Border Collies are undeniably wonderful dogs, but they’re not for everyone. Think of factors that you have to consider before getting a puppy and the expenses that come with it.
After buying a Border Collie pup, not only will you have to make sure that you can give the lifestyle she deserves, but also be prepared to spend for her needs.
A little background about the Border Collie breed
The Border Collie (BC) is a working dog that’s bred to herd sheep and other livestock like cattle.
Although their history would mention that they came from mixing the Vikings’ spitzes and the Romans’ sheepdogs, their lineage is mostly traced back to Old Hemp. He was this fantastic Border Collie who showed how intelligent and hardworking their breed is, and that they can intensely and quietly do their herding task.
Borders are medium-sized canines with an average height of 19 to 22 inches (48 to 56 cm). The males weigh about 30 to 45 pounds (14 to 20 kg), where females are a bit smaller, weighing 27 to 42 pounds (12 to 19 kg).
You’d often find Border Collies in black and white, but they come in an assortment of colors, shades, and markings. There’s red, brown, tricolors, blue merle, and other varieties.
Should you or should you not get a Border Collie?
To answer that, you would have to weigh in the pros and cons of owning a Border Collie. Anything that seems too perfect will have a catch. Same thing with a highly intelligent dog because it’s like a double-edged sword.
With a bright or brainy pooch like the Border Collie, you may think, “they’re very easy to train, right?” Yes, but not without challenges.
Borders are trainable and sensitive. With proper training, they can quickly respond to simple signals or gestures from their owners or handler. They can even learn about 1,000 words! The downside is they easily get bored, can be stubborn, and will try to outsmart their trainer.
Watch this video of a trainer explaining the pros and cons, or what you have to deal with if you want to purchase a Border Collie:
Border Collies are agile and energetic canines. They’re suitable for families that are active and have a lot of space at home. Though it’s recommended for them to live in a ranch or farm so they can run to their heart’s content while being busy, a house with a large yard will suffice. Just make sure that you can provide about 2 hours of daily exercise for your pet.
If you have kids and other pets at home, Borders are loving companions, but you have to control their herding instinct. This trait is bred into them, so there’s no way to get rid of it completely. Without proper training, your BC dog may try to herd or nip anything that moves.
How much do Border Collies cost?
The average price of a Border Collie puppy is $600. This is just a general amount because the cost of Borders would vary depending on different factors like the breeder’s location and reputation, the dog’s pedigree or lineage, the litter size, and more.
Expect to pay about $600 and up for Border Collies, who are meant to be pets and have complete documents but have no show quality. For a premium puppy with papers, breeding rights, and superior lineage, prepare a budget for $1,300 to $4,500. Sometimes, even more.
Working Border Collies are those that are mature and already had some training.
Trained Borders can cost as much as $7,500. It’s quite reasonable because of the time and effort that breeders have devoted to making sure that their dogs are up for the task.
Other expenses related to buying a Border Collie
What if you chose a Border Collie puppy or dog from a different state or country? What about the registration, and what if you have to pay for training classes?
Here are some of the other fees that you have to be aware of.
The cost of shipping and transporting a Border Collie
Most of the time, breeders take care of the arrangements if there’s a need to transport or ship their Border Collies. That includes airline booking and essential documents to make sure that the dog gets to you safely.
All you have to worry about is picking up your dog at the designated airport.
There are times that you would have to pay around $325 for shipping fees. The cost may be higher depending on the breeder’s location and how far the dog has to travel.
A certified/registered Border Collie
Breeders often have their dogs on limited registration even before selling them. Changing that status to full-time registration would mean the breeder will revoke the limited status for a $25 fee.
The great benefit here is you’ll gain access to recognized organizations’ network and services once you’re a member. The Border Collie Society of America (BCSA) has a fee of $50 for individual membership.
American Border Collie Association (ABCA) gives owners two options. You can go for an annual membership that costs $15, or a onetime payment for a lifetime membership that’s about $150.
Paying for your Border Collie’s obedience school
If you bought a Border Collie puppy or dog who hasn’t had any training yet, enrolling her in obedience classes is a must.
You can choose to have your Border Collie enter a group class with a price range of $119 to $165. Some trainers offer private training at their place or your house. Although this one-on-one approach is more effective, it’s pricier. It can cost as much as $80 per hour.
With a bright breed like the Border Collie, it’s a great idea to enroll her in search and rescue and agility classes. Add it up to what your working dog can do, plus it can stimulate your pet mentally.
Search and rescue training can range from $100 and up per session, while agility training can is around $120 for a six-week course.
There’s also training for scent detection and tracking. These courses are quite expensive, and the price starts at $125 and can reach $1,500 max. It may seem fun to have your Border Collie socialize and learn from different kinds of training, but keep in mind that obedience is the top priority.
The amounts you see here are just an average as prices would differ depending on the training school, the trainer, how popular they are/reputation, and many other factors.
Annual & recurring expenses when you own a Border Collie
A lot of people often overlook the associated costs of owning a dog.
Whenever you plan on buying or adopting a Border Collie, or any canine breed, you need to understand that there are recurring necessities that you have to provide as a paw parent.
The cost of feeding a Border Collie
Borders don’t have a specific dietary need. It’s up to you as an owner if you want to feed your dog dry kibbles, wet food, or even BARF (raw).
While browsing online, you may see that it’s recommended to feed Border Collies 2 cups of food per day. But it just adds more questions like, what’s a high-quality dog food to try?
You should base the amount of food you feed your dog on factors such as your Border’s age, size, metabolism, and level of activity. One of the best ways to know how much to feed your Border Collie is to measure their meals by calories.
Since there’s a lot of dog food choices out there, there’s also a huge range when it comes to their price, about $2 to $50. You’ll find high-grade kibbles for herding and sporting dogs that cost more than $70.
How much to groom a Border Collie?
Border Collies have a double-layered coat. They have a soft undercoat and a coarse outer coat. Their hair is beneficial in making them adjust to all types of weather. But Borders are not hypoallergenic. They shed throughout the year, and even more so during shedding season.
Luckily, the Border Collie doesn’t need to be groomed often to look neat, and it doesn’t cost much.
Grooming Borders are about $50 to $65. You can bring your dog to the groomers once every three months. It can cost much less if you do basic grooming yourself. Trimming and brushing can help lengthen the time that your Border Collie would need to get groomed professionally.
Medical expenses when you own a Border dog
This herding breed is generally healthy. Border Collies have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years! But there are certain diseases that they are prone to such as:
- Border Collie Collapse
- Collie Eye Anomaly
- Epilepsy
- Deafness and blindness
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
Most health issues can be avoided with proper breeding, along with promoting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your pooch.
Aside from doing your part as an owner, regular check-ups will help. The average price for vet visits is between $50 to $250. But for those times where other medical services are involved, such as tests, drugs, vaccinations, and procedures, then you won’t be charged for the visit anymore. It varies in every clinic or animal hospital and the veterinarian.
All health-related expenses will be worth every penny as it may help detect parasites and illnesses early on.
Buy your Border Collie a doggy house
They may love spending time outdoors, whether for work or fun, but no dog should stay outside.
Borders would need to interact with other pets and of course, their human family members. A dog house isn’t exactly required, but it’s better if your pet has somewhere to go when they want personal space or timeout when misbehaving.
A cage or a kennel is a good idea as you can use as a carrier for your fur baby when traveling, too!
Crates usually cost around $19 to $322, depending on the size, type, brand, and quality.
Do Border Collies need accessories?
Borders already look stunning as they come in a lot of beautiful, striking shades, so they don’t need to glam up that much.
Apart from the basics like collars and leashes (for walks and training), that’s about it.
You can buy your Border Collie a few puzzles and toys for brain stimulation. It will keep your pet busy while indoors and won’t get bored right away.
Where to find Border Collie puppies for sale?
There’s a lot of breeders online that sell Border Collies – newborn, trained, blue merles. The challenge is to find a responsible breeder as they are hard to come by.
Aside from reading up about the breed, you can start looking at recognized Border Collie organizations like the ABCA and BSCA.
A Border Collie puppy of excellent quality is sold by reputable breeders who have documentation of their dog’s lineage and medical records. This will be their proof that the parental breeds and their litter aren’t predisposed to genetic disorders.
To give you a headstart, check out our article: Finding the best Border Collie puppies for sale near you in the US, Canada, and the UK.
For those in Australia (AU), we found another website of a Border Collie breeder called McCallum Cowdogs (Namoi River, NSW). Feel free to browse their page and contact them.
How much to adopt or rescue a Border Collie?
Adopting or rescuing dogs is way cheaper. The adoption price for a Border Collie is around $300, which already covers the care and training of the dog before you adopted her.
Come Bye Border Collie Rescue (Midwest) and Border Collies in Need (San Pedro, CA) have purebred Border Collies and Border Collie mixes that are looking for new homes.
Does the Border Collie’s price fit your budget?
Getting a Border Collie is a big responsibility. Not only do they require an active family with a spacious home, a creative and continuous physical and mental stimulation, and you also have to deal with its herding instinct, especially if you want this breed as a family pet.
After buying a Border Collie puppy or adopting one, it doesn’t stop there. You have to be a responsible owner who’s prepared to pay for vet bills, doggy stuff like cages, blankets, collars, bowls, toys, and even grooming supplies.
The bottom line here is, if you’d be able to take care and provide the overall needs of the Border Collie, then this breed might be the right fur angel for you.
How much did you have to pay for your Border Collie? Did you buy a purebred or adopt a mixed breed? Tell us your story by commenting in the box below.
Cess is a seasoned dog enthusiast and expert in the field of canine care. With over 5 years of experience in the Pet Industry, she is a go-to resource for dog owners seeking expert guidance.
As the Head of Content Writing at Border Collie Health, Cess shares her extensive knowledge through informative articles and practical tips. Beyond her professional role, she actively volunteers at local shelters and enjoys participating in dog-related events.