If you consider Border Collie as your next pet, you might want to know a thing or two about them, besides being a wonderful dog breed. For example, you’d surely want to know the difference between male and female Border Collie or price and cost, from the adoption to upbringing.
Today, we will try to bring closer to you the complete budget of owning a Border Collie. Will it fit your budget? What is the exact price of a Border Collie puppy? Are they too expensive to own?
These working dogs were once used as herding dogs on the border of England and Scotland. Today, they’re beloved pets with a strong herding instinct that comes on the surface everytime they compete in the show ring.
Before you decide to get one of these babies, let’s get the calculator running!
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[ux_products products=”24″ tags=”border-collie-products” orderby=”rand”]What’s The Average Border Collie Price And Cost?
On average, a Border Collie puppy coming from a reputable breeder will cost you around $600 to $1,200, depending on the breeder’s reputation and location, litter size, as well as the dog’s bloodline. Show quality Border Collies cost even more, up to $4,500!
The first year of owning a dog is always rough. It’s expected to spend around $1,800 to $3,000, which covers everything, from food, to vet visits, pet insurance, training, grooming, and more.
How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Border Collie?
You can also get a Border Collie puppy for an adoption fee of only around $200 to $400. Many shelters and animal rescue centers carry this adorable dog breed.
Of course, the expenses may differ depending on your location or the type of rescue center you’re adopting from. The adoption fee usually covers the vet’s examination, spaying, or neutering. Some rescue organizations will also provide basic training lessons at a discounted price of only $100 to $300. That’s something extra that would be awesome to agree on.
Cost Of Pet Quality Border Collie Puppies
A pet-quality Border Collie puppy price from a breeder is around $600 to $800. These pups will have all the necessary documents, but you should know that they have less show quality.
Apparently, they don’t seem to match the highest standard of the Border Collie pedigree set up by the American Kennel Club (AKC), even though they’re purebred pups.
Cost Of Premium Border Collie Puppies
Premium quality Border Collie puppies are puppies from a champion lineage, meaning the parents and sometimes grandparent dogs had ideal standards of the Border Collie breed. Also, only reputable breeders carry premium Border Collie puppies.
As a rule, these puppies will cost more than $1,000. Every week, they’re being properly evaluated to see if their physical, social, and intellectual needs are being met. This guarantees the display of the highest standards of the Border Collie breed.
In some cases, you can expect to pay an incredible amount of $5,000 for well-bred and highly-titles puppies. The parents of these puppies don’t breed more than twice a year, and the breeder doesn’t allow them to reproduce until they’re 3 or 4 years old.
These are highly-anticipated puppies, usually with waiting lists for up to 3 years.
A well-trained Border Collie might cost you up to $7,500. When you take into consideration time and effort for training the dog, this price is justifiable.
If you have your mind set on a premium Border Collie puppy, you should know that buying without proper research of the breeder and the dog’s lineage isn’t advisable. After all, you’re paying a huge amount of money, you don’t want to get scammed in any way.
Here are some cues that can tell you whether the breeder is a reliable one or not:
- A reputable breeder doesn’t allow adoption before the puppies are old enough. Border Collie puppies need to be at least 10 to 12 weeks old to be adopted. A puppy needs early socialization from its mother and other littermates before it starts any human training.
- Breeder’s participation in competitions. A quality breeder will most likely participate in dog shows and competitions. The Border Collie dog breed has many show competitions just for them.
- Dog’s behavior. If a puppy and its parents are comfortable around humans, it should be a good sign that they’re raised in a good manner.
- Asking questions. Good breeders want to make sure you’ll be fit as a dog owner and that you’re capable of taking care of the puppies. Reputable breeders won’t hesitate in taking the dog back at any stage of its life if you’re not able to take care of them.
- Nature of the place. Most breeders allow the puppies to stay inside the family, rather than in a basement or a backyard. Puppies should have a clean and safe living area. Allowing the puppies to live among the breeder’s family will help the puppies adapt better to their new family.
Extra Expenses When Buying A Border Collie Puppy
Besides the initial buying price, there are other expenses you’re expected to cover when buying a Border Collie puppy.
Transportation or shipping fees
Most breeders will take care of the transportation arrangements if you ask them to. These costs consist of airline booking and the necessary documentation.
The expenses may be higher as $200 depending on the breeder’s location and yours. There are even transportation agencies that cater only dogs.
They will charge around $120 to $250 to transport within 300 miles and around $270 to $500 for long-distance shipments.
Registration expenses
Breeders usually have their puppies under limited registration, meaning you will have to change that status to full registration removing the limited status for a $25 fee.
You can have the individual membership of the Border Collie Society of America (BCSA) for only $50.
Also, you can register with the American Border Collie Association (ABCA). The annual membership costs $15 or you can pay for a lifetime membership a price of $150.
Microchipping
We can’t stress out enough how important is microchipping. Microchipping your Border Collie increases the chance of finding them when they get lost or run away. It costs around $50 and your local vet can do it.
Training Expenses: Is The Training Too Expensive?
Even though Border Collies are one of the most intelligent dog breeds, you still need to train them and, honestly, that won’t be an easy task.
Border Collies need to be trained precisely. Sure, you can be a good dog trainer, but it would be best to hire a professional trainer to achieve ultimate success.
The average cost of dog training for Border Collies is from $30 to $80 per class. Dog obedience training schools are recommended for Border Collies and they cost from $200 to $600 per a week.
If you properly train your Border Collie, it will be able to understand about 100 words and quickly respond to simple gestures and signals you give them. However, they’re quite stubborn and will try to outsmart the person in charge.
Obedience Training School Cost
It is mandatory for dogs to go in an obedience school if you plan to have them fully trained. If you like to train with other puppies, you can choose group training that will cost around $120 to $165.
Individual training is cheaper and costs around $80 per hour, but it does have the benefit of doing the training anywhere you want, even at your place.
Special Training Lessons For Border Collies
Agility classes and search and rescue lessons are excellent ways to work on the mental stimulation.
Search and rescue classes will train your Border Collie to track and trail scents, to search and rescue missing children, Alzheimer’s patients, and other missing people. These training lessons will cost you $100 to $125 per lesson.
Since Border Collies are agile dogs, they will be quite interested in agility training classes.
You’d be amazed to see how well they navigate through obstacles course by jumping hurdles, climbing walls, zig-zagging through poles, playing flyball, and dashing through tunnels. Yes, Border Collies do have high energy drive!
A six-week agility training course starts from $120.
Equipment Expenses: What You Really Need
There are some accessories you will need when raising a Border Collie. It would be best to set up everything before the puppy arrives. Remember, accessories change as the puppy grows.
It would be ideal to purchase high-quality accessories that won’t harm your pooch and will last much longer than cheaper ones.
Dog gates and crates. It’s of high importance to make your house puppy friendly. Just like human babies, puppies tend to test things with their mouths. They will chew on anything that can fit their mouth. Unfortunately, it also includes electric wires and other harmful things. Since you can’t keep an eye on your dog all the time, you must invest in some kind of child gates to limit the puppy’s space. These gates cost around $20 to $40. Puppy crates come in handy, especially when you’re taking your dog to the bet. They usually have sliding door, a removable roof, and a non-skid rubber feet. A quality dog crate can be found for $80 to $100 on Amazon.
Collars, leashes, or harnesses. You need to ensure a proper collar, leash, and harness for your puppy. Neither one of these should cause any harm. A leash is always useful when training your puppy. It’s not that expensive and costs around $10 to $15. Also, it’s important to choose a leash that’s long enough. Border Collie puppy needs a soft and adjustable collar. These come in a variety of colors and styles and cost from $15 to $20. Using a harness instead of a collar will be easier for you, especially if you’re a new owner. A good harness will cost $10 to $15.
Dog beds. Another must on our list is a good dog bed. Since a Border Collie puppy can sleep up to 20 hours a day, it will need a good bed that’s not too big or too small. A usual elevated dog bed goes around $85. What’s important to is that the dog bed must support your dog’s weight. Soft puppy beds go for around $35. Both bed types are available in lots of different shapes and sizes. It’s good when the bed has bumpers on the side to provide head support. Dog bed changes as the puppy grows.
Food and water bowls. Food and water bowls shouldn’t be too deep. A standard ceramic bowl is better than a plastic or a metal one, and it is around $12 to $20.
Chew toys and other toys. Chew toys are a huge must, especially if you have a teething puppy. You can find these anywhere and they cost from $5 to $15. Older Border Collies will enjoy a toy like a frisbee which costs about $7 to $15. But, if you’re interested in something more diverse, we suggest one of the toy sets that go for $40 to $60.
Dog treats. These are another important expense on our list. Dog treats come in handy when training your Border Collie. There are all sorts of dog treats with different flavours. Expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $15 for a nice bag of treats.
Veterinarian And Medical Expenses
Dog breeders do DNA tests, but they’re not 100% sure a dog will suffer from some kind of illness. Every dog is prone to some health issues. Our Border Collie can also suffer from common diseases and illness during its lifespan. The most vulnerable part of a dog’s life is the puppyhood. It’s time time when most of the diseases strike, as well as parasites.
Medical expenses can go as high as $500 in the first year. It’s time time when their immune system isn’t functioning as it should. Luckily, as the dog grows older, this price will change drastically, down to $200 per year.
Border Collies are prone to several serious health conditions, ie. Collie eye anomaly, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, etc. Some Collies, like the blue merle or sable, are even more prone to some conditions.
De-worming a Border Collie puppy
Four out of five Border Collies have intestinal worms. Many dog breeders provide a deworming treatment for their puppies. In fact, puppies are supposed to be orm-free when you adopt them. However, you should keep up the worming schedule to prevent any further re-infestation.
Border Collie puppies should be wormed every two weeks until they reach the 11-month-milestone.
Common symptoms of worms include worms or eggs in puppy’s poo, vomit that has worms in it, worms in the coat, around the ears, and pale gums.
Not only that these worms make your puppy sick, they can also affect your health since many kinds of worms can be transferred into humans.
De-wormers for for $14 to $20, but you do need the recommendation of your vet before you buy a product.
Besides the de-worming treatment, your Collie should have all vaccinations.
Does My Border Collie Need Pet Insurance?
Just like humans, dogs can become ill or face and accident that causes severe injuries. Having a pet insurance would be a wise decision.
Many organizations offer pet insurance for dogs. You can apply for accident and illness policy or accident-only policy. The monthly premium depends on the dog’s age, gender, pre-existing health conditions and more.
The average monthly premium for a Border Collie will be around $30 to $40. Once you have the insurance, it will pay the total vet fees treating certain health problems covered by the policy.
Dietary Habits: Cost Of Feeding A Border Collie
Another important expense is related to feeding. It’s a good thing Border Collies don’t require a special diet like many other dog breeds. It’s up to the owner to decide the kind of food to buy, whether it’s dry kibble or wet food, or even raw meat.
Feeding a Border Collie puppy
A reliable breeder will provide you a guide to the kind of food to feed your Border Collie. You should stick to the same feeding routine and the same dog food to avoid the tummy from getting upset.
If you want to change your dog’s dietary habits, you will need to consult the vet first. A puppy should be fed around 4 times a day until it’s 6 months old. Once they’re over this line, they can be fed 3 times a day.
Here’s a rough guidance of the amount of food a Border Collie puppy needs:
- 2 months old – 150 to 230g
- 3 months old – 180g to 290g
- 4 months old – 190g to 315g
- 5 months old – 195g to 340g
- 6 months old – 195g to 360g
- 8 months old – 155g to 325g
- 12 months old – 200g to 260g
Feeding an adult Border Collie
Once your pet reaches the adulthood, it can be fed twice a day. Older Border Collies are known to be fussy eaters.
You should always choose food with the highest quality and consider factors like your dog’s age, size, metabolism, and physical activity. Choosing the best dog food will reduce extra medical expenses.
A full grown Border Collie should take 1,400 calories a day. For average seniors, 1,000 calories a day would be ideal, but 700 calories are also okay.
Dry dog kibble is the least expensive dog food. They may not be as tasty as other dog foods, but they will keep the dog’s teeth healthy. Dry kibble goes for $10 to $25 a bag.
Wet dog food is pricier, but also tastier. We recommend feeding your dog a mixture of wet and dry dog food. If you have time and the budget, feeding your Border Collie raw meat (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food- BARF) would be ideal.
What you should avoid is feeding your dog foods like onions, raisins, grapes, citrus fruits, raw potatoes, and chocolate.
The monthly cost of feeding your Border Collie will be around $50 to $70.
Grooming Expenses For Border Collies
Border Collies have a double-layered coat. The undercoat is a smooth coat, and the outer coat is a rough coat, a bit prickly too. The hair play a vital role when it comes to maintaining the dog’s temperature in different weather conditions.
Border Collies are not hypoallergenic dogs. What’s good about them is that they don’t need to be groomed too often to look nice. The average price for grooming Border Collies is much cheaper compared to other breeds.
Border Collies can be allergic to fleas, so weekly brushing is a must to keep the coat in good condition. It will also give you a chance to look out for potential fleas.
Border Collie owners will need to pay around $50 to $60 for a professional grooming session.
These dogs shed throughout the year, especially in Spring and Autumn, so you’ll need to groom more during these seasons.
Final Thoughts
What’s the Border Collie price and cost is a question that has many answers. The Border Collie cost of upbringing depend on your preferences only. It’s up to you to decide from where to get this sheepdog, which dog food to get, which vet to visit, what kind of equipment to get, etc.
Border Collies are adorable family members you’d love to have around. They might be energetic dogs, but they’re full of love and happiness, it’s contagious!
META DESCRIPTION: Border Collie price and cost is the first question every future owner asks. Let’s discuss how low-maintenance Border Collies are.
Author’s Bio:
Sarah Anderson is a veterinarian and author for Pupvine. Her love for our four-legged buddies (and other animals too!) made her pursue a career as a vet, but her writing career doesn’t suffer either. In her free time, Sarah volunteers at the local animal shelter and helps the pups believe that all of them deserve to be loved. Sarah always says: “I won’t stop until I know all dogs feel how loved they are.” Don’t stop, Sarah; you go, girl!