Border aussie: the border collie australian shepherd mix

The Border Aussie dog (also often referred to as the Aussieollie dog and the Australian Collie dog) is not a purebred dog, it’s rather a designer breed dog that comes to life as a result of one Border Collie parent being cross bred with one Australian Shepherd parent.

Before we get into the details about what the Border Aussie looks like in terms of physical appearance and what its personality is like, let’s have a look at the organizations and clubs that officially recognize this breed as a designer dog breed.

Recognition

Even though this dog is not officially recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) as a purebred dog, the Border Aussie is officially recognized as a cross breed dog by the American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), the Designer Dogs Kennel Club (DDKC), the Dog Registry of America (DRA) and the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).

Physical Appearance

Upon first taking a look at this cross breed, you’ll notice that it looks somewhat more like its Border Collie parent than its Australian Shepherd parent.

Although there is a fair bit of resemblance for both parents, the percentage is a bit skewed towards its Border Collie parent in terms of appearance, especially facial features.

Size, Height & Weight

This dog is considered to be a medium to large sized dog that weighs anywhere from 30 to 80 pounds.

Coat Color

The following is a list of some of the most common colors that this dog is known to be available in.

– White

– White and gold/tan

– White and brown

– Brown

– Beige

– Red

– Black and white

– Black and tan

– Black

Eye Color

Because of a condition called Heterochromia that this cross breed is at a much higher risk of having than other breeds out there, its eyes may be different in color.

Some people see this as an abnormality, but I (and I know there are tons and tons of dog owners out there who think the same way) see it as just another characteristic that makes this cross breed all the more beautiful and unique.

Temperament

One of the nice things about this cross breed is that its two parents, the Border Collie and the Australian Shepherd dogs, aren’t that different in terms of personality, character and temperament, so the personality, character and temperament of their crossbred offspring won’t be much different from either of the two.

Energy Levels

As far as energy levels are concerned, if you’re planning to get yourself a dog of this cross breed home, then you better be prepared to deal with sky high energy levels that they never seem to run out of.

Much of this is due to the fact that both this dog’s parents (the Australian Shepherd and the Border Collie dogs) are working/herding dogs that thrive most when they’re on the move accomplishing things and excelling at tasks they’re assigned, a characteristic that this offspring inherits.

Such high energy levels mean that you have to supply this dog with a good amount of exercise on a daily basis for them to stay physically healthy and happy.

It would be best if you’re a physically active individual yourself that likes to exercise on a daily basis and lead a healthy lifestyle, or else the compatibility on this specific point will be very off, which will lead to either you feeling that you have to do a chore you don’t want to do each and every single day, or your dog feeling frustrated and depressed because they’re not being exercised nearly as much as they want and need to be to stay satisfied.

Besides giving this dog the necessary physical activity it needs to stay fit and happy, it would also be very useful if you supply them with all the toys and other equipment/accessories that come to mind which they can keep themselves busy with on their own.

Since we’re talking about toys, make sure you give them interactive dog toys to play with, as this dog is an offspring of one of the smartest dog breeds out there and they’re going to need all the proper mental stimulation they can get.

In addition to all the interactive toys they can get for mental stimulation and physical exercise they can get outside the house, it would also be very good if you were to have a spacious yard at home where they can play around in and keep themselves busy in as well.

Barking

For those of you worried about excessive barking dogs and want to avoid having one at home, then worry not as this cross breed is a fairly quiet dog that doesn’t bark much (at least when there’s no real reason to bark for).

Guard Dog Ability

Because of its fairly calm nature, sweet personality and tendency not to bark much, this dog doesn’t make much of a good guard dog if that’s what you’re looking for.

If, however, you’re looking for a calm dog that your next door neighbors will absolutely love your for because they don’t make much noise, then this is the perfect cross breed for you.

Confidence

As soon as you interact with a Border Aussie dog for the first time, you’ll immediately notice how much they ooze confidence.

This cross breed has one of the strongest personalities you’ll ever see in a dog, so you should be prepared for that if you’re planning on adding one to your household.

This is why for first time dog owners who don’t have much experience around dogs (handling them and staying in control of them at all times), it’s probably best that you look for a dog that’s easier to control.

Intelligence & Training

With such confidence comes a great deal of intelligence levels, and this is especially true for the Border Aussie.

During training, and even though they’ll sometimes give you a difficult time because of their confident personality that tends to assert itself, you’ll quickly notice how smart they are, how fast they learn and how responsive they are to the right techniques.

You’ll often find that you don’t need to repeat yourself too much during training before your Border Aussie learns what’s required of them.

So, it’s up to you to “learn their buttons” and take advantage of that during training, or else you’re going to come across a very hard dog to train if you don’t do things the right way.

Keep in mind that because of how smart this dog is, the more challenging you can make training and the more you can keep upping the difficulty to keep that challenge alive, the better.

A very smart dog such as this one will get bored pretty quickly if training turns into a boring routine, so keep it challenging and fun if you want the Border Aussie dog to stay responsive.

Discovering

Ever heard of the saying “curiosity killed the cat”? We most certainly hope it isn’t true this time, as the Border Aussie dog is a very curious dog by nature.

So when you’re out of the house taking them on a walk, a jog or just for a little change scenery, make sure you use a piece of equipment like a leash, collar or harness on them to stay in control of their movements at all times.

The second this dog sees something that arouses its curiosity (and boy are those many), it’s off to the races!

So keep in control of their movements at all times when outside the house in order to ensure their safety as well as that of everyone around them.

Living Conditions

Apartment VS House

If you’re looking to have this dog live with you in an apartment where they spend the majority of their time indoors, then this is not the dog for you, as it’s much more suited for houses with spacious yards.

Spending the majority of its time indoors will only make this dog depressed and unhappy because it won’t be getting anywhere near the necessary amount of physical activity it needs to get on a daily basis to stay happy.

Of course, you technically can fulfill this dog’s exercise needs and keep them happy even if you have them live in an apartment, but the point is that it’s going to be much more complicated than it needs to be and will require much more dedication from your side in either time spent outdoors alongside your Border Aussie or money invested on hiring someone to take care of that for you.

Having a large and spacious yard at home just makes it incredibly simpler, less time consuming and less demanding – all of which make it a much more enjoyable experience for you as a dog owner.

Kids In The House

First thing’s first, if you have kids living with you in your household or are planning to in the very near future, then there are much better mixed breeds out there for you to consider adding to your household other than this one that’s not exactly too compatible with young children around the house.

However, the possibility of this cross breed getting along pretty well with young children is always possible if it’s properly socialized and taught right behavior from wrong behavior in this department from a very young age.

Health

Unlike other mixed dog breeds that are known to be plagued with health issues left, right and center, the Border Aussie isn’t known to be at a significantly higher risk of suffering from major health complications compared to other mixed breeds out there.

Assuming that you’re able to supply your Border Aussie with everything they need to live and lead a healthy, happy and problem-free life (as much as that’s possible, at least), this mixed breed is believed to have a life expectancy that lasts anywhere between 11 to 16 years.

If we were to compare this life expectancy to that of other dogs that fall within the same size category, we’ll find that this age bracket is just about the average life expectancy for dogs of similar size.

Care

Grooming

This dog is considered to be a bit of a heavy shedder, so you have to be prepared for regular and consistent grooming schedules if you want to stay on top of that situation at all times.

That means you have to set a regular brushing schedule and stick to it on a consistent basis in order to keep its long coat in check, assuming you don’t want their hair falling off everywhere around the house and causing you a huge mess you have to worry about and try to vacuum.

Besides, if you don’t regularly brush this dog’s coat and stick to a consistent schedule, it’s terribly easy for matting to occur, and you definitely don’t want a case of that on your hands.

You need to brush this dog’s coat 4 times a week at the very bare minimum, with 6 times a week (once every day) being the sweet spot for most owners of this cross breed.

Also, and every once in a while, you’ll want to give their coat a nice little trim because if left unattended it could run a little bit too long to the extent that it starts bothering them in their day to day activities.