12/01/2025
TODAY OUR BREED EXPERT Carol Price looks at what you can do to secure the longest and healthiest life for your dog
HOW LONG DO COLLIES LIVE? – And 7 golden rules to help them live longer and more active lives
You may often hear very differing opinions on what the ‘typical’ lifespan of a Border collie is. Commonly it is around 12 or 13 years, but many dogs can live to 16, 17 or even more. At the heart of the difference can lie so many different factors, both genetic and environmental. But of course it is not just how long a life a dog lives that matters most, but the quality of the life they live, especially as they get older.
The pictures you see here are of my own personal ‘dog of a lifetime’ – Ilona. A dog I got at 8 weeks old and had the total privilege of owning for nearly 17 years. She came from tough stock, and led a long, active life, still enjoying her daily walks right up to the end. We all hope to own collies like these if we can.
Sometimes dogs who live shorter lives are just plain unlucky. But there is also still so much you can do to improve your dog’s chances of living a longer, healthier and more active life, through following these 7 golden rules:
1. ALWAYS GET YOUR DOG FROM HEALTH SCREENED STOCK. In the days before modern DNA screening, the most standard physical heath screens undertaken on BC breeding stock were hip scoring and eye testing, as well as puppies tested for conditions like Collie Eye Anomaly via a physical eye exam. It was also that much harder to know what conditions breeding dogs may be carrying – including potentially fatal ones for their offspring – if they were not affected by these themselves. But today, testing breeding dogs to see if they are carriers for a wide range of breed-related inherited disorders has never been simpler, via standard ‘packages’ of DNA screens offered by many laboratories.
You can now check online for all the different generically inherited conditions Border collies should be screened for, and ensure any breeder you get a pup from has had them done.
See the relevant paperwork for them if you need greater reassurance. Hip and elbow scoring are also important. In all the excitement of getting a new puppy details like these can so often be forgotten about, or overlooked. But there is nothing worse than owning a dog with a more serious illness or health condition that you know could have been prevented with better earlier health screening of their parents.
2. CHECK YOUR PROSPECTIVE DOG’S LEVEL OF INBREEDING. The higher level of inbreeding found in many Border collie dogs or lines today are – a least to me - truly frightening. Given the now well recognised link between the closer inbreeding in dogs, and a greater risk of inherited health or temperamental disorders. Ideally you want a dog to have a COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding) of less than 10%. If you are getting a pedigree BC, a breeder should tell you what the COI is of their litter, and if they do not know what it is, that would worry me. Some Kennel Club organisations – including the KC in the UK – have databases telling you what the COI of a pup is likely to be if you have the appropriate KC names of their parents.
A lower level of inbreeding may not automatically guarantee you get a healthier or longer lived dog, but it is certainly the best start.
3. GET THE EXERCISE BALANCE RIGHT. As highly energetic, driven and excitable dogs it can be easy for collies not to ‘know when to stop’ when it comes to daily exercise – especially when they are younger; i.e. under 2 years old, and when the risks of damage to growing joints can be at their highest. And just because a collie is capable of running many miles, or doing athletic feats that involve much jumping, twisting and landing again doesn’t mean this will not take its toll on their bodies over time – in terms of injury or arthritis - if done more regularly or to excess.
Dogs live in the moment, and do not realise how long their bodies have to last them for, or what physical damage or deterioration may later ensue from what they are doing today. But we do. So we need to become better guardians of their bodies and ensure, daily, that they stay well within their physical comfort zones if we want them to live active lives for longer. Up to an hour’s distance walking, morning and afternoon, is adequate for most adult collies, with the odd longer walk thrown in a few times a week if desired. If you intersperse this with regular short training sessions, to keep their brains sharp, they will be happy dogs. Too much non-stop chasing and jumping after balls or other chase toys, on the other hand, will not only put more significant strain on their bodies, but also fry their brains.
4. LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF STRESS AND TOXINS YOUR DOG IS EXPOSED TO.
Exposure to stress and environmental toxins is as bad for the health and immune systems of dogs as it is for people. So understand that the more stress your dog is exposed to daily – in the way of noise, movement, light and other forms physical or mental provocation or over-stimulation – the greater the ongoing risks to their health. Ensure your dog always has his/her own ‘chill zone’ where they can rest and wind down quietly, free of any source of noise, movement or brighter light or any other kind of external stimulation from others. Also collies are often at their most manic when they most need to rest and wind down in this way.
When it comes to environmental toxins, try to walk your dog away from busier roads to avoid traffic pollution, and also consider limiting the use of things like in-car or in-house air fresheners, more toxic –i.e. bleach based – floor cleaning solutions, or washing powders and fabric conditioners that contain a higher level of chemicals. Food colourings and other additives in complete diets or treats can also affect some collies more adversely. Flea and worming products can also be pretty toxic things. Sometimes they are essential in areas or countries where the risks of not using them regularly on a more preventative basis can be more serious, but I personally prefer only to ever use them when there is clearer evidence of my dogs having either fleas or worms. Others may prefer to use more natural alternatives to keep them at bay.
5. DO NOT LET YOUR COLLIE GET FAT! Nothing makes me sadder than to see a fat Border collie; the ultimate athlete of the dog world, struggling under a mountain of excess weight; a sight that is now just becoming too common. As we totally control what our dogs eat, we must ensure this never happens, as every extra pound of weight our dog carries places excess strain on their hearts, joints and breathing and opens them up to a far higher risk of other illnesses, including diabetes and cancer. If you cannot easily feel your dog’s ribs when you run your hands along his or her sides, and push down lightly, the chances are they are overweight. If in doubt ask your vet.
6. LOOK AFTER YOUR DOG’S TEETH. Poor dental health and hygiene can not only cause dogs much pain, but also lead to other problems including heart or kidney problems and blood infections. Plus poor appetite as eating hurts them so much. Regularly checking on your dog’s teeth, and also cleaning them regularly to remove tartar, can therefore give them much happier and healthier lives longer term
7. DO REGULAR ALL OVER HEALTH CHECKS. A lot of painful or more serious health issues in collies could be better treated, or even cured, through being spotted far earlier. So get into the habit of checking your dog out all over, at least once a week. Feel all over the body for any new lumps or bumps, check joints for any swelling or heat, ensure nails are kept short, check eyes, ears and mouth for any type of foreign body, soreness or infection. Also ask yourself, is my dog eating less or drinking more, or losing weight, or having more persistent bouts of diarrhoea/vomiting, or just not behaving like their normal selves? Any or all of these early signs could signify something more amiss with their health. Especially if they go on for some time. So again check them out with your vet if you have any doubt. It is always, always, better to be safe than sorry on this front.
The EIGHTH golden rule I forgot to tell you about is just to love your dog, and let them know they are loved. And that you will always look out for them, and be there for them, no matter what happens in their lives. In terms of the longer-term benefits such reassurances have on mental health, this works as well for dogs as it does for humans.
All text © Carol Price 2025
Carol Price collie books: In the UK from: https://performancedog.co.uk/?s=carol+price In the USA from: https://www.dogwise.com/ # and https://www.cleanrun.com/product/border_collies_a_breed_apart_book_1_secrets_of_the_working_mind/index.cfm In Canada from https://4mymerles.com/collections/books In Australia from: https://gameondogs.com.au/ And in the Netherlands and Belgium from: https://mediaboek.nl/border-collies-a-breed-apart-book-1.html
We love our Border Collies who are part of our family. Puppies are toilet trained & have been given the best start in life.❤
