Border Collie Dalmatian Mix, also known as Bodacion, is the offspring of the two popular pure breeds, Border Collie and Dalmatian. The Bodacion is a medium-sized canine with a characteristic medium to long coat fur. These canines are often found in colors such as black and white, merle, liver, yellow, or brown. Bodacion has a sweet personality with high energy levels. Although aggressive, they can be loyal and loving companions if socialized appropriately.
Table of Contents
Border collie Dalmatian Mix Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Great companion dogs
High prey drive
Easily Trainable
Unsuitable for apartment life
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Basic Information
Name: Border Collie Dalmatian
Height: 18-22 inches
Weight: 30-50 pounds
Coat: Medium to long fur coat
Color: Black, white, brown, liver, yellow, chocolate, blue, blue merle, sable merle, red merle, gold lilac, red, brindle, and sable.
Energy: High
Activities: Walks, hikes, runs, herding or agility.
Scottish Sheep Dog, English Sheep Dog, and Welsh SheepDog
English Coach Dog, Carriage Dog, Plum Pudding Dog, and Spotted Dick
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Personality
Border Collie Dalmatian mixes have a tiny head with dropping, triangular ears, medium-sized muzzles, two different colored eyes, long and flurry coats, muscular legs with big feet, and a long furry tail. They resemble fuzzy Dalmatians with their intelligent expressions.
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
High
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
Medium
Pet-friendly
Medium
Stranger -friendly
Medium to High
Adaptability Overview Table
Good for apartment living
Low
Good to new owners
Low to Medium
Sensitivity level
Medium to High
Tolerates being alone
Low to Medium
Cold-tolerance
Medium to High
Heat-tolerance
Medium
Border Collie Dalmatian MixTemperament
Border Collie Dalmatian mixes inherit their high intelligence levels from their parents. In addition, they are boisterous, lively, friendly, and lovable pets. At the same time, they are pretty obsessive, aggressive, and dominant with their pet parents. However, you can tackle their aggressiveness once you establish yourself as their pack leader. Also, you need to be firm and consistent in your commands.
Bodacions are prone to herding small children and other pets due to the inheritance from their Border Collie parents. However, these canines love to please their owners and are pretty trainable.
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Breed Training
Bodaicons perform well in obedience and agility training due to their good nature towards their owners. These canines are very smart and learn very quickly. Due to their high intelligence levels, they can pick up commands pretty fast. However, they have to be trained well to reinforce positive behaviors.
Trainability Overview
Easy to train
Medium to High
Intelligence
High
Mouthiness tendencies
Medium
Barking and Howling tendencies
Low
Prey drive
High
Wanderlust tendencies
Medium
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Exercise Needs
Border Collie Dalmatians are pretty athletic and highly energetic dog breeds. Two hours of exercise can keep them physically fit. However, they may inherit the stubborn streak from their Dalmatian parents. Hence, it would help if you indulge them in an intense exercise routine to keep their aggressiveness at bay. In addition, we recommend harnessing him with a GPS tracking collar due to his energy levels. This helps you to track and monitor him around the clock.
Bodacions’ agility qualifies them as great players of fetching games and other activities. Because of their agility and fast pace, they were employed as herding dogs on ranches and farms. In addition, they have to be mentally stimulated.
Exercise Needs Overview
Energy level
High
Exercise needs
High
Intensity
Medium
Playfulness
Medium to High
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Grooming
Border Collie Dalmatians have inherited a medium-length coat from their parents. To maintain this coat, you need to bathe them twice a week. However, exercise caution if you are using shampoo as it can deplete oil in their skin. In addition, you have to brush their hair twice a week to reduce shedding and remove unhealthy hair. For this purpose, you will require a stiff bristle brush and a metal comb to untangle your pet’s coat.
With dog-formulated toothpaste, you have to brush your dog’s teeth once or twice a week. This will prevent the development of periodontal diseases in your pet. Additionally, an annual appointment with his veterinarian will help rule out the emergence of any periodontal diseases.
You should take steps to remove any accumulated ear wax, dirt, and debris once a week. You can use a cotton ball dipped in pH-balanced ear cleaner to clean your dog’s ears.
Grooming Overview
Easy to groom
Medium to High
Drooling tendency
Low
Amount of shedding
Medium to High
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Health
Bodacions are generally a healthy breed of dogs. Hence, they do not suffer much from any life-threatening health conditions. In addition, you can check if your crossbreed puppy carries any of the parent’s genetic conditions. However, Border Collie Dalmatian mixes are predisposed to certain unique diseases. Therefore, you need to check with your breeder if your puppy is screened appropriately.
Health Overview
Overall health
Medium
Weight gain tendencies
Medium to high
Size
Medium
Border Collie Dalmatian health conditions
Hip Dysplasia
When the thigh bones do not fit into the pelvic socket of your pet’s hip joint, it results in hip dysplasia, which is a heritable condition.
Other Causes of Hip Dysplasia:
Injuries
Excessive weight gain
Wrong exercises
Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia:
Some of the notable signs that may be present on one or both rear legs include:
Pain
Lameness
Treatment: X-ray screening for hip dysplasia, medication, and hip replacement through surgeries may also be preferred. This condition, if ignored, can be life-threatening.
Progressive Renal Atrophy
An eye disease that causes blindness from losing photoreceptors at the eye back. It can be diagnosed earlier. Dogs with this disorder can survive for many years since they have other senses to compensate.
The gradual deterioration of the eye’s retina marks the progression of this disease. Affected dogs exhibit symptoms of night-blindness which slowly progresses to complete loss of vision. Most affected dogs adapt well to their limited or lost vision if they continue to reside in the same environment with efficient eyesight.
Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome
Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome is when white blood cells (WBC) are not released accurately from the bone marrow, preventing the dog’s immune system from opposing diseases. Most Collies generate symptoms of this at aroundseven months of age and can die soon after. A DNA swab can diagnose if they suffer from this syndrome early.
Collie Eye Anomaly
CEA is an inherited developmental condition usually seen in breeds like Australian shepherds, Border Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, etc. This disorder can lead a dog to blindness.
Cataracts
As in humans, canine cataracts are characterized by cloudy spots on the eye lens that can grow gradually. Cataracts may develop at any age and often don’t damage vision, although they cause vision loss in some cases. A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist certifies the breeding dogs after testing them free of hereditary eye disease before breeding. Usually, cataracts can be removed surgically with good results.
Allergies
Dalmatians and their mixed breeds may be prone to skin allergies, which may occur as:
Food-based allergies: If your pet is allergic to certain food ingredients, you can adopt an elimination diet that involves deliberately removing the suspected ingredients to which your dog may be allergic.
Contact allergies: When your dog’s immune system reacts adversely to certain topical substances such as bedding, flea powders, dog shampoos, and other chemicals, he suffers from contact allergies. However, eliminating the cause of the allergy reduces the symptoms.
Inhalant allergies: If your canine accidentally inhales airborne allergens like pollen, dust, and mildew and suffers from any symptoms, he is said to have inhalant allergies. Treatment for these allergies varies with the severity of the disease. Often, ear infections accompany these allergies.
Hereditary deafness
Deafness is a heritable condition prevalent among Dalmatians. They may be prevalent unilaterally (deafness in one ear) or bilaterally (deafness in both the ears). Bilaterally deaf dogs require some special considerations. To get to know your pet better, you can adopt a reliable scientific test called the BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response), which helps you detect deafness in dogs.
Urolithiasis
Dalmatians are endowed with a unique urinary tract system. Hence they are prone to forming urinary tract stones (Urolithiasis). These dog’s urine constitutes uric acid, whose salts contribute to stone formation. These stones may be either small or large. Although smaller stones called gravels can pass out along the urine, larger stones can block the urethra. This can impede your dog’s urinary tract, which can be fatal if not treated timely. To prevent this condition, you must supply your pet with sufficient water.
Additionally, you can help your pet follow a diet not high in peas. Alternatively, you can consult your vet to ensure your dogs’ urine does not contain any urate crystals. However, urolithiasis is a treatable condition with a variety of treatment options.
Iris Sphincter Dysplasia
Iris Sphincter Dysplasia is an inheritable eye disorder. The prevalence of this condition and its treatments are being studied. However, its symptoms include:
Sensitivity to bright light
Poor night vision
Partial or total blindness
Cataracts.
Epilepsy
This is the most prevalent neurological disease in canines, concerning about 0.75 percent of the population. Epilepsy is a broad name for disorders characterized by repeated, uncontrollable seizures caused by a brain defect.
Hyperthyroidism
When there’s excessive thyroid hormone secretion, it results in hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include anxiety, weight loss, and diarrhea. It can be inherited from the parent breeds.
Obesity
Obesity is a common health disease in the Border COllie Dalmatian mix. Excess weight can result in back pain, digestive disorders, joint problems, and heart diseases. The ideal way to control this disorder is by maintaining a healthy diet and routine exercise.
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Diet and Nutrition
Border Collie Dalmatians are food lovers, so their appetites are often enormous. Hence, they require a diet that will satisfy their intense hunger; Feed them a protein-rich diet. In addition, you can add probiotics along with some salmon oil to ensure immunity, healthy joints, and a splendid coat. Additionally, you must feed three cups of dry dog food split into two or three meals a day and fresh water for a wholesome diet.
Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Living Condition
Bodaicons are unsuitable for apartment life, mainly due to their aggressiveness, which you can control with sufficient exercise. Additionally, they have to be watched when alone with young children as they are pretty overprotective due to their herding ability. They are pretty friendly towards strangers; however, they may still turn hostile and snarl at them and other pets. Hence, keeping them away from other pets and strangers is better. In addition, they have a high prey drive which makes them chase smaller animals. Therefore, it is always better to leash them before taking them outdoors. Finally, they tolerate cold weather better when compared to hot weather.
Adding a Border Collie Dalmatian Mix to Your Family
Things to Remember Before Addinga Border Collie Dalmatian Mix
To prevent ending up with a weak hybrid pet, always ensure to buy from a reputable breeder who holds the parents’ health records and their lineage. This will help you gain good insight into your pup’s health.
Cost of a Border Collie Dalmatian Mix Puppy: $500 – $1000+
