- White should never predominate
Permissible
- Variety of colours
Medium-sized, highly intelligent, and athletic herding dog with keen expression and intense work drive, renowned for its instinctual ability to control livestock with its signature stare
Developed by shepherds on the border of England and Scotland for herding sheep in hilly terrain, refined through selective breeding for working ability. The breed's lineage can be traced back to a single dog named Old Hemp, born in 1893.
“Tenacious, hard-working, of great tractability. Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive”
Quoted from FCI standard n°297. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard; OFA — Collie Eye Anomaly. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Border Collie standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Two varieties: Moderately long or Smooth.
In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance.
In the moderately long-coated variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush.
On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth
Permissible
Shortened from FCI standard n°297 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Quoted from FCI standard n°297. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Border Collie in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Border Collie breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
15 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
1 litter published by Border Collie breeders here. Each card carries the breeder’s own record beside the ask — that pairing is the reason this platform hosts offers at all.
Malformation of the hip joint causing pain, lameness and early arthritis. In Swedish screening of 2,831 young adult Border Collies (2007 to 2016), about one in seven had hip dysplasia graded mild or worse (FCI C to E), though only about one in forty was moderate or severe.
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (FCI, BVA/KC or OFA) on both parents
A fault in how the growth cartilage at the back of the head of the upper arm bone turns into bone while the puppy grows; the weakened area can crack into a loose flap (osteochondritis dissecans) and can cause foreleg lameness, and affected joints develop arthritis more often. Its causes are thought to include heredity, fast growth and over-feeding; no heritability estimate exists for this breed. In Swiss breeding screening of 511 Border Collies (2003 to 2013), 39 (about one in thirteen) had it on shoulder X-rays, a loose mineralised flap being seen in only 3 of the 45 affected joints; the authors expect the true figure to be higher, because X-rays of lame dogs are rarely sent in for scoring.
What to ask for
Shoulder X-rays of both parents, officially scored for osteochondrosis (compulsory for breeding Border Collies in Switzerland)
An inherited inability to absorb vitamin B12 from the gut: affected puppies fail to thrive, but lifelong B12 supplements keep them well. The Border Collie has its own CUBN variant. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in fourteen carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Intestinal cobalamin malabsorption (CUBN, Border Collie type) DNA test result, on both parents
Malformation of the hip joint causing pain, lameness and early arthritis. In Swedish screening of 2,831 young adult Border Collies (2007 to 2016), about one in seven had hip dysplasia graded mild or worse (FCI C to E), though only about one in forty was moderate or severe.
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (FCI, BVA/KC or OFA) on both parents
An inherited inability to absorb vitamin B12 from the gut: affected puppies fail to thrive, but lifelong B12 supplements keep them well. The Border Collie has its own CUBN variant. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in fourteen carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Intestinal cobalamin malabsorption (CUBN, Border Collie type) DNA test result, on both parents
A fault in how the growth cartilage at the back of the head of the upper arm bone turns into bone while the puppy grows; the weakened area can crack into a loose flap (osteochondritis dissecans) and can cause foreleg lameness, and affected joints develop arthritis more often. Its causes are thought to include heredity, fast growth and over-feeding; no heritability estimate exists for this breed. In Swiss breeding screening of 511 Border Collies (2003 to 2013), 39 (about one in thirteen) had it on shoulder X-rays, a loose mineralised flap being seen in only 3 of the 45 affected joints; the authors expect the true figure to be higher, because X-rays of lame dogs are rarely sent in for scoring.
What to ask for
Shoulder X-rays of both parents, officially scored for osteochondrosis (compulsory for breeding Border Collies in Switzerland)
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
A fatal, inherited storage disease in which waste products build up in nerve cells. Affected dogs develop behavioural change, loss of coordination and seizures from around 15–20 months old and rarely survive past 32 months. There is no treatment.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the CLN5 nonsense mutation, on both parents.
An inherited tendency to form calcium oxalate stones in the bladder or kidneys, caused by a variant in uromodulin, a protein in urine that normally stops crystals forming; stones are usually found at around three years old and often come back. It is recessive — dogs with two copies are at risk, carriers usually are not. The university laboratory that identified it reports it in this breed but has not published how common it is.
What to ask for
Hereditary calcium oxalate urolithiasis type 1 (CaOx1) DNA test result, on both parents
A congenital defect in how the back of the eye develops, present from birth, ranging from a small blind spot with no effect on vision to retinal detachment and blindness in the more severe form. Mild cases are easy to overlook without an early exam.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the NHEJ1 gene deletion, on both parents — or, if DNA status is unknown, an eye examination by a veterinary ophthalmologist at 6–8 weeks old, before secondary changes can mask a mild case. For the parents, a current ECVO eye certificate, renewed every year.
An inherited malformation of the eye's drainage angle that first emerged in Border Collies in Australia in the late 1990s and has since been found in Europe and the USA; in its severe form it leads to glaucoma, which is painful and can blind. It is recessive.
What to ask for
Goniodysgenesis (OLFML3) DNA test result, on both parents, plus a gonioscopy eye exam on an ECVO eye certificate, repeated every three years
An inherited immune deficiency in which infection-fighting white blood cells cannot leave the bone marrow properly, leaving affected puppies with recurrent infections and poor growth. It is typically fatal, or requires euthanasia, in puppyhood.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the VPS13B mutation, on both parents.
A hearing loss that starts in young adults, usually at three to five years old, much earlier than age-related deafness. It appears to be inherited, but its genetics are complex: a study found regions of the genome associated with it, not a single causal variant.
What to ask for
No DNA test identifies its cause. Ask whether the parents or their close relatives lost their hearing as young adults; a BAER hearing test confirms it.
A mutation in the ABCB1 (MDR1) gene disables a protein that normally pumps certain drugs out of the brain, so an affected dog can react to standard doses of drugs such as ivermectin, loperamide or acepromazine with tremors, disorientation or collapse. The Border Collie carries the same mutation as the classic working Collie, but at a much lower frequency in the breed.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the ABCB1 4-base-pair deletion — UC Davis's Veterinary Genetics Laboratory explicitly lists Border Collie as a breed appropriate for this test. The result matters most as information to give a vet before anaesthesia, sedation or antiparasitic treatment, not as a breeding disqualifier on its own.
A fatal, inherited storage disease in which waste products build up in nerve cells. Affected dogs develop behavioural change, loss of coordination and seizures from around 15–20 months old and rarely survive past 32 months. There is no treatment.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the CLN5 nonsense mutation, on both parents.
Found in roughly one in a hundred to one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened.
Developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint causing pain, lameness and a predisposition to arthritis. It is uncommon in this breed: in Swedish screening of 1,099 young adult Border Collies (2007 to 2016), 25 (about one in forty-four) had elbow dysplasia of any grade, all but two of them mild, and in UK primary-care records Border Collies were no more likely than crossbreeds to be diagnosed with elbow disease.
What to ask for
Elbow score from a recognised scheme (FCI/IEWG, BVA/KC or OFA) on both parents
A severe inherited degeneration of the nerves that carry sensation, described in this breed: signs start between two and seven months old, and affected dogs lose feeling in their feet and legs, so they can injure themselves without noticing. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in seventy carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Sensory neuropathy (FAM134B inversion) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited weakness of the tooth enamel and dentine described in this breed: the teeth wear down severely, so the pulp becomes exposed and painful and teeth have to be extracted. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in forty-eight carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Dental hypomineralisation (FAM20C) DNA test result, on both parents
Developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint causing pain, lameness and a predisposition to arthritis. It is uncommon in this breed: in Swedish screening of 1,099 young adult Border Collies (2007 to 2016), 25 (about one in forty-four) had elbow dysplasia of any grade, all but two of them mild, and in UK primary-care records Border Collies were no more likely than crossbreeds to be diagnosed with elbow disease.
What to ask for
Elbow score from a recognised scheme (FCI/IEWG, BVA/KC or OFA) on both parents
Described in this breed, but found in few or no dogs in recent screening, or only ever in one dog or one family. They are here so a test result makes sense if a breeder mentions one.
An inherited muscle disorder first described in an Australian Cattle Dog: the muscles relax slowly after contracting, so the dog is stiff, especially after rest, with bulky muscles, and the stiffness often eases with exercise. It is recessive. The same variant has been found in this breed — roughly one Border Collie in two hundred and thirty carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Myotonia congenita (CLCN1, Australian Cattle Dog type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited high level of uric acid in the urine (SLC2A9 gene) that makes urate bladder and kidney stones likely; a stone blocking a male dog's urethra is an emergency. It is recessive. It has been found in this breed but is very rare — a handful of carriers among more than 6,700 Border Collies screened. Once known, it can be managed with diet and monitoring.
What to ask for
Hyperuricosuria (SLC2A9) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited muscle disorder first described in an Australian Cattle Dog: the muscles relax slowly after contracting, so the dog is stiff, especially after rest, with bulky muscles, and the stiffness often eases with exercise. It is recessive. The same variant has been found in this breed — roughly one Border Collie in two hundred and thirty carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Myotonia congenita (CLCN1, Australian Cattle Dog type) DNA test result, on both parents
Median survival 13.1 years
95% confidence interval 13.0–13.2 years, from 7,969 recorded deaths among 12,943 dogs
Mortality hazard 0.85 (0.83, 0.87) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
A congenital defect in how the back of the eye develops, present from birth, ranging from a small blind spot with no effect on vision to retinal detachment and blindness in the more severe form. Mild cases are easy to overlook without an early exam.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the NHEJ1 gene deletion, on both parents — or, if DNA status is unknown, an eye examination by a veterinary ophthalmologist at 6–8 weeks old, before secondary changes can mask a mild case. For the parents, a current ECVO eye certificate, renewed every year.
An inherited immune deficiency in which infection-fighting white blood cells cannot leave the bone marrow properly, leaving affected puppies with recurrent infections and poor growth. It is typically fatal, or requires euthanasia, in puppyhood.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the VPS13B mutation, on both parents.
A mutation in the ABCB1 (MDR1) gene disables a protein that normally pumps certain drugs out of the brain, so an affected dog can react to standard doses of drugs such as ivermectin, loperamide or acepromazine with tremors, disorientation or collapse. The Border Collie carries the same mutation as the classic working Collie, but at a much lower frequency in the breed.
What to ask for
A DNA test for the ABCB1 4-base-pair deletion — UC Davis's Veterinary Genetics Laboratory explicitly lists Border Collie as a breed appropriate for this test. The result matters most as information to give a vet before anaesthesia, sedation or antiparasitic treatment, not as a breeding disqualifier on its own.
An inherited tendency to form calcium oxalate stones in the bladder or kidneys, caused by a variant in uromodulin, a protein in urine that normally stops crystals forming; stones are usually found at around three years old and often come back. It is recessive — dogs with two copies are at risk, carriers usually are not. The university laboratory that identified it reports it in this breed but has not published how common it is.
What to ask for
Hereditary calcium oxalate urolithiasis type 1 (CaOx1) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited malformation of the eye's drainage angle that first emerged in Border Collies in Australia in the late 1990s and has since been found in Europe and the USA; in its severe form it leads to glaucoma, which is painful and can blind. It is recessive.
What to ask for
Goniodysgenesis (OLFML3) DNA test result, on both parents, plus a gonioscopy eye exam on an ECVO eye certificate, repeated every three years
A hearing loss that starts in young adults, usually at three to five years old, much earlier than age-related deafness. It appears to be inherited, but its genetics are complex: a study found regions of the genome associated with it, not a single causal variant.
What to ask for
No DNA test identifies its cause. Ask whether the parents or their close relatives lost their hearing as young adults; a BAER hearing test confirms it.
A severe inherited degeneration of the nerves that carry sensation, described in this breed: signs start between two and seven months old, and affected dogs lose feeling in their feet and legs, so they can injure themselves without noticing. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in seventy carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Sensory neuropathy (FAM134B inversion) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited weakness of the tooth enamel and dentine described in this breed: the teeth wear down severely, so the pulp becomes exposed and painful and teeth have to be extracted. It is recessive, and roughly one Border Collie in forty-eight carried it in a screen of more than 6,700.
What to ask for
Dental hypomineralisation (FAM20C) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited high level of uric acid in the urine (SLC2A9 gene) that makes urate bladder and kidney stones likely; a stone blocking a male dog's urethra is an emergency. It is recessive. It has been found in this breed but is very rare — a handful of carriers among more than 6,700 Border Collies screened. Once known, it can be managed with diet and monitoring.
What to ask for
Hyperuricosuria (SLC2A9) DNA test result, on both parents