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Red Border Collie – Everything You Need To Know

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.

Red Border Collie Pros and Cons 

Pros Cons 
Minimal grooming needsHighly energetic hence requires a lot of exercise.
Easily trainableHigh prey drive for small animals 

Red Border Collie Basic Information

  • Name: Red Border Collie
  • Height: Male: 19-22 inches, Female : 18-21 inches 
  • Weight: 30 – 55 pounds
  • Coat: Double coat 
  • Color: Red
  • Energy: High 
  • Activities: Agility, conformation, herding, obedience, rally obedience, tracking
  • Group: Herding 
  • Barking Level: Low to medium
  • Shedding Level: Medium
  • Hypoallergenic: No
  • Litter Size: 4 to 8 puppies
  • Life Span: 12 to 15 years
  • Other names: Australian/Aussie red, gold, yellow, liver, or tan, Foxy Collie, Scottish Sheep Dog, English Sheep Dog, and Welsh SheepDog

Standard Border Collie Vs Red Border Collie – A Comparison

Features Standard Border Collie Red Border Collie
Image  
Origin United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, EnglandUnited Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England
Height 18 to 22 inches18 to 22 inches
Weight 30 to 45 pounds30 to 45 pounds
Size MediumMedium
Group Herding Herding 
Children Compatibility Medium to highMedium to high
Family Compatibility HighHigh
Pets Compatibility MediumMedium
Barking Level Low to mediumLow to medium
Shedding Level MediumMedium
Hypoallergenic NoNo
Grooming Needs MediumMedium
Overall Health Medium to highMedium to high
Energy HighHigh
Exercise Needs HighHigh
Trainability Medium to highMedium to high
Activities Agility, Conformation, Herding, Obedience, Rally Obedience, TrackingAgility, Conformation, Herding, Obedience, Rally Obedience, Tracking
Complication in breedingNoNo
Litter Size 4 to 8 puppies4 to 8 puppies
Lifespan 12 to 15 years12 to 15 years
Other Names Scottish Sheep Dog, English Sheep Dog, and Welsh SheepDogAustralian/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. 

Nails

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. 

Ears

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.

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