is a wonderful hybrid that takes many positive personality traits from both its parents, the Border Collie and the Australian Shepherd. It is basically a working or herding dog like its parents, and it needs a job to do at all times. It is excellent for herding sheep or cattle.

It needs to keep itself busy, but does tend to get bored doing the same tasks over and over again. So if you own this dog, then you will have to keep coming up with creative ideas to keep his/her mind happily occupied. Though thankfully a quiet breed, this dog makes up for it in the energy department; its desire to play is endless, and you may really never meet such an enthusiastic and vivacious canine anywhere else.

Australian Shepherd

Border Collie

Border-Aussie Puppies

Physical Traits

Size

This dog looks more like the Border Collie than the Australian Shepherd. Although you will also find miniature Border-Aussies, the general size of this breed is between medium to large. It weighs between 30 to 75 pounds.

Coat

The coat is long, like the Collie’s, but may be similar in texture to the Shepherd’s. Coat colors range from red merle to blue merle, black, beige, or white, with tan markings. Other coat patterns are spotted, brindle, and speckled. This dog can take its coat colors from either or both of its parents.

Eyes

This mix breed is prone to complete heterochromia, which means that both its eyes can be of different colors. Common eye colors are brown, blue, and green. Its striking eyes do speak volumes, and the dog will not hesitate to unleash their power on you, so be prepared.

Feathering

Your dog will have quite a bit of feathering on its tail and legs. The coat must be brushed regularly to prevent it from matting.

Border-Aussie Pup with Merle Coat

Personality Traits

If socialized and trained well, this dog is all you may ask for in a companion dog. It is a quiet breed overall, not inclined to be very noisy, unless it is playing with others. They tend to be the “police” when playing! Both Border Collies and Australian Shepherds are bred to work with people, therefore are usually very people oriented. This also makes them easier to train. Super intelligent, these dogs are so much fun to work with. You can teach them practically anything.  As with any dog breed, it is important to remember that early socializing is essential to avoid any future behavioral issues.

The Border-Aussie is a family-oriented pet and needs to be around its own people.  It is also one of those dogs that needs to be entertained, otherwise resulting in boredom, and then the unpleasant consequences of chewing the house down. Mental stimulation is very important for this mix breed; the Border Collie is the smartest dog breed after all. You didn’t think its offspring would turn out any different, did you?

Exercise

Stamina: Boundless
Energy: Endless
Playfulness: Runs in the blood
Long walks or jogs: Duh!
Taking rest: Yeah right!

This is an immensely active breed, what with both the parents being working dogs and all. If you are the kind to snuggle up on the couch with your dog and watch TV or read a book, consider another breed, as this may not be the best dog for you. If, on the other hand, you are an outdoorsy person with a love for nature, or a fitness freak with a strict jogging or running routine, or neither of the above but having a big yard and maybe some farm animals, then the Border-Aussie would be a good choice. The physical requirements of your dog must be met, or you will be left with a a bored dog at the end of the day.

Training

Being a brainy breed, the Border-Aussie is fairly easy to train. It loves new challenges, and it learns things really quickly. As with any other breed, you always want to train using force free, positive training.  Positive reinforcements works wonders. These dogs catch on quickly and are especially fun at doing shaping exercises. You can just see their minds working!

Genetically predisposed to nipping, you’ll want to make sure you are training them not to nip and herd your children.  Taking after its parents, they may try to herd everyone in the house into one place by nipping at the heels!

Grooming

The shaggy fur of this dog makes it very obvious that it needs regular grooming. The coat needs to be brushed at least 4 to 5 times a week, as this dog sheds quite a bit. The hair must be trimmed if required. The ears must be kept clean and dry, and checked regularly for infections.

Living Conditions

Not really suited for an apartment life, the Border-Aussie needs space to move around. A big house and yard is more appropriate. If you don’t live on a farm, make sure you fulfill its exercise and energy requirements in other ways.

Health

There are no major known health problems of this breed. Its average life expectancy is 12 to 15 years, with 13 being the average.

Isn’t the Border-Aussie a wonderful dog? Smart, fun and playful, what more do you need? This dog is a sparkly ray of sunshine that can brighten up any day. If you wish to have this bundle of energy as your pet, then make sure that you can provide it with its basic needs of exercise and work. Then just wait and watch as the love unfolds.