Border collies and aussies

[ashleycat]

How can you tell the difference?

Some of them look just like eachother with the black tries and the merles!

O,, nevermind.. Border collies have tails.

BUT how do you know what the dominant breed is in a mix?

Runner is supposedly an aussie mix. She looks just like an aussie, but with a tail. And extra fur which is making me think she may be mixed with maybe a sheltie? I dunno. But what if she really isn't aussie. What if she is sheltie crossed with some sort of spaniel or cattle dog?

[luvofallhorses]

she's definately an Aussie mix IMO. :)

[bckrazy]

I can tell the difference instanteously! At least, between the working style dogs of both breeds. With show BC's and Aussies, they look much more similar.

Merle is much, much less common in Border Collies. Even with a merle BC, there is a distinct difference in the face alone - with BC's having a longer muzzle, different eye shape and expression, and a different ear-set. BC's have a much more lean structure and are generally smaller. Not to mention their herding styles are very different! Aussies are more of a driving breed, and much more vocal, while BC's tend to be quiet and use their eyes while working.

I always thought Runner looked like an Aussie x Chow =P

[BC_MoM]

First of all, it doesn't matter! :D You love her no matter what she is! lol

All I see in Runner is Aussie. :)

Australian Shepherds are usually a little bit stockier than BC's, and have wider heads and broader muzzles.

[wolf_Q]

She definitely looks like an Aussie mix to me too.

Her fur does look very thick, maybe she has some american eskimo in her?

[ashleycat]

First of all, it doesn't matter! :D You love her no matter what she is! lol

All I see in Runner is Aussie. :)

Australian Shepherds are usually a little bit stockier than BC's, and have wider heads and broader muzzles.
She has a tail so she's def mixed. Aussies don't have tails right?

And she's pretty quiet too. Very rarely do I hear her bark

[cali]

there is clearly no BC in Runner lol between barbie collies and aussies, even I have a really hard time telling the difference and I mix them up all the time. however with real BCs and aussies, the difference is very clear:

BC:
tails
longer narrower muzzles
ears pretty mcuh any set and mix of sets
longer legs
lighter build
less hair
come in smooth coats


Aussie:
no tail
short blunt muzzles
ears flopped with a slight rise at the base
shorter legs
heavily boned
always longish thick hair

example:

red merle Border collie(Happys sire)
http://www.imagewireless.ca/myweb/weskeys/Cajunaug00.jpg

red merle aussie
http://www.dog-breeders.biz/pics/16579_7.jpg

[BC_MoM]

Sometimes, on a rare occassion, Aussie's can have tails. I think that's only if they're lineage has tails though, right?

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong! lol

[cali]

it works both ways though lol Aussies can have tails and BCs can have no tails, so a tail or lack there of doesnt mean much.

[wolfsoul]

Personally I think she looks more like an Australian cattle dog/sheltie mix. The type of ticking she has most resembles that of an ACD, and she seems too small to be ACD/Aussie, so I'd say ACD/sheltie.

[BC_MoM]

it works both ways though lol Aussies can have tails and BCs can have no tails, so a tail or lack there of doesnt mean much.

Why would someone dock or a breed BC's and produce no-tail Borders?

[ashleycat]

she's 37 lbs. She has more tiny spots than big patches. Does that count for anything? I didn't notice them till I shaved her.

[wolfsoul]

The tiny spots are ticking. :) Merle can come in small spots too but typically they are larger black patches with more irregularities to the size and shape.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y113/babybrookie/100_2019.jpg
And here is an cattle dog..
http://dl.dogomania.com/breeds/cattle_dog.jpg
And shelties with smaller bits of merling..You can tell the difference between ticking and merling.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h247/creditapproved/b6bba1ee.jpg

Looking now at her ear-set, her ears seem a bit low for a cattle/dog sheltie mix. I do believe there is cattle dog in there though..

[bckrazy]

Why would someone dock or a breed BC's and produce no-tail Borders?

Why would some one dock Aussies? :p Especially since 99% of the Aussies I know don't venture anywhere past grassy backyards. I understand the few that actually work in thick brush should be docked. In most cases, Aussies are not born with natural bobs, they're docked.

I feel that the only reason to dock is for function. I do know a few people who live in rough areas, with BC's who work cattle and whose tails could get pretty mangled if they were undocked, so their BC's are docked. I've also heard of the rare occasion of a BC being born with a bob.

[Lori Jordan]

She has a tail so she's def mixed. Aussies don't have tails right?

And she's pretty quiet too. Very rarely do I hear her bark
Some do,were i got Bandit The couple that bred him,they had a guy call and he wanted a red tri with tail,some people do not dock,not alot but i have seen alot of Aussies with tails her in canada,regardless i do think Runner has Aussie in her do you know anything about were she has come from?

[lv4dogs]

Runner's face just screems AUssie to me. She's got some in her thats for sure. Some possible other breeds I see in her (keep in mind she can be a mix of more than 2 breeds) are: chow, sheltie, aus. cattle dog, spaniel.


Austrailan Shepherds can be born with a natural bobtail (short to no tail at all) but natural bobtail to natural bobtail breeding can result in some offspring with srerious spinal defects therefore *most* reputable breeders try not to breed for the natural bobtail anymore. (serious health problems can occur when you breed a merle to a merle as well)
Some Aussies have a full tail but most are docked.

[ashleycat]

Well.. she is just a pretty mutt then lol.

I have no idea what her background is. All I know is that one lady returned her because she wouldn't jog with her, and another lady returned he because she got sick. So now I have her. And have no intentions of returning her. She is perfect.

Sooo sweet too. Such a lap dog. Last night she got up into my bed and slept at my legs resting her head on me while I petted her face. She feels soooo loved. She really warmed up to me quick too. Cus all I do is give her lovins