Borador?

[DavidT]

I have a 10 month old smooth coat border collie and we are looking at getting him a friend.

We are potentially looking at a Borador, Mum is a black lab, dad is a rough coat border collie.

What are people thoughts on the Boradore? 

What are they like with shedding? My BC boy isn’t too bad and being a short hair, the Boradore is a short hair as well.

Any info or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Journey]

Why not just go to a shelter and see what they have available? I find that the smooth coats actually shed worse than the roughs. As far as opinions on a mixed breed, whatever makes you happy. Just know going in that you may not get the good qualities of both. Don't let the name fool you, they're not a breed. A mutt by a different name..

[GentleLake]

Welcome to the Boards.

Yes, a mutt by a different name and if you're purchasing it most likely a way to get more money for what's essentially a mutt that you can find tons of in shelters. I've been looking to adopt another dog and I keep seeing border collie x Lab mixes quite often on the shelter sites.

I agree that one of my smooth coated border collies was an excessive shedders. The other was long enough ago and one of a houseful of dogs, so I don't really remember. The Labs I've known have been profuse year long shedders as well so I'd expect no less from this mix.

 

[AnyaDogz]

We've had at least one lab in our home for twenty years and all of them have shed about the same. The worst part of them is blowing their undercoat once or twice a year. Their outer coat rarely sheds, as that is part of their "waterproofing" and the soft downy coat keeps them warm while swimming in cold water. They shed the most in the spring and then again lightly in the fall.

Most of the fur I vacuum up is border collie fur. As long as I brush our lab regularly, he doesn't shed much. Jack, on the other hand, sheds like crazy all the time. Brushing helps, he is just a shedding machine

[Maralynn]

Shedding will likely be significant. And I agree thy the smooths seem to shed more than the rough coated dog.

 

re: the mix. I knew one that was a SAR dog and she was sweet and quite nutty. She was surrendered to rescue at 10 w/o because she barked non stop and wouldn’t settle. It was the pushy in your face lab with the intensity of a BC... 

[GentleLake]

19 minutes ago, Maralynn said:

It was the pushy in your face lab with the intensity of a BC... 

That to me is the risk in choosing a border collie mix. You can end up with the best qualities of both breeds, or you can end up with the worst.

My current lurcher is a great example. She's got the smarts of the brightest border collies with the you're-not-the-boss-of-me attitude of a sighthound. She got very little of the biddability genes. It's a near constant battle of wills to get her to do what I ask her to do unless she's got some really good motivation.

My border collie x spitz-type (maybe Am. Eskimo?) was also a very smart dog with a wicked prey drive. I lost count of how many animals she killed in the 12 years she was with me and she had a very strong desire to escape the fenced yard and roam.

I fostered a border-jack for a while. Couldn't wait till that dog was adopted. She was an absolute nightmare. She had all the extremes of both breeds and drove me freaking nuts.

So with a border collie x Lab (I hate the cutesy blended names) you could get a more laid back dog with fewer quirks than many border collies, or you could get a dog that doubles up on the intensity that both breeds can have plus the perpetual in-your-face goofiness that many Labs don't seem to grow out of.

[CptJack]

You really have to like both breeds in a mix, a lot, to be pretty confident about it - and by that I don't mean 'like parts of them and can't stand others and hope they go away in favor of taking after the other breed or being toned down by it'.   You can never really be sure how the genes are going to come together.

 

Or, really, if dealing with a mutt assess the puppy/dog in front of you, and if you can the mother/father/relatives and see what's actually there. Puppies are always a crap shoot, puppies more of one,  but your best bet with a mix is still 'look at the DOG'. 

[Baderpadordercollie]

47 minutes ago, CptJack said:

Puppies are always a crap shoot, puppies more of one,  

Hummm? 

[CptJack]

45 minutes ago, Baderpadordercollie said:

Hummm? 

Sorry, left out a word.  *Mutt* puppies are more of one.

[Baderpadordercollie]

@CptJack Haha, I thought so, but it still took me a few minutes to figure it out, like dummy. 

[D'Elle]

I second the suggestion of simply going to a shelter and picking out a mutt that you like. In my experience, border collie crosses often shed more than purebred border collies do, and what people have said about short haired dogs shedding has also been my experience. I knew a border jack who was an amazing and lovely dog, but his hairs seemed to corkscrew into everything, and you couldn't vacuum them off a rug or carpet, nor get them out of your clothes without considerable effort.  

I also strongly dislike the cutesy terms people have made up to describe dogs who are cross breed. I have known a few dogs who were lab crossed with border collie, and did not appreciate the combination of goofy and intense, overly-energetic and not especially bright. The dogs I knew were harder to train than either breed alone. Just my experience.

[DavidT]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Some people have taken offence to me using the term "Borador", apologies. I only used this term as I thought everyone would prefer as opposed to me saying a Border Collie x Labrador, or mutt by any other name.

People are talking about pounds etc for these type of dogs,  the girl we are in fact looking at is a rescue pup from farm.

[CptJack]

Meet her and see what you think.  If you like labs and you like BC and you like her, you'll know what you need to know.  I'm not a huge fan of labs, personally (to own, I know some I admire a lot - who belong to other people), because I'm not into goofy or dogs who are super physical in showing affection but loads of people are.   I'd even say most are. 

[D'Elle]

DavidT, I don't think anyone took offense. At least, I didn't. No worries. We were just saying what our preferences were in semantic terms.

I have the preference because to me, and mix is a mix, period. There's nothing wrong with mixed breed dogs. I have two, myself. I simply like to call it what it is. 

My objection to the cute names is only that it makes it sound as if the mix is a breed, which it is not.

Best of luck with whatever dog you choose, and I hope you feel free to come here for advice. (we like puppy photos, too).

[GentleLake]

1 hour ago, D'Elle said:

We were just saying what our preferences were in semantic terms.

This goes for me, too. I took no offense and have issues with the cutesy names for the same reason D'Elle does, and also for the fact that way too many people (not saying you) are using them to create the impression that the dogs are somehow "better" or more desirable than otherwise . . . and then asking a boatload of money for them in too many cases.

So, yeah, if you like both breeds and like this particular puppy, by all means go for it.

Sorry no one really had any more specific info for you.

[DavidT]

Thanks all for the info.

Input and opinions are always valid regardless of how much you take from it.

So an update... we pick our girl up on Friday. Just need to work out the best way of introduction to our current boy.

oh, and a here’s a pic of my current boy and the soon to be new girl.

 

[Baderpadordercollie]

Me when my dog was a puppy: "Never again."

Me now every time I see a puppy picture:

"I want a puppy so bad!"