Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by themubbi63
Some of the most beautiful and lively dogs in the world, the border collie is a British herding dog. They’re medium sized dogs that come in a lot of colors and have thick (often curly) coats that give them an impression of being bigger than they actually are. They were bred as working sheepdogs and are a very intelligent breed. One fun fact? Most border collies are descended from a stud male named Old Hemp who lived between 1893 and 1901.
Border Collie Height and Length
Border collies are double coated, medium-sized dogs. They come in a lot of colors although black and white is the most classic coloring. The male dogs usually stand at a height of 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm) at the shoulder. Female border collies usually stand just shorter, at about 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm).
Their body length, meanwhile, from chest to rump is around 28 – 34 inches (71 – 86 cm). This means that standing on its hind legs the border collie would be around 2.5 – 3 feet, half the height of an average human.
| Animal | Height | Length |
| Border Collie | Males 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm)Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm) | 28 – 34 inches (71 – 86 cm) |
Border Collie Weight
Border collies aren’t very heavy dogs for their size. They often look a lot bigger than they are because of their shaggy fur. The average border collie usually weighs between 30 and 55 lb (13.5 – 25 kg).
However, 55 lb is on the heavier side for a border-collie. Most males max out at 45 lb (20.5 kg) while female border collies usually max out at 42 lb (19 kg). They’re very high energy dogs and have an immense amount of stamina and working drive.
| Animal | Pounds | Kilograms |
| Border-Collie | 30 – 55 | 13.5 – 25 |
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Border Collie Puppy Size
A newbord border collie puppy is usually between 7 and 14 oz. They grow fast and by the time they’re a week old, they usually double in weight. This is the time when they also first open their eyes and learn to crawl around.
A six week old border-collie puppy weighs about 3 – 6 lb (1 – 3 kg). This fast growing stage usually levels off by the 14th week but the puppy will still grow steadily till around 16 months of age. That’s when it is generally considered to transition to adulthood.
Border Collie Litter Size
The usual litter size of a border-collie can vary between 4 and 8. However, 6 puppies is the usual number although there have been records of litters with 13 or 14 pups.
Very young mothers or mothers who are over 10 years old usually have smaller litters while the age range of 8 to 10 can have more puppies in a litter.
Border Collie Size Comparison to Humans
Numbers can be a very vague idea for most people to comprehend so it’s natural to compare against something we can instinctively quantify. How do border-collies compare in size to human beings?
Border collies stand at an average of 20 inches while the average human stands at around 69 inches. This means that the border-collie is less than ⅓ the size of a human. They’d stand just above knee high for a person who is 5 feet 9 inches tall.
Standing on their hind legs, a border collie is around 28 – 34 inches, which would put them just above waist high for an average human.
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Border Collie Vs German Shepherd Size
They’re both shepherding dogs and were bred to carry out the same kind of tasks. They’re both energetic and hardworking and extremely intelligent dogs. However, while comparing these two breeds against each other, it’s immediately clear that one is much larger in size than the other.
The German shepherd stands at 22 – 24 inches at the shoulder for females and 24 – 26 inches for males. Meanwhile, the border collie stands at 18 – 21 inches and 19 – 22 inches for females and males respectively. German shepherds can weigh about 3 times the size of a border-collie, ranging from 75 to 95 lb.
| Animal | Height | Weight |
| Border Collie | Males 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm)Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm) | 30 – 55 lb (13.5 – 25 kg) |
| German Shepherd | Males 24 – 26 inches (60 – 65 cm)Females 22 – 24 inches (56 – 60 cm) | 75 – 95 lb (34 – 43 kg) |
Border Collie Vs Australian Shepherd Size
These shepherd dogs, who despite their name are actually native to the United States, are much closer to the border collie in size than the German shepherd is. They can be found on ranches around the States and are kind of the perfect dogs for cowboys since they love herding anything, from cattle to birds.
Australian shepherd males stand around 20 – 23 inches at the shoulder while the females are slightly smaller at 18 – 21 inches. This puts them in the same height range as the border-collie. However, these dogs are slightly heavier, weighing in at 40 – 65 lb as opposed to the border collie at 30 – 55 lb.
| Animal | Height | Weight |
| Border-Collie | Males 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm)Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm) | 30 – 55 lb (13.5 – 25 kg) |
| Australian Shepherd | Males 20 – 23 inches (50 – 58 cm)Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm) | 40 – 65 lb (18 – 29.5 kg) |
Border Collie Vs Golden Retriever Vs Labrador Size
When it comes to the two of the most popular breeds of dog, let’s see how the border collie compares with them in size. We’re all familiar with what the golden retriever and labrador looks like so it’s a good comparison to make.
Labs and goldens are more or less the same size, both being bigger and heavier than the border-collie. Unlike the others in the list, they aren’t shepherd dogs. But they’re working dogs all the same, having been bred as retrievers and hunting dogs.
Male labradors stand at 22.5 – 24.5 inches at the shoulder while females stand at 21.5 – 23.5 inches. They can weigh anywhere between 55 and 80 lb. Meanwhile, golden retriever males stand at about 23 – 24 inches at the shoulder and females at 21.5 – 22.5 inches. They’re generally slightly lighter than labs, weighing in at 55 – 75 lb.
| Animal | Height | Weight |
| Border Collie | Males 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm)Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm) | 30 – 55 lb (13.5 – 25 kg) |
| Golden Retriever | Males 23 – 24 inches (58 – 61 cm)Females 21.5 – 22.5 inches (55 – 57 cm) | 55 – 75 lb (25 – 34 kg) |
| Labrador | Males 22.5 – 24.5 inches (57 – 62 cm)Females 21.5 – 23.5 inches (55 – 60 cm) | 55 – 80 lb (25 – 36 kg) |
Conclusion
And that’s all that you need to know about the size of the border collie. I hope this article was helpful and that you gained something valuable from it.
FAQs
How big are Border Collies?
Despite their fluffy fur, Border Collies are considered medium-sized dogs. Males stand around 19-22 inches tall at the shoulder, and females are slightly shorter at 18-21 inches. So, they’d reach just above the knee of an average person.
How much do Border Collies weigh?
Don’t let their thick fur fool you! Border Collies are surprisingly lightweight for their size. Typically, they weigh between 30 and 55 pounds. Males tend to be on the heavier side, maxing out at around 45 pounds, while females usually stay under 42 pounds.