A product from the union between the ancient herding dogs of the Roman Empire and the Vikings, the Border Collie is, without a doubt, the greatest herding dog the world has ever seen.
Hailing from the borders of England and Scotland, hence the name “Border Collie,” this dog breed first arrived in the United States sometime during the 20th Century and was used mostly for work and as a pet.
With a lithe medium-sized build, the Border Collie is known for its mesmerizing eyes which it uses to stare down at sheep or cattle. This beautiful dog grows only up to a height of 18 to 22 inches and weighing 50 pounds at most.
Being featured in the 1998 film “Babe: Pig in the City” as the most intelligent animal on the farm, this may not be a far cry from the truth as Border Collies are among the smartest dog breeds in the world.
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The Costs of Owning a Border Collie
This article will explore the overall costs of buying and maintaining a Border Collie which would be divided into two sections: one-time and recurring costs.
One-time costs would include the actual price of the dog, the cost of shelter, registration, and transport. Feeding, grooming, and medical expenses would be featured as part of the recurring costs along with insurance and accessory items.
One-Time Expenses
Besides their natural ingenuity, the best thing about Border Collies is that it wouldn’t cost much for you to buy them and they are also fairly inexpensive to maintain unlike other dog breeds like Samoyeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Tibetan Mastiffs.
- Actual Border Collie Price
The price of Border Collies would have to depend on the purpose for which they will be bought.
If you are planning to buy these magnificent dogs as pet companions, then you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get them. Border Collie puppies are typically priced at around $1,000 to $2,500. Bear in mind that these puppies are meant only as pets and not worker dogs.
Their prices may be affected by what is included when you purchase them such as a health guarantee, veterinary examinations, a limited AKC registration, and maybe even a few toys.
However, if you plan to buy a Border Collie to serve as worker dog on a farm, particularly herding cattle or sheep, then you would have to buy one that is already trained.
This would mean that the dog you choose is already mature and has had a few years of training. Trained Border Collies can cost as much as $7,500 due to the length of time the breeders had devoted to training them.
- Shipping & Transport Costs
Normally, the breeders themselves will make all the necessary arrangements for a Border Collie’s shipping and transport.
This means that they will personally take care of the airline bookings and all the necessary paperwork for you to receive your Border Collie. All you would have to do is pick-up your new dog at the designated airport.
This may cost you around $325 in shipping fees or more depending on your location and the distance the dog will travel.
- Certification
When you purchase a Border Collie, it is highly likely that it already has a limited registration to the American Kennel Club. This is because most breeders would have their puppies registered prior to selling them.
If you want to change your dog’s status to full-time, the breeder would have to apply to revoke the Border Collie’s limited status. This will come with a $25 fee.
Furthermore, you yourself can become a member of recognized organizations such as the Border Collie Society of America (BCSA) and the American Border Collie Association (ABCA). By doing so, you gain access to their wide network and services.
Individual membership for the BCSA has a fee of $50 while the ABCA offers two membership options for interested Border Collie owners: annual ($15) and lifetime ($150).
- Shelter Costs
Border Collies are outdoor animals but if you plan on keeping them as pets, they would need to stay indoors in order for them to find the stimulation that they need through contact with other animals; humans in most cases.
While there may not be a need for dog houses, you may still need to buy a dog kennel for your Border Collie. A kennel may serve as your dog’s own personal carrier during travels and a place of timeout in the case it misbehaves.
Dog kennels typically cost around $19 to $322; a small price to pay for you and your pet’s personal benefit.
- Obedience Training
If the Border Collie you bought is meant for farm work and cattle herding, it has most likely been fully trained by the breeder, hence the expensiveness.
But if you buy a puppy, then, you would definitely need to enroll it in obedience classes to help with its housebreaking.
There are two ways to go with your dog’s obedience training. You can either enroll it in group classes for $119 to $165 but a more effective and pricier approach would have to be private training done at either your own house or at the trainer’s place. This may cost as much as $800.
Furthermore, due to the intelligence of this breed, you may also want to enroll them in agility or search-and-rescue classes to continue stimulating its brain as well as providing a greater use for it.
Agility training can cost as low as $20 per session to $625 for a six-week course. Search-and-rescue training can get very costly with prices ranging from $100 to $400 per session. You can also enroll your dog in tracking and scent detection training; another expensive course reaching up to $1,500.
Remember that agility, search-and-rescue, and tracking are just options but obedience training is a must.
Recurring Expenses
While having a Border Collie may not put a hole in your pockets like all other dogs, you would still need to provide it with a few recurring necessities such as food and grooming in order to care for it.
- Feeding Expenses
Border Collies don’t have any necessary dietary needs apart from what is normal. It is up to you if you want to exclusively feed your pet dog food or have it supplemented with a wide variety of meals from time-to-time.
What you should remember, however, is that your Border Collie needs to be fed about 2 cups per day depending on its size, metabolism, and the level of physical activity it does.
Dog food doesn’t cost that much if you plan on feeding your pet average-grade ones. Prices for dog food may range from $2 to $46.99, depending on the brand, but high-grade ones can cost as much as $71, with quantities ranging from 12.5-oz can to 30-lb. pack.
- Grooming Expenses
Border Collies typically come covered in black fur with white blazes in the face, neck, legs, feet, and tail. They also possess both a rough and smooth fur but don’t necessarily need to be groomed all the time for them to look neat.
However, they can also come in combinations of other solid colors.
Having your Border Collie groomed doesn’t cost that much being only $50 to $65 from time-to-time. Grooming your Border Collie can cost even less when you decide to groom it yourself. These means that you would need to invest in a few basic grooming items.
A good brush may cost around $9.99 to $37.99 which you can use to brush your dog’s fur at least once a day.
You should also bathe your dog once every month and to do this you would need a quality shampoo which may cost around $5.39 to $26.99. Daily brushing of the dog’s teeth would also be ideal in order to prevent tartar build-up. With this being said, a toothbrush and toothpaste may cost you some $4.99 to $12.99.
- Medical Expenses
Border Collies are mostly healthy dogs and they don’t generally have specific genetic health problems apart from those common with regular dogs like hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and allergies. These health issues can be avoided through effective breeding along with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for dogs.
It is important for your Border Collie to stay in maximum health and to do this, you would need to take it on regular vet check-ups.
A physical exam can cost around $35 to $55 and it is necessary for every veterinary visit. Frequent de-worming is also important to protect your dog from all kinds of parasites that it may catch. This can cost around $12 to $60.
Furthermore, you can also boost your pet’s immunity by having it vaccinated which may cost you about $25 to $35 for every shot.
- Accessories
Border Collies don’t need a lot of accessories apart from what is necessary such as dog collars, leashes and maybe even a few brain-stimulating toys.
Dog collars don’t cost that much as you can get one for as low as $4.45. If you’re going to look for quality and functionality, there are collars priced around $100 and more which have a built-in tracking system for dogs.
Just like collars, toys don’t have to cost that much with most being priced only at $1.47 to $15.99.
As for dog leashes, you can get one for around $9.49 to $32.99.
Where to Buy Border Collies
If you are looking to buy a Border Collie of your own, it is highly recommended that you buy one from a reputable breeder in order to make sure that the dog you get is of great quality and is not predisposed to various types of genetic disorders.
Unfortunately, reputable breeders are hard to come by and the best place for you to start looking would have to be at recognized dog organizations like the American Kennel Club or Border Collie Exclusive associations such as the Border Collie Society of America and the American Border Collie Association.
Joining any of these groups can give you access to their wide network along with their resources which can definitely help you find a breeder you can trust.
