There are some truly beautiful border collie mixes, but does that beauty come at a cost? Specifically in terms of health and lifespan.
I’ve recently been wondering whether border collie mixes live longer than purebred border collies. And it turns out many other owners ask the same thing.
After countless hours researching this and looking at endless stats, here’s what I found.
How Long Do Border Collie Mixes Live?
Border collie mixes have an average lifespan of about 13-16 years. Which on average is longer than a typical purebred border collie.
Purebred border collies have an average lifespan of about 12 years with the overall range being 10-15 years.
Do Border Collie Mixes Live Longer?
The ultimate conclusion: Most border collie mixes have a slightly greater average lifespan compared to purebred border collies.
Still, on a case by case basis this does vary considerably. So it doesn’t mean that every collie mix will live longer.
The American Animal Hospital Association carried out a study in 2019 including over 2 million dogs, and came to the conclusion that on average, mixed breeds live longer than purebreds. They also stated that the difference in lifespan was more significant the bigger the dog.
Why Border Collie Mixes Live Longer
The main reason why mix breeds on average live longer than purebreds is mostly due to inbreeding.
- Purebreds, being bred with only each other to keep the same standards (looks and traits) allows for more health issues to be passed on through genetics, ultimately reducing the average lifespan.
Inbreeding: “the mating of animals more closely related than the average relationship within the breed or population concerned.” Source
Disclaimer though… Not every border collie mix goes on to live longer, they too are still prone to health issues just as purebreds are and could die younger than expected.
Related: Border Collie Kelpie Mix (with gorgeous photos)
Related: Border Collie Chihuahua Mix (with beautiful photos)
An amazing study:
The largest ever dog DNA study in 2019 tested the DNA of 83,000 mixed-breed dogs and of 18,000 purebred dogs representing 330 breeds, types, and varieties.
What they found is that:
- Purebred dogs are 2.8 times more likely than mix breeds to inheret a recessive disease
- Mixed breed dogs are only 1.4 times more likely than purebreds to inheret a recessive disease
This is why purebred border collies are more likely to develop a disease than a border collie mix. This, on average, means mixes live longer.
What’s The Healthiest Border Collie Mix?
There’s little data to go by here but we can get a rough idea if we consider the health of each breed alone along with their known health conditions and average lifespan.
Check out some of the healthiest border collie mixes:
- Bordoodle (border collie poodle mix) – Lifespan 13-16 years
- Border Beagle (border collie beagle mix) – Lifespan 13-15 years
- Borsky (border collie husky mix) – Lifespan 13-15 years
- Border Aussie (border collie australian shepherd mix – Lifespan 13-16 years
- Border Heeler (border collie blue heeler mix) – Lifespan 13-16 years
- Border Kelpie (border collie kelpie mix) – 13-16 years
Taken into consideration that each breed in their purebred form have long lifespans, it’s likely these mixes have considerably long average lifespans.
These are without a doubt going to be some of the healthiest border collie mixes.
Should You Get a Border Collie Mix?
why not!
There are some gorgeous border collie mixes out there and their popularity speak for itself. What can go wrong mixing brains with beauty!
But always remember that border collies are not lightwork. These are highly intelligent dogs that need extensive training, a consistent leader, and a lot of socialization, and this will be the same for any border collie mix.
And always check out local rescue shelters first. Many mixes end up there due to many owners being unaware of just how difficult puppies can be in general.
Saving a life from a shelter is always advised.