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Are My Border Collies Normal Size?


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Hi everyone,

 

I've been looking around on other forums and general knowledge of other Border Collies.

post-19324-0-01003100-1499739291_thumb.jpg

- 1 1/2 year old female (red merle) that weighs 40lbs and

- 7 month old male (chocolate/brown) that weighs 47lbs.

 

My question is; are they a normal size? Should i be concerned that they're bigger and heavier than all other Border Collies I have seen (in person or online).

 

I feed them both Merrick BackCountry Raw Infused.

 

Their weight is accurate as of July 10th, 2017.

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There is a range of sizes in Border Collies. I have a female that weighs about 35, give or take. She has always been this size, and is now almost 14. (The red girl in the avatar.) My other female weighs around 40, and the male weighs between 45 and 50, depending on the season of the year. We adjust their food based on their ribs.

 

Kathy Robbins

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I do not worry about the number. Are the dogs fit? Do they have a waist line when you look down on them? They should be an hourglass shape. Can you easily feel muscle and ribs or do you feel fat under the skin?

 

Learn what an active in shape dogs feel like then feed and adjust activity to achieve that

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It is not easy to tell by a photo of them sitting but the best thing is to feel them, like others said. You want to see a tucked stomach, a defined waist and be able to easily feel ribs. Photos of them standing from the side and from the top would make it easier to tell but really, feeling them is best.

 

My 9 yo male is currently 44lb, he is quite lean (most people think he is underweight) and muscular but is also on the tall and long side.

 

My 2 yo female is just shy of 27lb. Again, lean and quite muscular but also much shorter in height and length than our other dog. I get comments from regular people because of her smooth coat (which makes it easier to see her shape) that she is too thin. But she is a fit and muscular girl and most pet people call their chubby dogs thin.

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They are both very well exercised and have minimum to no fat,the red merle one is 40lbs and fully grown, very lean and muscular. I am expecting the younger chocolate one (of 7months) to be about 55lbs when fully grown, he is currently 47lbs. So in all, are they "normal"? Both are intact if that matters at all.

 

post-19324-0-93271600-1499779761_thumb.pngpost-19324-0-63845200-1499779771_thumb.png

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When it comes to working border collies, there's no real "normal" regarding size and other physical attributes. They aren't bred for how they look or how they conform to a physical standard. That's kennel club thinking.

 

There is certainly an average range of size that border collies fall into. I'd say your female is probably on the high end of average for a bitch and that the male may end up a little larger than average. Large border collies, yes, but neither seem to me to be freakishly large.

 

One of the very few pups I bred many years ago was a very lean 70 lbs. at one year old. Now that was a big border collie! I'm sure he put on a pound or two as he matured. His parents were what I considered a large (thin & fit) 48 male and a 36 lb. bitch.

 

Was he "normal"? I guess that depends on how it affected his working ability, and while I don't think he was ever put to sheep (he was actually used as a bird dog), I noticed a certain lack of coordination and agileness in his movements. It was very slight, but could have been a detriment with fast moving sheep in close conditions.

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There really is no such thing as normal weight/height for border collies. They aren't bred to strict appearance standards like other breeds. Just like how many of us here have dogs with very different heights, weights, coat types, etc.

 

Just aim for healthy weights for your individual dogs by feeling them regularly. If needed, consult your vet on their weight.

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It doesn't seem to be an issue with the OP's dogs, but since it keeps coming up in this thread I'll repost this:

 

Here's the body condition chart that vets use. IMO, border collies should be on the thin side, in the 3+ to 4 range. You'll have to use your hands to show you what your eyes can't see beneath the fur, but I like to be able to feel ribs by just running my fingers over them. If I have to apply any pressure to feel ribs, the food gets cut back a bit.

http://research.unc....CCM3_032387.pdf

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My older dog is currently 62 lbs, I think he slightly overweight but he is very muscular, he is a big boy. My younger dog at 16 months is very slightly build but almost as tall as my big dog, he currently weighs 44lbs and I expect he will put on quite a bit more as he develops more musculature, he is a very late developer. Somehow I just end up with giant border collies.

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Agreeing with what others have said - since the working-bred border collie does not have a phenotypic standard, they come in a range of weights. I wouldn't bat an eyelash if I heard of a border collie within the weight range of 25 - 27 lbs up to 60 - 65 lbs.

 

The kennel club breeders worry about appearance, ears, coat and size, among other things.

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Hi everyone,

 

I've been looking around on other forums and general knowledge of other Border Collies.

attachicon.gifIMG_0388.jpg

- 1 1/2 year old female (red merle) that weighs 40lbs and

- 7 month old male (chocolate/brown) that weighs 47lbs.

 

My question is; are they a normal size? Should i be concerned that they're bigger and heavier than all other Border Collies I have seen (in person or online).

 

I feed them both Merrick BackCountry Raw Infused.

 

Their weight is accurate as of July 10th, 2017.

 

 

Normal? I think "normal" anything is entirely relative when it comes to border collies. :P

 

But honestly, they sound fine. If they're fit as they seem to be, who cares? My 9 year old Nick, seen in my profile pic, is about 47 pounds and he has a couple younger full brothers who are taller and a bit heavier. Meanwhile his 2-1/2 year old younger half sister is only 32 pounds. I've known some border collies as small as 25 and others as large as 60+.

 

So, unless they're fat, they're fine! :D

 

~ Gloria

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  • 2 weeks later...

I see what i call a "giant" border collie at the dog park occasionally. I've been meaning to ask his person how much he weights. He's not bulky at all, but his legs are LONG, and he stands as tall as a larger german shepherd. In a picture without any frame of reference, he would look like any BC, but when he walks by and i can touch his shoulders without bending over, I just can't stop staring.

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  • 3 years later...

My Border Collie pup is an extra large for his age. He is just over 5 months now and is 22 inches at the withers and is 42 pounds right now. He is slim built and looks a little under weight looking at him sideways. I am feeding him Imus puppy food and free range him with the other dogs. He does not over eat and the other dogs 11 year old Morkie and a 4 month old chaweenie  both are at a good weight.

Is he going to be a giant breed collie and now much bigger is he going to be. Parents are registered and working

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