Red Border Collie, also known as the Foxy Collie or the Australian/Aussie red, is a red variation of the purebred Border Collie. Border Collies come in various shades- gold, yellow, liver, and tan; the red coloration is due to the presence of the recessive gene. In addition, this gene works only when both the parents of the offspring are of the same hue. As a result, they are challenging to breed in large numbers. Therefore, Red Border Collies are too rare to find and are gaining prominence lately due to their pleasing appearance. In addition, AKC has recognized Red as one of the standard colors of Border Collies. The Border Collies originated at the British/Scottish border. They have a reputation as workaholic dogs of the farm who herded sheep.
Table of Contents
Red Border Collie Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Minimal grooming needs
Highly energetic hence requires a lot of exercise.
Scottish Sheep Dog, English Sheep Dog, and Welsh SheepDog
Australian/Aussie red, gold, yellow, liver, or tan, Foxy Collie,Scottish Sheep Dog, English Sheep Dog, and Welsh SheepDog
Red Border Collie Personality
Red Border Collies are medium-sized breeds with a muscular stature. Their bodies are long with feathered tails. They have almond-shaped eyes with an intense gaze, a distinct feature of this breed. Their ears are naturally upright with drooping tips, giving them a gleeful appearance. In addition, this breed is blessed with two types of coat that are both dense and weather-resistant.
The feathered, medium-length rough coat
The shorter smooth coat
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
Medium to high
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
Medium to high
Pet-friendly
Medium
Stranger -friendly
High
Adaptability Overview
Good for apartment living
Low
Good to new owners
Low
Sensitivity level
High
Tolerates being alone
Low
Cold-tolerance
Medium
Heat-tolerance
Medium
Red Border Collie Temperament
Red Border Collies are highly energetic breeds that love playing outdoors all day long. Although they are not very demanding in exercise, they have to be mentally and physically stimulated to avoid boredom. This way, you can prevent any bad behavior. They are very affectionate and extremely loyal. They are herding dogs with strong protective instincts and are also overprotective of their pet parents. They crave their pet parents’ presence and wish to be around them. This makes them great family pets. In addition, they have a natural affinity towards children but are pretty reserved for strangers.
Red Border Collie Training
Red Border Collie’s brilliance enhances his love for learning new tricks. Hence, they are easily trainable. However, it is vital to socialize them during puppyhood as early as seven months to establish yourself as the pack leader and avoid misbehaviors like barking or chewing. In addition, they require positive reinforcements to encourage positive behavior. Obedience training also helps them behave with manners in the future as they get along with your family. Additionally, keeping them away from small pets is essential as they think these creatures to be their prey.
Trainability Overview
Easy to train
High
Intelligence
High
Mouthiness tendencies
Medium
Barking and Howling tendencies
Low
Prey drive
Medium
Wanderlust tendencies
Medium
Red Border Collie Exercise Needs
Red Border Collie is a highly energetic breed with an excellent athletic build. They thrive in a spacious environment running around or doing work. Hence, they require a scheduled exercise routine for more than two hours. Beyond rough play or a brisk walk, they need a vigorous exercise routine, especially if they don’t work. Due to their robustness, they excel at canine activities like agility, rally, tracking competitions, herding, obedience, and sports such as flying disc and flyball.
Exercise Needs Overview
Energy level
High
Exercise needs
High
Intensity
Medium
Playfulness
High
Red Border Collie Grooming
Red Border Collies have short hair and shed less. Consequently, they are pretty easy to maintain. Hence, you must use a pin brush to keep their double-coat free of mats, tangles, dirt, and debris. You can do this once or twice a week. However, you have to brush them regularly during shedding season to minimize their shedding. In addition, you need to bathe them once every few months. However, exercise caution if you are using shampoo as it can deplete oil in their skin. Additionally, once you bathe them, ensure to pat them dry to prevent ear infections.
Overgrowth of nails can cause discomfort during walking or running. Therefore, you have to trim your dog’s nails to keep them comfortable regularly.
Teeth You have to brush your dog’s teeth regularly with a dog-formulated toothpaste. This will keep periodontal diseases at bay. 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. To clean your dog’s ears, you can use a cotton ball dipped in pH-balanced ear cleaner. In addition, you need to take your dog to the veterinarian to rule out any signs of ear infection.
Grooming Overview
Easy to groom
Medium
Drooling tendency
Low
Amount of shedding
Medium
Red Border Collie Health
Red Border Collies are pretty healthy. However, these canines are predisposed to a few health conditions you have to screen before buying. In addition, they are prone to develop minor issues like:
Ear infection
Eye problems
Skin irritation
Hence, look out for potential signs of the above during the routine checkup with your veterinarian.
Health Overview
Overall health
High
Weight gain tendencies
Medium
Size
Medium
Red Border Collie Specific Health Conditions
In general, Border Collies are predisposed to the below-mentioned health conditions. Here are some of the symptoms and treatments available for these conditions.
Hip Dysplasia
When the thigh bones do not fit into the pelvic socket of the hip joint of your pet, 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 Retinal 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 of the affected dogs adapt well to their limited or lost vision if they continue to reside in the same environment when they had a vision.
Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome
A condition where 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 around seven 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.
Deafness
While some dogs are born deaf, others may acquire it with age. While hereditary deafness is due to genetic defects, acquired deafness results from decreased blood supply to the cochlea of the inner ear, resulting in the loss of hair cells necessary for sound transmission to occur. Deafness may present 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.
Epilepsy
Border Collies fall under the category of dogs with a higher rate of epilepsy. Although the exact cause is unknown, a genetic base is often suspected. Epilepsy is a sudden spike in the brain’s electrical activity, which results in its malfunction. Some of the signs to look for include:
A stiffening of the neck and legs,
Stumbling and falling over,
Uncontrollable chewing,
Drooling,
Paddling of the limbs,
Loss of bladder control,
Defecating,
Vocalizing,
Violent shaking
Trembling
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL)
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Dogs affected by this condition begin to show symptoms between one and two years of age. This disease exerts a significant impact on their behavior, and some of it includes:
Anxiety
Constant circling
Aggression
Compulsive behaviors
Loss of learned skills.
Neurological symptoms include:
Tremors,
Ataxia (lack of coordination),
Localized and generalized seizures, and
Visual impairment
Unfortunately, this disease has no cure, and dogs affected are often euthanized when they reach three years of life.
Red Border Collie Diet and Nutrition
Red Border Collies are medium-sized breeds that thrive well on high-quality dry dog food. They require around 1 – 1.5 cups per day to meet their daily nutritional needs. However, you need to confirm with your vet if that is appropriate for your dog’s specific age. In addition, have a check on your dog’s calorie consumption and weight gain as some dogs are prone to obesity. In this case, you need to minimize the treats or replace them with less caloric snacks to prevent the risk of obesity. Some healthy treats to include are carrots, apples, and chicken. In general, Collies are known for their finicky eating habits. Hence, give them time to get used to new foods or treats.
Red Border Collie Living Condition
Red Border Collies are known for their amiable nature. Hence, they love to spend time with their family, other animals and friends. However, they are pretty reserved with strangers. It is because of this reason, they love their trips to the dog park. Additionally, they long for playing and hence require a lawn or spacious garden to expend their energy. Hence, they are unsuitable for apartment life.
Being lovely family pets, Border Collies are prone to separation anxiety when left alone. Hence, if you are a person who cannot spend a considerable amount of time home, this is not the right breed for you. In addition, Border Collies have short hair which makes them hotter during the summer months. Hence, ensure the availability of freshwater to prevent overheating.
Adding a Red Border Collie
Things to Remember Before Breeding a Red Border Collie
To prevent ending up with a weak hybrid pet, always ensure to buy from a reputable breeder who holds the health records of the parents and their lineage. This will help you gain good insight on your pup’s health. In addition, Red Border Collies are quite difficult to be bred as they require both the parents to be Red Border Collies.
Cost of a Red Border Collie Puppy
Since it is quite challenging to produce Red Border Collies, they come with a high price tag. Red Border Collies without show quality cost around $600 and up. However, a premium pup can cost between $1,300 to $4,500.
