Will a Border Collie Puppy be Rough or Smooth Coated?

Laura S: When buying a border collie puppy how can you tell if it will be rough or smooth coated?
I'm getting a Border Collie puppy soon. I have a friend who has a Border Collie that is smooth coated, and I want a rough-coated dog. How can I tell if the puppy is going to be rough or smooth coated?

Answers and Views:

Answer by mrssmith
When you can get them at 8 weeks old... they will either have a rough-looking coat or a fine-looking coat.

Photo Credit: tom@hk/Flickr CC

Answer by Nikki
You can tell when they are 8 weeks for sure.
Long coats are more fluffy and a smooth coat just lays closer to the skin.

Answer by kate palmer
I have a BC that I got at 9 1/2 weeks and he had a smooth silky coat. 3 to 4 weeks later his coat started growing and filling out. Turned out to be a real handsome fellow.

You never know, time will tell. I can say for sure, that the BC needs to be socialized at an early age. We have always done that with our BC’S and we’ve always had well-balanced dogs.

We live in Vermont and spend a lot of time outside in the woods. Our dog is always with us and a joy to be around.

Best of luck with your pup, smooth or rough-coated. ALL dogs are good dogs which is more than i can say for humans!!!

Answer by marci knows best
Border Collies only come in the rough coat. There is a different breed, called Collie, that comes in a rough or smooth coat. Do some more research on breeds to be sure you are getting the one you want.
Border Collies are very high-energy herding dogs that need several hours of daily exercise as well as a great deal of mental stimulation. Collies are still high energy but are much more mellow.

Answer by Bobbie L
Marci Knows Best, does NOT know best. Border Collies come in Rough and Smooth coats. The reputable breeder that you get your pup from can tell which coat the pup will have. It's pretty obvious at 8 weeks of age, so do some homework before purchasing this breed.

Please do NOT purchase an AKC Border Collie, as many AKC breeders are ruining this breed by breeding for looks rather than brains.

You do know, of course, how much money a working Border Collie will run you? When the dog turns a year old, you will need to turn the dog over to a professional sheepdog trainer. In the house, training is around $ 500.00 a month, and your pup will need to be left with this trainer for 3-4 months. After that, you'll need to take lessons at least twice a week at $ 50.00 an hour.

Answer by Debbie
I can’t believe Bobbie L.’s answer! We have a rescue, that I thought was a mixed breed border collie. A trainer I work with thinks it may be purebred. Either way, Bobbie certainly discredits the breed.

My border collie definitely required training which she took to very well. She is very smart but does need exercise and stimulation. For fun, we do Rally-O which has been fantastic for obedience training and bonding. We also do some agility for stimulation. Our costs are nowhere’s near what Bobbie described! And I’m learning when I attend a class WITH my dog….no extra training or cost for me.

Unless you are going to train your dog for herding or professional ring training, the cost would be no more than you would pay for training a mutt (which is a breed I love!). The main thing is stimulation…give the border collie something to do, something to learn, etc. or they create their own fun….which might not jive with YOUR idea of fun!

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Answer by Paul
First off, Collies are different than Border Collies. But Border Collies as a breed do come in both Smooth and Rough Coats. Smooth Coat is more dominant, so you see it more often. To be a rough coat both parents must be the rough coats. Smooth Coat Broder Collies can carry what is called the regressive Rough Coat gene, which can produce rough coat offspring occasionally. Which you should begin to notice around 8 weeks.

Next, I'd like to suggest that Bobbie L stop barfing horror stories to prospective Border Collie owners. This breed can easily be trained to be both a family dog and a sports dog. My Border Collie which is presently sleeping peacefully beside me is trained with an off switch, 'ON' its full bore Disc Dog, 'OFF' he's a perfect angel

Dogs generally speaking are a product of their training and I would suggest that maybe Bobbie L should look at attending some PROPER Dog training lessons. As we all know Dog training is more for the owner than the dog!!!!!
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