With an abundance of intelligence and power, the border collie and the Australian cattle canine are two phenomenal herding canines. In the fitting fingers, they will additionally make great household pets. Nevertheless, each breeds additionally want loads of workouts and psychological stimulation to maintain them heading in the right direction.
In case you are making an attempt to resolve between a collie or an Aussie, then you will need to know extra about every breed. Each breeds fall into the American Kennel Membership’s herding group, and whereas there are a lot of similarities between these two working canines, there are additionally some distinct variations. We make the Australian cattle canine vs. border collie comparability so you’ll be able to resolve which is finest for you, your loved ones, and your life-style.
A Brief Historical past of the Two Breeds
Border Collie
The border collie breed dates again to the tip of the nineteenth century within the UK, with the identify showing round 1915. Earlier than this, a smaller sheepdog model of the collie was identified to have been in Britain relationship again to the Roman Empire and was bred for herding sheep.
The identify ‘border collie’ represents the breed’s significance within the borders between Scotland and England and the important thing position this sheepdog performed in managing massive flocks throughout extensive areas throughout the border.
Bred to be a flexible and strong working farm canine, the border collie is hardy and agile, with excessive power ranges and sharp, targeted intelligence, which suggests the breed wishes to work and study. This implies in addition they make glorious companion canines.
Australian Cattle Canine
Also referred to as the blue heeler, the Australian cattle canine was initially bred as resilient farm canines that would herd over massive distances and stand up to the tough Australian local weather. The unique Aussie was the results of interbreeding dalmatians, dingoes, and sheepdogs from England in the course of the nineteenth century and was used to herd cattle.
The breed turned wanted resulting from its stamina, intelligence, and work ethic and was named heeler because of the way in which it could nip the heels of livestock to maintain them in line. The Australian cattle canine was acknowledged as a breed by the American Kennel Membership in 1980.
A Fast Comparability of the Two Breeds
                   Border collie                   Australian cattle canine
- Measurement              18-22 inches                   17-20 inches
- Weight           25-45lbs                      30-50lbs
- Life expectancy    12-15 years                    13-16 years
- Temperament     Clever, loyal, curious          Clever, impartial, protecting
- Trainability        Very                          Very
- Vitality stage      Very excessive                       Excessive
- Coat sort        Thick double coat, both           Brief double coat easy or tough
- Coat colours       Brown, pink, black, white, blue       Blue, gray, pink, mottled, speckled bi and tri-colored
Border Collie vs. Australian Cattle Canine
Their work ethic, excessive intelligence, and off-the-scale power can simply confuse the 2 breeds. However whereas there are a lot of similarities between the border collie and the Aussie, there are additionally distinct variations that may make a distinction in case you are selecting between the 2. We examine the 2 breeds concerning the important thing options and traits.
Look
Each these working canine breeds are roughly the identical medium dimension, though the border collie tends to weigh lower than the Australian cattle canine. Australian cattle canines have a stockier construct, a broad head, and are typically extra compact, whereas the border collie is lither and extra athletic.
Coat and shade
There are additionally some key variations of their coat. The border collie breed has longer and thicker fur to guard towards chilly climate and may be both easy, tough, or often curled. The fur of the border collie is fluffy with a shorter undercoat. The standard border collie can have black and white markings, though there are different shade variations. These embody brown and white, lilac, and the gorgeous blue or pink merle. Eye colours are brown, though blue eyes can be a breed characteristic. And a few border collies are heterochromatic, which suggests they’ve eyes of various colours.
The coat of the Aussie is rougher and has brief hair in two acceptable colours – blue or pink. This has led to the breed’s various blue heeler and pink heeler names. Requiring minimal grooming, the blue coat shade is blacker, the pink is browner, and the mottled look creates the blue speckled or pink shade. Australian cattle canine puppies are born white and develop their blue or pink coat as they develop. One other attribute of the heeler which units them aside from the border collie is the black coloration on their face which supplies the looks of a masks.
Temperament
As they’re herding canines, the one particular attribute the border collie and Australian cattle canine share is their excessive power ranges! These on-the-go canines are born and bred to work and thrive on exercise – operating within the hills, enjoying with the youngsters, or engaged on a farm. And this endless power means they want an energetic life-style with above-average train and stimulation to forestall them from becoming bored. And as they’re each super-smart, an understimulated collie or Aussie can result in undesirable, harmful conduct.
Shifting on to different temperament traits, you see some variations between the breeds. Whereas the Australian cattle canine may be impartial, the border collies are typically the extra affectionate and pleasant of the 2. And the draw back of that is that the collie is extra vulnerable to separation nervousness than the extra self-sufficient heeler. Nevertheless, the border collie may be extra adaptable to vary, much less aloof than Australian cattle canines, and friendlier round strangers.
Alternatively, the Australian cattle canine is understood to be fiercely loyal and so may be protecting of their people, particularly within the firm of strangers. Early socialization of your heeler pup could make an actual distinction to their confidence in several social conditions.
Trainability
As herding canine breeds, the border collie and the Australian cattle canine are extraordinarily clever and quick learners. And, as they’ve been bred to hold out instructions, their intuition thrives on being occupied and with a stimulating job to do. This all makes each border collies and blue heelers extremely trainable. And constructive reinforcement coaching is the strategy that works finest. Nevertheless, because of the variations of their personalities, how every breed responds in a coaching session can be barely completely different.
Since their capacity to focus can border on obsession, the border collie requires a constant coaching routine that permits them to channel their power and intelligence positively and productively. Agility coaching is a wonderful ongoing exercise for border collies.
In the meantime, the extra impartial character of Australian cattle canines signifies that a daily coaching routine with loads of vigorous exercise is extra usually wanted to maintain this breed engaged within the job. Australian cattle canine puppies can be a handful, though they relax as they age.
Each canine breeds additionally require socialization from an early age and correct coaching in order that their herding instincts, comparable to nipping, may be managed efficiently, particularly round kids and smaller animals.
Train
Each canine breeds have excessive power ranges and require common train and psychological stimulation to maintain them joyful and wholesome. A every day train, coaching, and play routine may even forestall extra power from creating boredom or harmful behaviors. The border collie and the Australian cattle canine should not suited to residence residing as they want entry to loads of outdoors house. It’s within the out of doors atmosphere that each breeds come into their very own. This implies they will make glorious pets for the energetic proprietor or household. Though each breeds do have wanderlust potential.
The grownup Australian cattle canine would require barely extra train out of the 2 breeds, with round two hours a day the perfect. Border collies work effectively with a minimum of 90 minutes of train per day. Mixing this time up with walks, cardio actions, play, coaching, and agility can profit each breeds and provides them the number of psychological stimulation they want.
Well being
Each border collies and Australian cattle canines are typically thought of wholesome breeds, and their working heritage makes them extra resilient than many different breeds. However as with all pure breed, they are often vulnerable to sure well being points. Listed here are the primary well being points to pay attention to for every breed.
Border Collie – Potential Well being Issues
The common lifespan for a border collie is between 12 and 15 years. The principle well being issues the breed may be inclined to incorporate:
- Collie eye anomaly: Also referred to as CEA, this situation is seen in younger collies as much as the age of two. Collie eye anomaly is an inherited dysfunction that impacts the attention tissue known as the choroid, which provides oxygen to the retina. Because the choroid thins, it could possibly result in blindness. There’s at present no remedy for CEA, however surgical procedure is an possibility for extreme circumstances.
- Epilepsy: One other inherited dysfunction, epilepsy, is kind of widespread in border collies and sometimes current within the first six months of a pet’s life. The seizures brought on by the situation may be handled with remedy.
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA): PRA is a degenerative situation that steadily impacts a canine’s imaginative and prescient and ultimately results in blindness. PRA often begins across the age of three, however there’s a screening check that may be executed at an earlier age.
- Hip dysplasia/elbow dysplasia: A standard orthopedic illness in canines, hip and elbow dysplasia, may be seen within the border collie breed. With dysplasia, the joints don’t develop correctly and put on down over time, inflicting ache and stiffness and infrequently progressing to arthritis.
- Deafness: Border collies with a merle coat sample and blue eyes may be vulnerable to deafness linked to the merle pigmentation gene.
Australian Cattle Canine – Potential Well being Issues
The Aussie has a barely longer life expectancy than the collie, residing on common between 13 and 16 years. The principle genetic circumstances that may have an effect on the breed embody:
- Orthopedic issues: Australian cattle canines may be vulnerable to circumstances affecting their joints, together with hip and elbow dysplasia and patellar luxation, the place their kneecap slips misplaced. Surgical procedure could also be wanted in additional extreme circumstances of patellar luxation to forestall the dislocation from recurring.
- Eye well being: A number of eye circumstances can have an effect on heelers. Like border collies, Aussies can be vulnerable to progressive retinal atrophy. Cataracts – which trigger the attention lens to ‘cloud up’ – are one other widespread reason behind blindness within the breed, particularly in older canines. Relying on the extent of sight loss brought on by the situation, surgical procedure can be utilized to take away cataracts utterly. Australian cattle canines can be vulnerable to glaucoma, which may be extraordinarily painful and result in blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma can even turn out to be a medical emergency, so vets suggest annual screening for the situation.
- Deafness: Deafness may be an inherited situation within the breed, which is why it’s important the breeders have screened your new pup. Congenital deafness can’t be cured, however with assist and coaching, deaf Australian cattle canines can nonetheless stay full and rewarding life.
Border Collie vs. Australian Cattle Canine – Which One is Best for you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJp8GWt4PoI
Excessive power, distinctive work ethic, good mind, straightforward upkeep, and constant – there are a lot of similarities between border collies and Australian cattle canines which might make selecting a little bit troublesome. However earlier than you resolve, it’s additionally vital to take all these similarities, in addition to variations, under consideration.
Concerning Australian cattle canine vs. border collie, each will thrive in a family with outdoors house, loves the out of doors life, and has the time and power to coach, train, play with, and usually sustain with these full-on, life-loving breeds. Nevertheless, the collie is usually a little extra upkeep resulting from its want to please and doubtlessly obsessive conduct. And Australian cattle canines even have their ‘points’, being independent-minded with an inclination to be protecting.
With all this in thoughts, it’s purely a private selection should you assume you will have what it takes to welcome a working breed into your house. And offered you’ll be able to match their power ranges and excessive train wants, the Australian cattle canine and the border collie could make loving, entertaining, and constant pets.
Sources:
- Border collie – American Kennel Membership
- Australian cattle canine – American Kennel Membership
