The Border Collie golden retriever mix is among the most intelligent dogs, perfectly suited for families with kids and other pets.
This crossbreed takes the best of both parents, presenting owners with a lively, hardworking, affectionate, and gentle personality.
Border Collies and golden retrievers have some traits in common, which they are guaranteed to pass on to their puppies.
However, there may be some variation among Border Collie golden retriever mix puppies because the parent breeds also have crucial distinctions in temperament and needs.
As all crossbreeds, the Border Collie golden retriever mix is generally healthier and cheaper than purebred Border Collies and golden retrievers, simultaneously encompassing everything that makes these breeds so sought-after.
Appearance
The Border Collie golden retriever mix is a medium-sized dog ranging from 20 to 24 inches in height and weighing 45 to 75 pounds.
Females are typically smaller than males. The overall build is athletic and relatively lean.
The puppies can look differently depending on which traits they inherit from their parents. Typically, a Border Collie golden retriever cross has a long nose, hanging short ears, and almond-shaped dark eyes.
Both parent breeds have a long, double-layered coat with a dense undercoat, so golden border retrievers also have a double coat.
The Border Collie golden retriever mix coat color varies – some dogs have a solid color, whereas others have markings.
The most common Border Collie golden retriever mix colors are black and white, brown and white, and golden.
Temperament
The Border Collie golden retriever mix temperament is easy to predict because the parent breeds have a lot in common. Both are energetic, playful, loyal, friendly, and affectionate, and so are their crossbreed puppies.
Both breeds are eager to please and highly obedient. However, they have some distinctions. Border Collies are more independent and sometimes outsmart their owners. Goldens are highly attached to people.
Collies have a higher prey drive and powerful herding instinct, so they can chase smaller pets or young kids.
Goldens are more gentle and patient with children and have a lower prey drive. Goldens are friendlier with strangers, while Collies are aloof.
When it comes to prey drive, attitude towards strangers, and independence, the Border Collie golden retriever mix is a toss-up.
Each puppy is unique, so it’s crucial to interact with the litter to choose the best companion for you.
Either way, a Border Collie golden retriever cross makes a perfect family, hunting, or service dog.
Purebred goldens usually aren’t good guard dogs, but Border Collie golden retriever cross picks up from both parents and can make a great protection dog.
Intelligence & Trainability
The Border Collie golden retriever mix is undoubtedly the most intelligent crossbreed dog. Border Collies rank first among 138 breeds in the dog intelligence study by Stanley Coren, and golden retrievers rank fourth.
The Border Collie golden retriever cross excels in trainability, communication, problem-solving, and obedience. These dogs can act independently when necessary and memorize commands from only a few repetitions.
However, training a Border Collie golden retriever mix isn’t always a simple task. Although these dogs have a 95% obedience rate, they require discipline and dedication in training because of their independence.
Due to such a high IQ, a Border Collie golden retriever mix is an ideal service dog that can perform the most challenging tasks. These dogs don’t pose a threat to strangers and can adequately assess the situation before acting.
Health
The Border Collie golden retriever cross is susceptible to some medical conditions associated with medium to large dogs, including hip and elbow dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy.
Some Border Collie golden retriever mix puppies may have epilepsy widespread among golden retrievers or Collie eye anomaly, characterized by partial or complete blindness and sunken eyes.
Deafness and ear infections are quite common among Border Collie golden retriever mix, particularly in dogs with drop ears that love to swim.
Some puppies may inherit neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis or trapped neutrophil syndrome from their Border Collie ancestors.
Fortunately, many of these conditions can be ruled out with genetic testing. When choosing a puppy, request health clearances for the sire and dam from the breeder.
Both parent breeds are prone to cancers, so owners of Border Collie golden retriever cross should be aware of the symptoms to provide their pet with timely veterinary help. With early treatment, cancer often isn’t lethal.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet are vital for a Border Collie golden retriever cross, affecting the lifespan. Obesity increases the risk of medical condition development.
Still, the Border Collie golden retriever is a generally healthy cross that is at a lower risk of the above-mentioned medical conditions than parent breeds.
Grooming
Neither Border Collies nor golden retrievers are hypoallergenic dogs. They shed year-round, with intense shedding periods in spring and autumn when they blow out their undercoat in a matter of few weeks.
For this reason, the Border Collie golden retriever cross requires daily brushing with a slicker brush and de-shedding tool to remove dead hairs stuck in the fur and prevent matting.
Regular brushing also helps spot parasites that hide in the coat.
How often to bathe a Border Collie golden retriever mix depends on the season and a dog’s lifestyle, but the general recommendation is to bathe it at least once a month. Too frequent bathing can make the dog’s skin dry and flaky.
Border Collie golden retriever cross doesn’t need haircuts but will benefit from fur trimming to facilitate easier brushing and keep the coat neat.
Shaving can cause severe damage to Border Collie golden retriever cross coat and intervene in the body’s thermoregulation.
If a dog has drop ears and swims frequently, owners should establish an ear cleaning routine. Water stuck in the ear canal creates a perfect environment for thriving bacteria, and ear cleaning solutions help remove the liquid.
Exercise Needs
Both parent breeds are highly energetic, so the Border Collie golden retriever cross also requires a lot of physical activity. Adult dogs need at least an hour of walking or 40 minutes of vigorous exercise daily.
These dogs are natural-born swimmers because of their golden retriever heritage and will appreciate regular swimming sessions. Hiking, playing fetch, and running are other exercises suitable for a Border Collie golden retriever cross.
Without sufficient exercise, a Border Collie golden retriever mix may become mischievous and engage in destructive behavior.
Puppies need less activity than adults – as a rule of thumb, a puppy should get five minutes of exercise for each month of its life.
So, a five-month-old Border Collie golden retriever cross needs 25 minutes of walking and a six-month-old 30 minutes. Senior dogs may not be able to walk for long because of health problems, so the exercise time varies.
Life Expectancy
The Border Collie golden retriever cross life expectancy is 12-15 years, which is quite long for dogs of this size.
Although golden retrievers have an average life expectancy of 10-12 years, Border Collies are generally healthy and long-living dogs.
Furthermore, crossbreed dogs are at a lower risk of inherited medical conditions and don’t get cancer so often.
Behavior Problems
The primary risk with owning such an intelligent dog as a Border Collie golden retriever mix is that they get bored easily.
Without sufficient mental stimulation and physical exercise, a Border Collie golden retriever cross may engage in destructive behavior.
These dogs may chew on things, dig the floor, run around the room, crash into furniture, and bark excessively – after all, Border Collies are herding dogs notorious for their barking.
Although Border Collie golden retriever cross doesn’t care much about the space, such behavior can be particularly problematic for apartment living.
Many Border Collie golden retriever mixes pull on the leash because they are curious and full of energy.
Since both parent breeds are very human-oriented, the crossbreed is prone to separation anxiety that manifests with destructive behavior and potty accidents. Socialization is crucial to preventing the problem.
Jumping on people is another widespread Border Collie golden retriever mix behavior problem. Some dogs take after Border Collies and may chase and nip smaller pets and children because of their herding instinct.
Fortunately, these dogs are rarely aggressive and stubborn. They don’t cause owners problems as long as they get proper care, training, and socialization.
Rarity
A Border Collie golden retriever cross isn’t particularly widespread, although golden retrievers and Border Collies are some of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S.
Although it’s one of the most popular crossbreed dogs, you might have to invest some time searching for the right puppy because the selection isn’t wide, and there may be no breeders in your area.
Price
The Border Collie golden retriever mix price varies greatly depending on the breeder, location, individual puppy’s traits, and lineage. Puppies start at $300 and can go up to $1,500, a price you could pay for a purebred puppy.
Champion bloodlines always add to the price. Although crossbreed dogs cannot participate in shows, the sire or dam’s obedience or field champion title shows that the puppy is also likely to be obedient or a great hunting dog.