Are you looking for an active, intelligent, loving, and loyal dog?
In that case, the Border Collie Lab mix is probably the right choice for you!
The Border Collie Lab, also known as the Borador, is a large dog known to be bright, obedient, and agile. They are active dogs who love to be social and like to tag along with their owners everywhere they can.
The Borador is a hybrid dog and has the best of both worlds.
In this blog post, I’ll share a few details about the border collie lab mix that you ought to know!
So, let’s just get started!
The Breed History: About the Borador’s Parents
In this section, I would like to go over the parent breeds of the Border Collie Lab mix.
With mixed-breed dogs, it is imperative to know the characteristics of the parent breeds to understand their behavior and traits.
Let’s take a look.
The Border Collie
The word ‘Collie’ means ‘sheepdog’ in Scottish. These dogs found their origins in the United Kingdom and were used as herding and guard dogs for sheep. This dog has been a well-renowned sheepdog for centuries.
In fact, Queen Victoria, too, was a fan of the Border Collie.
To date, this dog is the top herding dog.
As pets, Border Collies are clever, hardworking, alert, and full of energy. You’ve got to keep this dog bust or else he’ll indulge in destructive behaviors and may end up digging holes, chewing your things and furniture, etc.
Border Collies are sensitive to their owners but aren’t the kinds of dogs who’d like to just snuggle with their owners and chill.
These dogs need something to do throughout the day.
Border Collies are stubborn and have a mind of their own, so they need to be handled firmly.
These dogs have strong herding instincts—so strong that if they don’t have access to a herd of sheep, they’ll herd small animals or even human children!
You also need to socialize them at a young age, or they can be shy and timid.
The Labrador Retriever
Labrador retrievers come from the Newfoundland island, northeast of Canada’s coast.
Originally bred by the fishermen, Labrador retrievers helped retrieved fish and were companions to the fishermen at home. Known as the St John’s dogs in the 1700s, they impressed the Englishmen who visited Canada in the 1800s and were introduced in England.
The Nobel people of England adopted Labradors as retrievers for hunting, and the name ‘Labrador’ gained popularity in the country.
As the dogs became more and more popular in England, they disappeared in Canada due to tax laws and regulations. The dog breed was introduced in the United States in the 1920s and soon appeared on the list of famous dogs in the county.
Labradors have been recruited as police dogs, worked in the military, as an assistant, and special needs dogs.
They are intelligent, sweet, easy to train, devoted, and always willing to please their owners. They are excited little doggies that need to be trained so that they can control their excitement and impulses.
What Does The Border Collie Lab Mix Look Like?
It is not uncommon knowledge that Border Collies have killer looks.
Apparently, that’s one of the reasons why they’ve won all our hearts, right?
Border Collies get the best of both worlds which makes them beautiful to look at. Their heads are shaped like that of a Labrador, but they have shorter ears than that of a Lab. At the same time, others look like stockier Border Collies.
Just like Labradors, these dogs have webbed feet and a rudder-like tail. These dogs make excellent swimmers and can be used to retrieve waterfowl.
The weight of the Border Collie Lab mix depends entirely on his genetics. The average weight can be anywhere between 34 to 88 lbs. The height of an average Border Collie Lab mix is up to 17 inches, while some are known to be taller than that.
Since the Border Collie Lab mix is a hybrid dog, a lot depends on his genetics. So, you never know which genes are dominant and which aren’t.
Let’s take a look at the Border Collie Lab mix colors! Following are the versions:
- Black
- Yellow
- Pale
- White
- Brown
- Chocolate
These dogs have different colors and markings as well.
Mostly, the Border Collie Lab mixes are black and white and have markings on their face and chest—just like that of the Border Collies.
Border Collie Lab Mix Temperament: Will the Dog Suit My Lifestyle?
Both, Labradors and Border Collies have unique yet positive personality traits.
Border Collies and Labradors are both intelligent dog breeds—so much so that these dogs are known to have similar abilities as two-and-a-half-year-old toddlers, according to various studies conducted by the American Psychological Association.
These dogs are smart, kind, happy, and easygoing, like Labrador Retrievers are. They also have the positive temperamental traits of the Border Collie.
In all, these dogs are attending, friendly, loving, easy to train, and eager to please their owners. They are great with kids and other pets and have a happy-go-lucky attitude.
Border Collie Lab Mixes have an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years and are known to be herding, guiding, sporting, retrieving, guarding, and companion dogs.
Activity Requirements of the Borador
Border Collies and Labradors are both highly active doggies. So, naturally, the Border Collie Lab mix is also an active dog.
So, you will need to take your pet out for walks, to the dog park, on hikes, etc.
Since they have webbed feet and Labradors for parents, the Border Collie Lab mix is an excellent swimmer. So, you can take your furry friend out for a swim in the summer months, and he’ll love it.
It is critical for Boradors to stay active or they might gain excess weight and even develop negative behaviors such as chewing, dogging, etc.
You’ll need to take your furry friend out for a walk at least once a day.
Here’s a video of a Borador enjoying life:
Health Concerns You Need to Know About
Every dog breed is plagued with several health ailments and issues. This is true with purebred dogs as a result of years of inbreeding.
Luckily, this isn’t true for hybrid or mixed dogs like the Borador. These dogs are somewhat healthy and live a long life.
All the known health issues revolve around one thing that dogs love.
Food.
You should keep a check on your Border Collie Lab Mix’s diet and make sure you aren’t overfeeding the little guy. That’s because these dogs tend to gain a lot of weight which can lead to several health conditions.
Other than that, the following are the health conditions that the Boradors are at risk of developing:
You should call your vet if you see any signs or symptoms of those conditions.
It is something that seems minor as it begins until it turns into a major problem. So, it is better to pray for the best but prepare for the worst.
Grooming Requirements of the Border Collie Lab Mix
While the Border Collie Lab mix has high activity and exercise needs, they are low maintenance when it comes to grooming needs.
Shedding and Bathing Needs
These dogs shed moderately and have fine hairs, so regular brushing is all that they need regarding grooming. Brushing the coat twice a week is probably all that you need to do.
Following are the brushes that I recommend:
● FURminator Dog Dual Brush, Large
● Coastal Pet Li'l Pals Dog Slicker Brush with Coated Tips - Dog Grooming Brush for Small Breeds & Puppies - One Size
● JW Pet Company GripSoft Bristle Brush Dog Brush
You may also need to shampoo your Border Collie Lab mix whenever it is necessary. There is no hard and fast rule. Make sure that you use a shampoo that doesn’t irritate your dog’s skin.
Following are some of the products I recommend:
● FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo, 16-Ounce
● PetAg Fresh 'n Clean Scented Dog Shampoo - Classic Fresh Scent - For Manageable & Shiny Dog Hair - 32 fl oz
Teeth, Ears, and Nails
You should brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis, at least twice or thrice a week. However, it is best if you brush them daily. You should also look into dog toys that help clean your dog’s teeth such as:
● Hip Doggie Dental Dog Toy - Plush Squeaker - pet Teeth Cleaning Tool - chew Crochet to Floss - Natural and Healthy Plaque Remover for Good Tooth Care Hygiene - Bone and Ball Toys Set
● Nylabone Power Chew Textured Dog Chew Ring Toy Ring Flavor Medley X-Large/Souper (1 Count)
You need to check and clean your dog’s ears at least once a week. All you need to do is take a damp cloth and wipe your dog’s ears with it.
These dogs are susceptible to ear infections, so; you need to ensure that you dry the dog’s ears every time the dog gets them wet, like after a swim, rain, baths, etc.
You should also clip your dog’s nails as they can split and can hurt your dog. You can either visit a professional groomer if you are inexperienced or try to grind your dog’s nails as that is easy to do.
Training a Border Collie-Lab Mix
Boradors are intelligent little beings who love to please their owners. They love having your approval, and these qualities make the Border Collie Lab mix easy to train.
However, you need to know how to train a dog to be successful.
Here’s a guide that’ll help you train your Border Collie Lab mix.
These dogs need a trainer who is strong-minded. You need to be harsh on them but, yet gentle. You can train them to understand hand signals as well.
Their parents have been employed as helper dogs, police and military dogs, emotional support dogs, special aid, etc., so you know that they’re good at training.
Final Words: Is the Border Collie Lab Mix the Right Dog for Me?
The Border Collie Lab Mix is a loving, loyal, intelligent, and playful dog.
These dogs are amazing with other pets and kids and are perfect family dogs. They love to be around people and please anyone and everyone. They should be socialized at an early age to open up to people.
Being a mixed breed, Boradors are healthy little dogs.
They have high activity needs but low maintenance needs. So, they are a good choice if you live an active lifestyle.
