Did you know that Border Collie Appreciation Day is November 24th? While we love all of our canine pals, Border Collies are some very good boys that definitely deserve some recognition. These lovable, super cute pups are not only extremely intelligent, they are also very loyal and loving pets. A local London, ON vet discusses the breed in this article.

Basics

Border Collies are super cute, but they’re really more well known for their intelligence and energy. They’re also very lively and athletic, and excel at many doggy sports, such as herding, agility, and disc dog.

Care

Border Collies need plenty of activity and playtime. Proper training is a must, as these lively pups will get into plenty of mischief without it. It’s worth mentioning that they are also quite long-lived. Their average life span is between 12 and 15 years, but they can live as long as 18 with good care. They are prone to a few health conditions, such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and Collie eye anomaly. Do plenty of research, and keep up with Fido’s veterinary appointments.

History

The Border Collie originated from England and/or Scotland. In fact, the word Collie may be derived from an old Celtic word for useful. That’s certainly an accurate description!

Smart Cookies

As mentioned above, Border Collies are very, very intelligent. These are some of the smartest pooches out there! The breed was at the top of the list for intelligence in The Intelligence Of Dogs book. In fact, in a recent Hungarian study, these lovable pups were at the head of the class. The experiment was based on how many toy names that pups could learn. The Border Collies already knew 26 toys by name, and they learned 12 more. That’s pretty impressive!

Celebrity Fans

Border Collies have some pretty famous fans! The list of people who have had these amazing pups includes Queen Victoria, Robert Burns, James Dean, Anna Paquin, Bon Jovi, Ethan Hawke, James Franco, and Tiger Woods.

Starring Roles

Border Collies have also featured in several movies. There’s Murray, the mixed pooch from the series Mad About You; Nana, from Snow Dogs; and Bandit from Little House On The Prairie. We didn’t forget about Lassie, but she’s actually a Rough Collie.

Do you have questions about Border Collie care? We are here to help! Contact us, your local London, ON animal clinic, today!