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Midget Border Collie or something else?


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Hi all,

 

I posted a few days ago about our Border Collie (maybe mixed with a little something else) Noah, but I figured I'd ask a question about our new rescue, Nick. Our friends found Nick on their doorstep a little over a month ago and because they are 80++ years old, they knew they could not keep him and take care of him for his entire life. Being the softies we are, we said we'd gladly take him if he got along with our other dogs, which he did. We have had 3 out of four vets tell us he's a border collie but we're not convinced. When we got him we were told he was around 5 months (because of the teeth that were falling out, etc.). So now, he's approximately six months old (canines are halfway in, too).

 

He obviously has border collie markings and tries to herd the big dogs, etc. etc., but when we got him at approximately 5-months, he was only 13 inches tall at the shoulder and weighed only 10lbs! Now, he had worms, so that would be plenty of reason for a slow start growth wise, but now he's a month older and only 14 inches and probably 13ish pounds! The one vet who said he wasn't a border collie, said Sheltie (which makes more sense size wise), but I had a lot of people in a Sheltie forum say that he doesn't have the long nose to be a sheltie. Even some of them though he was a BC. I'm attaching some pictures, so let me know what you think.

 

Thanks!

 

Lauren

 

P.S. -- The colorful thing around his neck is a "puppy bumper" which prevents him from escaping through our chain-link fence while he's this small. He's never left unattended with it on.

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Hi Lauren,

 

I would put money on sheltie. Not all shelties have pinched noses....some are quite square faced like your little guy. And I've seen that colouring in a couple of shelties. Or he may indeed be a bc cross. Either way, he is an adorable little guy. Seriously hugable!

 

And, I love that little bumper thingy. What a great idea!

 

Nancy in Ontario

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He looks like 100% purebred lucky dog to me - lucky to have been found by people who care and to now be in your hands and home. And, did I mention "absolutely cute"?

 

While my son's Sheltie has the long, very Rough Collie-ish face that makes him a perfect imitation of a miniature-sized Rough Collie, I have seen show-bred Shelties that even as adults, have the short, blocky face that makes you think "puppy". I think that is much more the "trend" in current-day Sheltie breeding.

 

That bothersome behavior that you refer to can be found in breeds other than Border Collie - my son's Sheltie is a prime example of this behavior (or was, in his younger days). It's something you might want to work at avoiding, either through training or through management (avoiding the situations that trigger it). It can be quite frustrating to other dogs or cats, and should never be happening to small children (or other people).

 

The "bumper" is a terrific idea!

 

It doesn't matter what your dog is so long as he is happy and well-behaved. Enjoy!

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He is very small for a male border collie that age. His nose doesn't seem long enough or narrow enough for sheltie, but he has those little round sheltie eyes ;-) He could be just a poorly bred sheltie, or as others have suggested, a mix.

 

Even my small female was 14 lbs at 5 months, and she now weighs about 28lbs, so your little guy does seem small for a male BC. And a little square bodied too. He sure is cute!

 

RDM

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I think too that he's a Sheltie cross. I've had Shelties for a couple of decades now and as Sue said above, there is a Sheltie look that includes a shorter face and less pointy muzzle. But I'm just guessing -- my friend and I thought her pet-store Sheltie (that she got from a rescue) was Sheltie X BC, and she sent in that Wisdom Panel and got back 3/4 Sheltie and 1/4 Schipperke. We weren't even close.

 

Nick is super-cute! If you want to send him on a vacation to Chicago, my Shelties, BC and Lapphund would show him a good time!

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We got in a female sheltie today in Black tri. I had the hardest time picking her out in the yard with the tri border collie puppies. I'm guess it's because I expected her to be traditional collie colored but, I would bet he's mixed with sheltie. We have one too that is obviously a mix but, I cant guess what she is a perfect black and white with the prettiest petite face but, only 12lbs ish.

 

No matter what very cute!!

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I'd vote Sheltie mix but wouldn't rule out full Sheltie at this age. With good nutrition and time, you will have a better idea. My first Sheltie and all time favorite dog was a tall bi-black that people often mistook for a small Border Collie -- until they saw him move. His prance was all Sheltie. As a puppy with no coat, I'm sure lots of people would have declared him a mix. I've been thinking that my next dog should be a Sheltie/Border Collie mix since I find it hard to choose between the two breeds. That is a real cutie you have there.

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