You are probably a big fan of dogs and you are looking to get yourself a dog for whatever purpose only known to you either as a pet or to serve varieties of functions.
Now, you have two options on your hands namely the Flat-Coated retriever and border collie mix.
So what’s the difference?
Flat-Coated Retrievers are usually taller compared to Border collie mix with males having heights ranging from 58 cm – 64 cm while females have heights ranging from 56 cm -61 cm.
It might be a huge task thinking about the choice of dog that will best serve the purpose you want the dog to fulfill.
This article will provide information about each breed of the dogs by giving a comparison of their abilities and characteristics that will help you in your decision-making process.
This will help you have an insight as to what to expect and which breed will suit your specific needs.
Characteristics that will be compared include a general description, appearance, temperament, needs, health, life span and so much more. So here we go.
Appearance
The image above shows a Border Collie mix breed, which has a reputation for being very intelligent with loads of energy and full of life.
They have a bit of thick coat of hair which is usually rough, smooth, and rarely curled. Because of its double coat of thick hair, she occasionally sheds.
Similar to many other breeds of dogs, there are quite a number of Border Collie mix breed colors, but the most prominent and popular color is black and white.
Some other samples of this breed come with three colors like (red/tan/white), (black/tan/white), (liver/white/red).
Speaking about colors, this breed of dogs have beautiful and colorful eyes. Their eye colors range from blue to brown.
Some have fully erect ears while others are semi-erect. Though breed clubs usually don’t consider the appearance of the Border Collie Mix breed, it’s considered mostly by potential owners.
They are medium-sized dogs with males having heights ranging from 45cm-56cm while females are just a little less tall with heights of 46cm-53cm.
The Flat-Coated Retriever as depicted above is usually considered an athlete with a lighter and more elegant look.
Flat-Coated Retrievers are usually taller compared to Border collie mix with males having heights ranging from 58cm – 64cm while females have heights ranging from 56cm-61cm.
The unique feature of the breed includes its head which characteristically compared to other breeds have a minimal stop and a long muzzle.
Its facial features have a muscular jaw which brings added strength, and a friendly dark-brown pair of eyes. Its ears are non-electric and lie quite close to its head.
It has a fairly long tail with abundant fur.
Temperament
A Flat-Coated Retriever is a very friendly breed as a pet as it craves human affection, thereby making the dog strive to please people.
It is usually very active and does a lot of things with enthusiasm. It basically raises spirits with its many talents and intelligence.
They are so full of energy that breed clubs recommend not less than 2 hours of exercise daily in order to keep them happy and also happy.
They can be very good around children as they have proven to be great companions.
Though they are protective of their owners and properties through their signature barking, they are unlikely to follow up their loud barking with aggressive behavior.
Their history as retrievers for hunter’s bounty makes it a characteristic behavioral pattern enhanced by their sense of smell and energy.
They are best trained in short intervals, as they easily get bored in repetitive training.
Flat-Coated retrievers mature very slowly compared to Border Collie Mix, taking up to 5 years in some cases to reach full maturity.
This characteristic trait helps them retain their youthful vigor to the latter stages of their lives.
The Border Collie Mix Breed is quite the spectacular one in terms of intelligence, so much that it ranks 1st on Stanley Coren’s ranking of intelligent and bright dog breeds.
The Border Collie Mix breed according to its history, has a primary function of herding livestock like Sheep and has been known for its exceptional ability in doing this.
However, many people are turning to the Border Collie Mix breed as a pet and companion in recent times.
One thing to note is that Border Collie Mix breeds are very demanding and tend to become a problem in the household if their needs are not met.
Border Collie Mix breeds need a lot of playtime and exercises.
Neglecting this secondary need will result in resistant behavioral patterns such as scraping walls, trying to dig holes in rooms, and chewing furniture around the house.
This is why potential owners are always advised to be sure they can provide the Border Collie Mix breed with the required daily exercise that will correspond to the exciting and enormous energy of the breed before taking it as a pet.
Even after providing the breed with necessary playtime and exercise, it will also need the training to curb some of its motion sensitivity like running after cars and motorcycles.
This means a lot of work has to be done in order to successfully have a Border Collie Mix breed as a pet.
And as such, It is most suited to people living in the hills with herds of sheep or goats.
Health
Border Collie mix-breeds are disease resistant for most of the time, but they are mostly affected by 2 major diseases which are the self-named Collie Eye Anomaly and epilepsy.
These diseases in the breed are usually hereditary and passed down from parents to pups.
The Collie Eye anomaly can sometimes be so severe that it results in total eye damage, thereby causing blindness.
This disease is avoided through the recently developed DNA test which helps prevent pups from this genetic disease.
Mortality rates in the Border Collie Mix breed are mostly caused by cancer.
Statistics show that up 23.6% of its deaths are due to cancer, 17.9% are natural deaths due to the completion of its lifecycle.
While cerebral problems are responsible for up to 9.5%. Border Collie Mix breed has an average life span of 12 years.
Flat-coated retrievers are largely susceptible to one or more forms of cancer according to history and statistics.
Most reported deaths to Flat-Coated retrievers are mostly due to one form of cancer or another like histiocytosis, Hemangiosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, among others.
Aside from cancer which has been established as a major cause of death to Flat-Coated retrievers (responsible for up to 50% of deaths), another serious health issue common in the breed is the Bloat (Gastric dilation volvulus) which is responsible for up to 5% deaths.
The remaining cause of deaths in this breed is non-cancer related. The average median life span for the Flat-Coated retriever is Ten years, which is a bit lower compared to that of the Border Collie Mix breed.
Reproduction
Like most other dog breeds, Flat-Coated Retrievers have two heat periods every year, a time when they are most fertile.
It’s easy to notice this breed during its heat season due to its increased vigor, enthusiasm, boisterous, and characteristic scent which is easily picked up by males.
Conception can be really hard to detect without the help of a vet.
This is because sperm cells can live in females for days making it very confusing for handlers.
The gestation period for Flat-Coated retrievers between 63-65 days after conception and the litter size of this breed also ranges between 4-8 puppies.
For Border Collie Mix Breed, they usually start breeding at 18 months and stops breeding at a maximum of 9 years old.
The general health of both the male and female Border Collie Mix should be checked for epilepsy and other genetic diseases as clarified.
It is usually advised that a female Border Collie Mix should not produce more than 5 liters of pups in its total life span.
This is required to preserve the quality of Border Collie Mix Breed in the market as a working breed.
After all the evaluations are made and both males and females are considered disease-free.
The Border Collie Mix can be bred using proper breeding principles. The Border Collie Mix Breed usually has 5-8 puppies per litter.
Summary
Any of the choices you end up with, you can be sure that you will have a lifetime friend in it.
Depending on your purpose for the breed, you can easily choose between the two breeds the one that best suits your needs.
Here, you know that the Border Collie Mix Breed is best used in herding conditions where it can make good use of its vibrant energy through rigorous exercise while the Flat-coated mix breed can easily fit in as a Pet.
One thing that is common between the two is the energy, enthusiasm and the great urge to please people.
This has been their innate characteristic passed down from generation to generation.
The Border Collie Mix Breed is best suited for environments with large spaces. This way, it can play a lot and herd.
Without those things in place, you are advised against taking up a Border Collie Breed because it might exhibit some resistance as expressed through this article.
This simply implies that the Flat-coated retriever is quite easier to raise as a pet.
Conclusion
I do hope this article has been able to ease your decision-making process through the comparison of both breeds characteristics.
Do well to share among your friends on your numerous social media accounts to keep them informed and educated.