The Border Collie Lab is a mix breed dog also known as the Borador. These are active dogs, brimming with intelligence and energy. And your Borador is likely to need plenty of human company and exercise.
Contents
- Border Collie Lab traits & care
- Lab Collie mix temperament
- Training and exercise
- Breeders vs rescue dogs
A Combined History
Mixing dog breeds is not a new thing. In fact, cross-breeding has been around for centuries. But, it takes many years to create a distinct breed that is recognized and registered. Instead of traditional breeding, individuals are now creating “designer breeds” by mixing two purebred dogs. Designer dogs are typically named based on the breeds used for mating.
Border Collies and Labradors are both intelligent working dogs. They have been selectively bred for generations to choose dogs that are driven as well as cooperative, but in slightly different ways. Border Collies are a traditional herding breed mostly used by sheep farmers to control their unruly flocks. Labradors on the other hand spend more time waiting than working, then have bursts of energy fetching fallen birds over long distances and tricky terrain.
Like many of the other designer breeds, the Borador has come into existence within the last 10 to 20 years in North America. By mixing the lovable Labrador with the hard-working Border Collie, breeders hoped to get the best of both worlds – an intelligent, energetic, and people-oriented dog that suits almost any role.
What Does A Borador Look Like?
Most Labradors are quite a bit bigger than Border Collies. But, your mix could fall anywhere between the sizes of its parents. Most Borador dogs will be somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds. Females are usually smaller than males.
While Labradors are seen with a solid yellow, brown, or black coat, this mix often takes on the distinct dual or tri-coloring of the Border Collie. You could also end up with a beautiful black Lab Border Collie mix. Black is a dominant coat color, so the black Lab Border Collie mix is one of the most common colors. This can be in a plain form, or bi-color pattern, such as a white and black Lab Border Collie mix.
Grooming and Shedding
The Border Collie parent can have long or short fur. Labs will have short dense fur. Your Borador mix could be anywhere inbetween. Both parent dogs are known to shed all year round, and heavily during hotter seasons. So, expect to find lots of fur around your home if you own one.
Use a bristle or pin brush for grooming once or twice a week and use a slicker brush to remove any mats that you see. Especially if your dog spends a lot of time exercising outdoors. You may need to groom more frequently when shedding is at its heaviest.
Border Collie Lab Mix Temperament
These dogs can inherit some very unique and positive personality traits from their parent breeds. For starters, Collies are extremely intelligent. According to studies completed by the American Psychological Association, the dogs have the same mental abilities as a two to two-and-a-half-year-old child.
While Labradors may act more like toddlers, and have a good deal of smarts themselves, what really stands out about them is their kindness, happiness, and generally easy-going attitudes. Lab Collie mix dogs tend to be friendly, attentive, loving, and relatively easy to train, especially since they have the Labrador’s need to please.
Socialization
Early socialization is hugely important if you want to raise a healthy, happy, outgoing dog. This process involves exposing your puppy to other dogs and to different people when they are young. It is done so that your dog will not be fearful or aggressive around new people or dogs. Ideally, socialization should begin when your puppy is between 3 and 14 weeks of age. Luckily, both the Border Collie and Labrador are known for their easy, kind temperament, so you should find this process easy and effective.
Training
Both Labradors and Border Collies are dogs with high levels of intelligence. So, a Borador is likely to become bored and disruptive if not properly entertained. Training can go a long way to help with this.
There are various programs that can help you with training. Keep in mind that studies show that positive reinforcement or reward based training are best for your dog. Not only is it highly effective, but it reduces the incidence of problem behaviors and anxiety issues.
Borador Energy Levels
It should not come as a surprise that the Border Collie Lab mix also needs a fair amount of exercise. They are extremely active dogs that love to run, play, and exert energy for hours each day. The Lab part of the mix typically calms down the hyperactive nature of the Border Collie. So your mix probably won’t run off looking for the closest flock of sheep to herd. But, it depends entirely on the traits they inherit. Some Borador mixes will still have strong herding instincts and could even try to herd young kids or other pets in the house!
Border Collie and Labrador Health
All dogs are at risk of certain illnesses. But, some breeds are more prone to specific problems and it’s important to be aware of these concerns when looking for a new puppy. The Borador is no exception. Here are some health problems that potential owners should be aware of:
- Hip dysplasia
- Arthritis
- Osteochondritis
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
- Cancer
- Obesity
- Epilepsy and seizures
- Collie eye anomaly
- Primary lens luxation
- Congenital deafness
Health Testing
The healthiest dogs are the ones that have the greatest genetic diversity. The more diversity, the fewer “bad” genes that are passed on that can potentially lead to serious ailments.
While diversity is key, selective breeding is necessary, and it takes several generations to make sure that ailments are “bred out” of the gene pool. So, it is absolutely necessary to make sure that your breeder tests for the health issues outlined above for each breed. Even still, there is no guarantee that your dog will not develop any serious illnesses.
Border Collie Lab Mix Lifespan
In general, you need to look at the life expectancies of the Labrador and the Border Collie. The average lifespan of a Border Collie is 13.5 years old. The average for a Labrador Retriever is 12.5 years old. So, the Border Collie and Lab mix is probably going to live somewhere around 13 years. Although in general mixed breed dogs do tend to live a little longer than their purebred counterparts.
Border Collie Lab Mix Rescue
You do not have to work with a breeder if you want a Lab Border Collie cross. Some rescues and animal shelters will have these dogs, so you can simply ask around if you have a trusted shelter nearby. Also, there are some rescues that specialize in the placement of designer dogs.
Additionally, being a rescue parent can be a wonderful and rewarding experience. After all, there is no better feeling than welcoming home a beautiful dog who needs a home and a loving family. And, most of the hereditary diseases that we covered earlier will be detectable in a fully grown dog. So, you will know for sure that your rescue dog doesn’t have any serious health concerns before you bring him home.
(paid link)Border Collie Lab Mix Puppies
Litters of Border Collie Lab mix puppies are easier to find than some mixed breeds, although not as prolific as the trendy Poodle mixes right now. They are often produced by working homes, and good breeders will want to know how you are going to keep your clever pup entertained when you bring them home.
Ask lots of questions, and expect there to be plenty thrown your way as well.
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 Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
I live near St Louis and adopted a Borador from a rescue group that got her out of a high kill shelter. Looking around at the other shelters here, someone is producing boradors and the unwanted puppies are getting dumped in the shelters. They are not listed as Boradors, but the behavior and appearance is unmistakable
We lost our 1st Borador on Sept 8, 2021 to cancer and found our 2nd only 3 days later. While they are the same mix, they are quite different: our last girl was very Lab-like and a big (80 lbs) athletic, super-sweet, and calm. The puppy, now a bit over a year, is smaller (47 lbs.) and equally if not more athletic, also super-sweet, but easily the most hyperactive dog we’ve ever had – her Border Collie traits: herding, continuous motion, and sharp “eye” exhibit that side of her breeding. She truly loves everyone and every dog she knows and meets. She’s more submissive, though, and flops to show her belly both for rubs (people) and to placate other dogs. Both girls have uncanny word recognition but the newer girl can follow both voice and hand commands without having been trained, as such. These are truly special dogs.
Oh my goodness! We had a borador that came to our front door when I was six years old. Fortunately, we had 15 years to spend with Casper, which was filled with love and companionship. Casper was a wonderful dog and beloved member of our family. Now that I am grown, my my husband and I are considering a borador for our family. This will be my husband‘s first dog. If anyone has recommendations on trustworthy, ethical breeders in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest, please let me know!
We live in Maryland and are looking for a Borador puppy. Having a hard time finding breeders. We definitely want a female and are Hoping for a brown or lighter color. Our dog that recently passed was black. Let me know if you have any suggested breeders. Thanks!
We got ours at a farm in central PA. There are some warnings about Amish puppy mills but this was not that. Nice people and their kids were doing most of the work with the puppies. A very happy litter with a friendly mama Lab dog on-site and the daddy BC at a neighboring, contiguous farm. Our little puppy happily took a 3-hour ride to her new home where she proceeded to chew up our furniture! 🤪 But a sweet, devoted dog (out of the chewing stage, thankfully).
We have a 10 year old borador who is fit and healthy. She is a sweet little girl even though she is still nervous of new things. She is brave enough to meet them with me gently at her side. She is fine with them after that. She is an energetic and happy girl who loves to please. Brilliant with children especially if they are willing to teach her new tricks. We have worked in Obedience and progressed to a high level. We now work in rally because my health let me down. She loves this sort of thing cos she meets her doggy friends and aunties n uncles. A pleasure to have.
I’ve a 3yr old rescue borador. Generally a lovely temperament and gentle. However, his recall is absolutely pants most of the time and he’s fiercely protective of me. He jumps up a lot if I’ve been out and he has a tendency to bark when people pass by the house where he can hear them.
He’s also got a strong threat response to young boys with footballs.
So any advice on retraining out these habits would be appreciated!
Got my dog tori from a litter on a ranch border collie lab mix. Best dog I ever had!!! She went with me everywhere we spent 24/7 together from the moment I got her at 10 weeks old. Miss her!!! It’s been 10 years and I am now searching for another puppy now.
My first dog was a border collie when I was 16. She would protect me against everyone in my family. She had a hierarchy and I was top. My mother was the bottom. I would say at least some of the problem is the border collie half. He sounds like his is on high alert all the time to protect you and the house. YOU are his sheep. Mine used to herd us in the winter when we were wearing boots. Since you can’t get a herd of sheep, try toys. I kept toys by the front door and grabbed one each time I came in the door. Said toy and jammed it in her mouth. Hard to jump and bark with a big dog toy in your mouth. After a while I would just say toy and she would get one. ‘then she learned to meet me with a toy in her mouth. Worked her whole life. Our lab learned it also just by being there. That famous border collie Knew the name of 1000 stuffy toys. Teach your dog the names and then leave them in piles around the house. Let him gather them all together into a herd. Walmart and the dollar tree have $1 toys.
Young boys with footballs could hurt you, of course he is protective. The other side of the coin is the lab. My lab did not want to be in charge, he was so nervous when Cindy died, He stepped into the job, but he was not happy. After we got a female american bulldog, he gave in that day, and relaxed. He abdicated the throne. Out chihuahua took a couple days to admit that she was in charge. Went into the kitchen a few days after we got the AB. Heard a shrill bark. Found the Chi on his back upside down with the AB’s paw on his chest. She was not hurting him. That was five years ago. No problems since. Best of luck. when people come by the house give him something to do. Lots of minihotdogs will be needed. When the Chi starts barking, I say sit and hold dog treat over his head. Helps if it is primo dog treat. Hard to bark when you really want that liver treat or dog treat.
Have a 13 year old Yellow Lab / Border mix named Dusty. Looks more like a the Yellow Lab, but one can certainly see the Border traits. BEST DOG I HAVE EVER HAD!!! We live on a farm which was perfect for him. Has all the patience & good natured-ness of the lab with the instincts of the Border. Does need plenty of range. Our 68 acre farm was not enough so Dusty adopted the farm next door, also. Fortunately, they loved him too. Super sweet around small children, but deadly around invading varmints. Possums, skunks, raccoons, etc that want to pilfer food for our farm animals all end up dead. Pretty much ignores our barns cats & very friendly to family & friends who visit. Better mouser than any cat I’ve ever owned.
Neighbor farmer loves him because Dusty follows along when picking up hay bales or tobacco (near a creek and river) that snakes and mice love to hide under. Dusty loves getting after the mice & snakes.
At night he barks at everything which provides both security (& headaches). He’s old now and I don’t expect more than another year out of him. When he dies it will hit the whole family very hard.
Last month we rescued Peanut from the local dog pound. She is a 10 month old white border collie/golden lab mix. She is very high energy, but she minds well and has the sweetest and most playful personality. We couldn’t ask for a better dog. We have enrolled her in a basic training class that starts in a couple of weeks. I think we are the ones who will be getting trained! She is extremely smart. We couldn’t love her more!
I have a 2 yr old borador whom I adopted when he was 14 mos old. He weighs 76 lbs. I was concerned about his walking and inability to jump. Had him xrayed for hip dysplasia, negative. Turns out he has degenerative arthritis in both hind knees. Is this common in borador?
I just found a borador last week. Didn’t know much about the mix prior but reading about them makes me so happy. They seem like the perfect combo of smart, energetic, calm, loving dogs. She’s 10 weeks old and such a doll. Though we found her at random we know it was meant to be. Perfect breed and she was born on the same day as my boyfriend (her human dad). I can’t wait to watch the grow up.
Make sure you give her lots of exercise! Our little girl was a terror until my husband started taking her to work with him at the boys home. And chew toys are a must. Other than that, have fun!
Me and the family literally just came back to the house, after picking up ‘Columbo’ our little black and white pup, the Mum is a golden retriever cross lab and the dad is a collie! Which jumped the fence and studded out the mum! He has 5 puppy’s left that need to go to good homes ! County Antrim
my husband and i had a boardercollie lab mix .we lost her to cancer 3 months ago.it still hurts. we are in our fiftys and chloe was our world.i am looking for another one not to replace her it is just we never fell so inlove with an animal before she had such a beautiful spirit and loved us just as much as we loved her
We live in Seattle and have a lab/border mix that we rescued 7 yrs ago. We love this breed!! Great family dog! We are looking for another one. Prefer puppy… any leads out there? Jennifer
We had a Borador girl until two weeks ago, when she died at the age of 14. She was the perfect dog for us, extremely friendly with everyone, very patient with our very young grandchildren, interested in everything and everyone around her, beautiful, intelligent, happy, always content. She loved excercise, but didn’t sulk if sometimes it didn’ happen. We are devastated, she was in every way part of the family. The house is empty without her.
We would love a young Borador to join us, but they are not easy to find here. We live in Belgium so I think you won’t be able to help us. But it is nice to read about so much lucky owners. Have a wonderful 2019.
My borador is offspring of my dad’s his name was Bentley so I named mine rolls Royce aka ” Rolihandro” he is an amazing puppie and has learned so much and loves to perform tasks and tricks with or without treats. He also responds well with a simple “no” or “dont do that”. He trys to heard the cats tho…
Me and my family have a black lab border collie mix. And he is the best dog that we have ever had. I totally agree that these dogs are the best kind of dogs that u could get a family.
I have a border collie cross lab his mother was pure border collie and his father was a pure golden lab he has the border collie look though the white strip down his nose isnt as pronounced as that of the pure border collie but hes the most wonderful loyal loving dog ever ive always loved both breeds so to get a dog that is both my favorite breeds in one dog was my dream come true hes now 3 years old ive had him since he was 9 weeks old I have named him Duke the only problem I have with him is he whines like a lot lol I’m thinking he’s board lol
After my old dog died (he was just a generic mutt but still a fantastic dog), my family ended up going to a nearby shelter I volunteer at after the Rescue Waggin had come. I saw a picture of a dog on their facebook page for the dogs that come in and saw a golden and white dog named Cheerio that I instantly knew I had to meet. I wasn’t sure why but I just had a good feeling about her and how she’d get along with my family. Since she was a Rescue Waggin dog, she’d come up from down south which mean the shelter had no information on her outside of what little they’d done with her in the couple of days they’d had her.
Adopting her turned out to be one of the best leaps of faith we ever made.
I ended up renaming her Chloe from Cheerio and she’s an absolutely amazing dog. She was clearly somebody’s pet and had been around elderly people before because she’s extremely gentle and great with my grandmother. She knew what a dog bed was when she first came into the house. She was already housebroken as well. She’s just an extremely extremely sweet, gentle dog that loves to get all the attention she can get and is extremely friendly with strangers. She doesn’t bark a whole lot either which is both good and bad. About the only downside is that my grandma has her spoiled to go out about every hour but she at least doesn’t pull that with me when I’m upstairs with her if my family’s gone.
The thing that struck me as crazy was that the shelter thought she was some sort of Shepherd mix! They just make guesses at Rescue Waggin dogs’ breeds based on appearance, but I can’t understand this one for the life of me. She’s just so obviously a collie mix! She has the trademark body shape, ears, and face of one. I figured out she was a lab mix because she looks like a border collie but she’s golden and white which means she’s some sort of mix.
I’ve loved collies since my mom’s best friend had a purebred border collie when I was much younger and always wanted one. I ended up achieving my dream without realising it until much later!
My late partner and I got a call from a shelter we adopted from in the past. They said they raided a puppy mill and we were on their list of good pet parents. My partner wanted a black lab, well when we went to adopt her she was only seven weeks old. We took her to our vet who informed us that we had a Border Collie/Black Lab mix. I was disabled but we went to the park every day and then she had a yard to run in. My partner passed when Rosie (dog) was 4 yrs old. Before then I realized she had the knowledge to help me when I needed it. Whether I fell and she would bring me my cell phone. Then she started to bark when I needed help so she was certified as my therapy dog. And allowed to live in senior housing where no large dogs are allowed. She is the sweetest, most loving animal I have ever had. She loves everyone and everything. However she is now 12 and having a lot of health issues which is breaking my heart. This dog is all I have. I live in the Hudson Valley, N.Y. area and if anyone knows where I can adopt another pup like her I can give her a very loving home. Rosie is still with me but it mey be better to have both here at the same time so one can learn from the other. Sounds strange? Not really if you understand how intelligent these dogs are. A pure bred Border Collie would also be good. I am on disability so I can not afford to buy a puppy. My aunt pays for all of Rosie’s health care. Thank you and please say a prayer for my Rosie.
Interested in adoptiing a border collie/lab mix. We have one now who is the best dog ever. We have moved to a farm and need another similar dog to keep him company. We are located in Maryland. Anyone have an idea where we can acquire a Labroador?
I have a beautiful golden retriever/collie mix. She doesn’t get the exercise that she needs here, I can’t walk her because of my back and young child. She was my ex’s dog and I am the one that’s been making sure she gets the things she needs; everything except enough exercise. She’s 5 years old and still has lots of life in her. She loves the water and walks and is good with children. She’s had a lot of practice with patience because of my son. lol … I’d love to find her a place like yours to find her another family that would give her the best life she deserves. The only issue I see here is – I live near Port Huron, MI.
sending prayers, we rescued a boarder collie lab mix, came from the south with all the flooding. we feel blessed to have him, his name is Roscue and he is 6 months old. Wishing you the Best.
Hello,
We have a six year old border color lab mix. We’ve had him since puppy. We just had a baby and he’s not getting enough exercise. We would be willing to discuss a rehome. We adore our Drake but he’d be happier with someone who had time for him. He loves to run, play ball, hike, truck rides to get ice cream, and is a loyal companion. If interested let me know.
Does anyone have a contact re upcoming Borador pups? I am in Sydney and just started looking after 10yrs without one. Hoping to fine someone within a few hundred kms of Sydney.
I was listening to the swap shop on the radio. Family had a 7 month chocolate lab mixed with border collie that needed a home. I was looking for a dog to replace my best friend/dog, Copper. That’s how we came to have Dutch. He is a gentle and well behaved. Best dog ever.
Oh I was able to her the picture of her and my boxer in the background lol…
In 2001, I moved to Harrogate in North Yorkshire and started lodging with a family who had a rescued dog called “Freeway”.
This wouldn’t ordinarily be related to this website except for the fact I highly suspected that freeway who we all came to love me in particular in this case, had border collie traits in her.
These are the reasons why.
1.Short stubby nose and short silky ears, unlike your typical Labrador/Retriever mix.
2.Intellegence she was much more smarter than any dog I had ever known at that time and also life span she lived to be almost 14 in dog years she was just shy in this regard being 13.4yrs which is tight on the mark for that breed.
3. She was always trying to herd me into somewhere she wanted me to be, sure she could have learned that except in her case this came naturally so that’s another reason.
4. she was the average length of a border collie mix although slightly higher at the hips in terms of hight and her behaviour also didn’t match a lab as she acted similar to a border collie although that came naturally as well.
5. her coat was made of four distinct sizes the first being ultra thin the next slightly longer and the next being medium and lastly her top coat was longer although again not typical for a Labrador and there were subtile markings on her that also didn’t match a lab although these were hard to find in her golden coat.
the family I lodged with had her from a puppy in 1993/1993 until she died in 2006, they had her tested but all the best could say was she was a mixed breed and couldn’t ever narrow this down any further, although as I suspect I think she was meant as a working dog although was to soft so was abandoned and left to die by her first owners not the ones I mentioned above although thankfully she found a good home and had a good life as specially as she and I were instant soulmates.
I knew freeway from when she was 7yrs until her sad death and I still miss her today as she was my one and only true love and guardian angel plus girlfriend as I never had any luck with humans in terms of love, although when I met her I just knew we were right for each other and the rest as they say is history.
I have a new dog also a girl who is now almost 1yrs of age although she’s more your typical American Labrador as she’s a pure breed or pedigree although I love her just as much and she’s also named freeway as I named her in honour of my late beloved angel dog.
Ps- sorry I don’t have any pictures of her as of yet on this website although that’s because I don’t want this message taking up too much space hogging stuff isn’t my style.
Anyway must go now yours sincerly
Kwan Ming.
My borador ‘Newt’ is a wonderful dog. Of all the dogs I have had she potty trained the fastest. She loves to fetch and run but swimming is her favorite. My family spent a summer at a river and she would go swim in circles for hours. We had chickens for a while and she loved to heard them, she would even hold them down with one paw and wait so I could come get them. Once my husband was doing some target practice and without ever having been trained to she heard the gun shot and went to retrieve the can he was shooting at. Amazing dog, she is great with our 7 year old daughter and has never destroyed anything in the house.
Great article. I am looking to adopt a borador late this year or early next year. I want to find the right match and I will be able to give 100% of my time to our new member. I would love to be contacted with any help or suggestions. I am from Brooklyn, NY.
We adopted Frank the tank at 3mo old he’s now 7mo old. He Loves to chew on everything & loves to eat. He amazing with his human brother that’s 3yr old & his older fur sister that kinda of a diva. He very smart dog that loves to play catch. He doesn’t like car passing us on our morning walks. HE is definitely shredded a lot of which drives me crazy our other dog is short hair. So glad we add him to our family
We’ve had our Borador (Roscoe) for 9 years now and I can honestly say he is the best dog I’ve ever owned, and I grew up on a farm with a lot of dogs. They found him abandoned in a box by the side of the road in Missouri and he and his sister are the only ones in the litter to have survived. This article is the first one that came up when I Googled Border Collie / Lab mix and it appears to be very accurate. They have the lovable happy-go-lucky nature of a Lab and the high intelligence of a Border Collie. Just a wonderful dog all the way around.
my first dog was a labaredoor collie cross i guess. as his dad esscaped (a lab) found a collie mum and pups were made in 1995 designer breads were never arround he was considerd a hinze 57 and cost my mum and dad around £10. he was gourugse and so loving i could do anything. he lived to 15 and a half and outlived his brothers and sisters. he was thin coated like a lab but had a bit of a collie face but the intellange of both combined. he liked nothing more then to go to the beeach. he was the best dog. i had him since i was a year and a half old. he was my baby he would always sleep with me on a day time and tell mum when i was in pain as he would do this thing with his head on my lap and look at me. when mum asked i said no but she then asked buddy and buddy would look at her then lay back down. and she knew. at the end his legs gave out. but his heart was still that of a 7 year old. i was never so proud to have a brillant first time dog. when i was little all i could say was poppy puppy dog so he nearly got called poppy. but mum said buster. so that was his name.
Ive had my lilly for 12 years and i never knew what she was mixed with until i found this artical. She’s the best dog i could have ever asked for. Shes intelligent and patient, loving beyond measure, loves to swim and chase ducks and squirrels, and so great with children. She likes the company of cats, although im allergic. She was in a box on the side of the road with her bothers and sisters when a friend’s friend found them. Shes been with me through thick and thin, and gives me kisses every time i cry. She believes her love can cure me, and i love her more than anything. I would reccomend this breed to anyone who wants a dog who can understand what youre saying, and wants a dog that is ready for adventure.
I have a Lab/Border Collie mix we rescued from the local Humane Society named Libby (originally named Lipstick). She is now eight years old, weighs about 70lbs, and when she is standing on her hind legs she comes up to my shoulders. (I’m 6’00”) and still acts like she is two or three. Temperament wise, she is a great dog! That being said, she also has many bad habits such as jumping on guests, eating everything in site, invades person space and barks…a lot! Anything out of the ordinary she is barking at… hot air balloons, animals, neighbors in their own house across the street. She can do flips when catching a tennis ball, and can jump over a 4 foot fence with ease!
I have a 2 year old Borador named Balto. His mother was a full chocolate lab and father a border collie. Got him at 10 weeks old and he has been the best dog ever. He absolutely loves to cuddle but will play fetch for hours if you want to. He also loves going swimming and naturally just retrieves anything I throw in the creek. I definitely recommend the mix.
We are in the UK and adopted our borador from a pound in Ireland. She had been surrendered at 7 months old because she was too much for her family. She is now 2 and a half years old, very energetic and loves her gun dog training and holidays in France. Boy, can she run. She makes a great friend for our 6 year old black lab. She is very loving to people and sometimes too playful with other dogs and will run off to find dogs on walks.
I’ve had my lad Archie for a little over 7 months. He’s definitely lab x collie, but I suspect he might have a little GSD in him as he’s quite leggy and tall. He’s my first dog, but I’ve not met a kinder, intelligent animal especially since he’s a rescue dog and can have anxiety in new situations. I got him at just over a year old after he’d spent 2 months in a shelter. According to them, he came in an emotional wreck. His old home unfortunately had no idea what they were doing. He was their first dog, but they saw every little ‘quirk’ such as him falling over (not uncommon in a growing pup with gangly legs) as a health problem and took him up the vets each and everytime. They also muzzled him as he anxiety barked at their young child and I suspect crated him without desensitisation as he gets very stressed when he’s contained.
I aim for 2 hours a day exercise. These dogs are high energy breeds and it shows when they aren’t run. Labs are chewers and bored dogs often become destructive. Collies are everywhere, leaping off the furniture, and are pretty creative with amusing themselves. I know Arch likes to ‘deconstruct’ his toys and any packaging he can get his teeth around. He’s also a shoe chewer, so any footwear has to be hidden away. He’s also taken to licking the leather furniture, something he’s currently doing as I write this lol.
That said, he’s amazing when worked out in the fields. He knows how to spin left and right, walk backwards, and go from sit to down to sit again – all for a ball. It gets some curious watchers and a couple of times I’ve had fellow dog walkers ask if I was training for Briton’s got talent XD we’re also taking agility classes, which he excels at since, being half collie, he figures things out very quickly. Apart from his anxiety and a few manner issues, he likes to say hello in a very boisterous way when he gets over excited and wants to say hello to EVERYONE with four legs – including cows, cats and my guinea pigs – he is wonderful. He’s come along leaps and bounds since I got him as a skinny pup. Couldn’t ask for a better dog. 🙂
I have a black lab / border collie mix and he is the most exceptional, intelligent & mannerly dog I’ve ever seen. He is a male & I think he has some of the same qualities as a cat. He balls up a towel before he lays on it, he bats around a ball and controls it to play soccer, backspins it & runs it from room to room then kicks it to make a score. He loves to play ball, that is his fav. He stops on a towel that is right inside the front door so I can wipe off his paws before he goes thru the house, if I am playing with him & the phone rings, he will pause and wait for me to finish before we resume play. While we are playing in the house, I ask him “what are you forgetting”? & he will come up to me & give me a big hug. He is a great watch dog along with being very affectionate. If he gets in the way or layers in the path you are going, all I have to say is “excuse me” and he will scoot over or move. Everyone he meets are truly charmed by his demeanor & affection. He could never be replaced, no way, no how!
I found my Borador in front of my house, it was a cold night and he was shivering and seemed so week. I took him feed him. I could recognize well that he used to be homeless so I kept him and now he is my very best friend. I called him Chance. He is indeed very active and won’t stop playing. but that’s ok with me as I’m an active person too 😀
Oh and he is driving me crazy while putty training him.
Didn’t know he is a border collie Lab until I found this post. At first I thought he is a Lab x Baladi (egyptian dog)
I got my Bo aka Bocephus Laberjay through coincidence. I was driving through my neighborhood one Sunday afternoon when I looked over and saw this beautiful dog sitting on the sidewalk. My boyfriend assured me that his owner would be around soon and to continue driving LOL. The next morning as I opened up Facebook I noticed a girl that I work with had posted a picture of a beautiful black dog with a white chest. I quickly responded and asked her where she found him which just so happened to be the same exact spot I saw him the day before. Apparently she has a friend that lives near that spot and he just wandered right into his garage. So lo and behold my friend works at a vet officeas well and posted picture after picture on every website to try and find out whose dog he was. She Fostered him for a few weeks and then said, I can no longer keep him and that no one had responded to any of her ads, would I like like to take him? I was hesitant due to the fact he was a stray and I have small children but she said that the vet gave him a clean bill of health and said he was some kind of Border Collie Shepherd mix. So to make a long story short I took him home and have been obsessed with him ever since. My kids can practically lay on him and he just lays there with what looks like a giant smile on his face! He is the missing piece to our puzzle and I don’t know what life would be like without him! He is definitely my furry kid!!!! ❤❤❤❤
What a lovely story 😀
How old is he? What did you name him?
We rescued “Bonehead” over 2 years ago from a nice place in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The kids named him Chase and we are all in love. He is the best dog. The neighbors all enjoy him as well. He is just the right amount of play and down time. He is gentle with my now 4 year old (she was 2 and my son was 5 when we adopted him). He actually protects the kids very well. Not sure that we could have asked for a better dog!