Border Collie
The sharpest of dogs — but a bored Border Collie destroys things. Needs real daily work.
About the Border Collie
The Border Collie is a breed of British herding dog of the collie type of medium size. It originates in the region of the Anglo-Scottish border, and descends from the traditional sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles. It is kept predominantly as a sheep-herding dog or as a companion animal. It competes with success in sheepdog trials. Some have claimed that it is the most intelligent breed of dog.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Weight
- 14–20 kg
- Height
- 46–56 cm
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $104 (≈ $1248 per year)
- Purchase price
- $1,900–$3,300 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Border Collie averages about $104 a month, or roughly $1,248 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 17 kg) | $241.48 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $347.55 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $101.85 |
| Grooming (4/5 coat requirement) | $450.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $104 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $207 a month — about $2,479 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $1,248 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $2,479 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
- Border Collie vs Labrador Retriever
- Border Collie vs Bichon Frise
- Border Collie vs Maltese
- Border Collie vs Yorkshire Terrier
- Border Collie vs Siberian Husky
- Border Collie vs Rottweiler
- Border Collie vs Shetland Sheepdog
- Border Collie vs Miniature Schnauzer
- Border Collie vs Great Dane
- Border Collie vs Golden Retriever
- Border Collie vs Poodle
- Border Collie vs German Shepherd
Breeds closest to this one
Ranked by measured similarity across shedding, grooming, energy, trainability, apartment fit, child friendliness, vocalisation and adult weight.
- German Shepherd — about $12/month more
- Siberian Husky — about $4/month more
- Golden Retriever — about $12/month more
- Shetland Sheepdog — about $5/month more
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi — about $17/month less
- Samoyed — about $18/month more
- Labrador Retriever — about $1/month less
- Poodle — about $12/month more