Borador size can be hard to predict. As a mixed breed dog, a Borador puppy will usually grow somewhere between the sizes of its parents – in this case a Labrador Retriever and a Border Collie.
An adult Borador will often be between 19 and 24 inches tall, weighing between 30 and 80 pounds.
Males Boradors will usually be larger than females, but your Borador’s size can also be impacted by their lifestyle, diet, and general health.
Borador Size
The Borador is a mixed breed dog, also known as a designer dog. Breeders will mix a purebred Labrador Retriever with a purebred Border Collie to get the Borador mix.
Boradors are currently not quite as popular as many other mixes, like the Labradoodle, but they are on the rise.
Mixed breed puppies are unpredictable, which is what makes guessing their adult size so tricky.
Puppies can inherit traits from either parent. So, even Borador puppies from the same litter can be strikingly different to one another.
Often, a Borador will fall somewhere between the sizes of its parents, resulting in a medium to large mix.
To get a better idea of Borador size possibilities, we need to take a look at the parent breeds.
Labrador Retriever Size
An adult Labrador is usually a large dog. On average, you can expect a Labrador to fall between the following size measurements:
- Height: 21.5 to 24.5 inches
- Weight: 55 to 80 pounds
This is quite a lot of scope, but even with this range some Labradors will be larger or smaller than these figures predict.
You may see people online who have Labradors that are over 100 pounds!
However, Labradors are often very food motivated, so it’s easy to find overweight Labs. This is different to Labs that are larger and healthy.
Border Collie Size
The purebred Border Collie parent is smaller than the Lab parent. In general, Border Collies are considered medium sized dogs.
You can expect an adult to be:
- Height: 18 to 22 inches
- Weight: 30 to 55 pounds
Just like the Labrador breed, don’t be surprised if you find Border Collies that fall outside of this range.
Border Collies can have smooth or rough coats. Those with rough coats may naturally look a little bigger, even if they are not, because their fluffy coats will add the illusion of a larger body!
Average Borador Size
As a mixed breed, it’s impossible for us to know exactly how big an individual Borador will be until they are fully grown.
However, you can use the ranges above to create a vague estimate.
Generally a Borador will fall in the following range:
- Height: 18 to 24 inches
- Weight: 30 to 80 pounds
Aside from natural variation, there are a number of factors that can influence the size of your mix. So, be prepared to have a Borador that exceeds this range in either direction.
How to Predict Adult Borador Size
We already know that predicting the adult size of a mixed breed dog is almost impossible.
But, there is one method that will give you a more accurate estimate than any other.
That is – take a look at the two parent dogs. Not just the general breeds, but the exact dogs bred to create your Borador puppy.
Puppies will nearly always fall somewhere between the sizes of their two parents. So, if you want a predictable Borador size, breed a large Border Collie with a smaller Lab.
If your parent dogs are very similar sizes, your puppy will usually grow to around that size too.
But, whilst this is a great method to use, there are still no guarantees. Remember there are a lot of factors that can influence the adult size of any dog.
Factors that Influence Adult Dog Size
The size of any dog breed can be influenced by a number of things outside of your control.
Some of these are more harmful than others.
Sex
The sex of your puppy will influence how large they grow.
For both parent breeds, and their mixed puppies, females will often be smaller than males.
So, if you’re hoping for a large Borador, choose a male puppy.
If you want a smaller mix, go for a female puppy.
Diet
Giving your puppy the right diet as they grow can help to nourish their development.
Choose a high quality food that is designed for the lifestyle of your dog.
Boradors are energetic mixed breeds, so they will need to lead an active lifestyle.
Choose a food that will support this, and will give them enough energy to grow and develop as they should.
Lifestyle
Your dog’s lifestyle can also impact their growth.
If your Borador isn’t getting enough exercise, they may start to put on excess weight.
Although this may make them look bigger – it’s not a healthy way to get a bigger dog.
In fact, obese and overweight dogs can be prone to more health issues and a shortened lifespan.
Health Issues
As well as the general care that you give your dog, heritable health issues can have an impact on their size, especially if they occur whilst your dog is still growing.
Health issues in puppies can stunt growth, leading to smaller adult dogs.
Some problems that can stunt or slow growth in puppies includes:
- Intestinal worms
- Pituitary dwarfism
The Breeder You Choose
Choosing a reputable breeder can actually impact the health and growth of your puppy.
Reputable breeders are more likely to give their puppies proper care, to look after their adult dogs, and to ensure puppies get the best start to life.
However, less reputable places like puppy mills or pet stores will be less concerned about quality, and more concerned about cost.
They will usually feed the cheapest food possible, and may not even give puppies the vaccinations they need.
Malnutrition and poor general care this early in life can lead to worse growth in puppies.
So, make sure to choose reputable breeders when looking for a Borador.
Their Fur Type
Choosing a fluffier Borador, one that inherits the rough Border Collie coat, can be a good way of getting a Borador that looks bigger.
Your dog’s coat won’t impact their actual size at all.
But, with a fluffier coat, they will certainly look bigger than Boradors with smooth coats.
Borador Size – A Summary
Predicting the adult size of a Borador puppy can be tricky. But, you can expect your Borador mix to fall somewhere in between the sizes of its two parents.
Do you have a Borador that fits into the size charts in this guide? Or, perhaps you have one that’s even bigger than the estimates here!
We would love to hear about your Boradors in the comments!
References and Resources
- Wallis, L. (et al), ‘Demographic Change Across the Lifespan of Pet Dogs and Their Impact on Health Status’, Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2018)
- Reusch, C. ‘Disorders of Growth Hormone’, Canine and Feline Endocrinology (Fourth Edition), (2015)
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training ProgramÂ
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
I have a borador male pup who is 7 months old and he is huge,he weighs almost 29 kg and I have asked my vet several times if she thinks he’s over weight and she tells me no, but he’s going to be big. . I know what his mother looked like she was a boarder collie but I didn’t see his father but was told he was a Labrador. I think he has taken his fathers looks as he looks more like a Labrador, but he has taken his mothers colouring as his father was a yellow lab but my dogs is all black except for a small white bit on his chest. One thing I have noticed is that he is very smart and very easy to train. He even goes to the toilet on command . He is such a beautiful handsome dog and a joy to have .