Intelligent, fun, fierce, active, and caring are all words that describe the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix. Although it’s not a very popular hybrid breed, this pooch makes for a fantastic companion or family dog.
After years of raising, taking care of, and training various pets, I know that the best place to start your journey as a pet owner is to research your pup. To make things easier, I’ve decided to do it for you!
Today, we’re discussing everything related to the unique Blue Heeler Border Collie mix. From its origin, personality, and appearance to its lifestyle requirements, lifespan, and health
Learning about the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix will help you decide if you and this doggy are a good fit. Let’s hop in!
What Is the Background of the Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix?
We’ll begin with a closer look at the origin of the Heeler Collie.
The AKC (American Kennel Club) doesn’t officially recognize the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix as a dog breed. This is because it’s not a purebred breed, but a hybrid breed that’s been mixed on purpose.
As such, the history of the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix tends to be blurry with no real records available. So, we can’t pinpoint the exact date it first came to exist.
Meet the Parents
If you want to get to know any mixed breed, you should look at its parent breeds first and what they’re like. Such information can help form an idea of what to expect from the hybrid.
As the name suggests, the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is what you get when you cross a Blue Heeler with a Border Collie.
The Blue Heeler is also known as the Australian Cattle Dog, Queensland Heeler, and Hall’s Heeler. It’s one of the top 3 popular dog breeds in Australia.
It’s characterized by excellent herding abilities and amazing endurance. It’s also muscular, agile, and robust.
The Border Collie is also recognized for its notable herding instincts and superior athleticism. It’s a dominating breed in canine competitions thanks to its intelligence, speed, and elegance
What Does a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Look Like?
The appearance of the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix can differ widely from one pup to another. It’s because we’re talking about combining the physical traits of two distinct breeds.
That said, these canines generally have compact, athletic, medium-sized bodies. Their eyes are mostly oval and brown, whereas their tails are usually curved or low-set.
Heeler Collie coats are typically black or dark blue with patches of speckled or mottled white.
How Big Will a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Get?
A Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is a medium-sized dog that can weigh between 30 and 50 pounds (14 and 23 kg).
Males of the species are a bit taller, standing at an average height of 18 to 22 inches (46 to 56 cm). On the other hand, the average height of females is 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm).
How Do Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Dogs Behave?
With highly clever and active parent breeds, it’s no surprise that the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is very energetic and fun-loving.
These dogs don’t do well when left alone for too long and can get destructive in such cases due to loneliness and lack of physical stimulation. Their happiness is tied to spending time with their owners.
A Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is an ideal companion for folks with a fitness-oriented lifestyle. If you like to exercise outdoors. This doggy would love to tag along!
Keep in mind that this crossbreed has a hunting instinct that may act up and cause them to wander outside. So, securing your home is a necessity if you want this dog to join your family.
Is a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Good With Kids?
A Blue Heeler Border Collie mix can be good to have around kids, but you should always be present to supervise.
This crossbreed possesses a herding drive, so your pet may try to herd the kids by nipping them when they try to move away.
Is a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Good With Other Pets?
A Blue Heeler Border Collie mix does well around other dogs and pets.
Typically, it won’t show aggressive behavior, but some herding and nipping actions may occur. This is especially true with smaller pets, so be sure to always keep an eye on them.
Does the Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Bark a Lot?
Blue Heeler Border Collie mix dogs bark quite frequently. They can get suspicious of various sounds and bark at them, which is another reason they aren’t a good match for apartment living.
How to Take Care of Your Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix
Now, it’s time for you to learn about this hybrid’s basic requirements when it comes to nutrition, physical activity, grooming, and training.
What Sort of Diet Does a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Need?
The Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is a very active dog, which means they burn through a lot of energy every day.
As a result, these hybrids usually need to eat more compared to other less active dog breeds — around two cups of dry food per day for adult dogs. Their diet should mainly consist of proteins.
Also, don’t forget to add nutrients such as glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health in this crossbreed. It’s prone to hip and elbow dysplasia.
Luckily, you don’t need to worry about overweight issues with the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix.
Does the Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Need Exercise?
Not only does a Blue Heeler Border Collie mix require physical exercise, but this dog also needs it every day at a relatively high intensity.
As a rule of thumb, you should provide your pooch with no less than 1 or 2 hours of physical activities that involve real challenges.
This means you can’t just let them loose in your backyard and expect your work to be done. Instead, you should level up the intensity of the activities to help your hybrid break a sweat. Try going for runs, catching a frisbee, playing fetch games, completing obstacle courses, and so on.
Games like hide and seek can also be effective in providing the Heeler Collie with mental stimulation to stay sharp and entertained.
How Do You Groom a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix?
Generally speaking, grooming a Blue Heeler Collie mix consists of brushing their coats 2 to 3 times a week to keep their natural shedding in check.
That said, the frequency of brushing and shedding varies depending on the parent from which your hybrid inherited its coat traits.
As the coat of a Heeler Collies is weather resistant, you don’t have to worry about bathing. Just do it every month or so or if your dog gets in a muddy situation.
Don’t forget to clean your hybrid’s eyes and ears regularly to remove dirt and debris that can lead to various infections. Also, daily brushing of teeth helps maintain the canine’s dental health and remove plaque.
Additionally, a Blue Heeler Border Collie mix has nails that grow fast. They need trimming every month or so to avoid scratching incidents.
How Do You Train a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Puppy?
Blue Heeler Border Collie mix dogs are very trainable. They’re smart, quick learners, and eager to please, which makes it easier to get them to obey orders.
Training this crossbreed should begin as early as possible. The same goes for socialization since being wary of strangers is part of its personality.
Heeler Border pups get bored easily. So, your training program should involve various types of activities that stimulate both their minds and bodies.
Additionally, you want to be firm and consistent but still gentle and patient. Never resort to punishments as this will lead to negative results.
What Is the Average Lifespan of a Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix?
As a medium-sized pooch with a generally strong and healthy body, the lifespan of the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is on the longer side. These hybrids have an average life expectancy range of between 12 and 17 years.
Does the Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Suffer From Health Issues?
As a hybrid species, the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is generally healthier than purebred dogs. By combining genes, the probability of inheriting diseases significantly drops.
That said, there’s still a chance your Heeler Collie pup may suffer from some passed-on health problems, including the following:
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
These are degenerative growth abnormalities that target the joints. It causes the ball of the bone to not fit properly into the socket and weakens the attaching ligaments.
As a result, the hip and elbow joints become prone to stiffness, breakage, and arthritis.
This painful condition doesn’t have a cure. The best you can do for your Heeler Collie suffering from dysplasia is to give pain and inflammation management medications. These can ease the symptoms and slow the progress of the disease.
Congenital deafness
The Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is prone to deafness, either at birth or developing shortly after. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to treat this condition.
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
PRA is a genetic disease that causes the retina of the dog’s eyes to degenerate over time. If not detected and treated early in the pup’s life, the Heeler Collie can end up losing its sight.
BCC (Border Collie Collapse)
The Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is vulnerable to various neurological issues including BCC. This is a nervous system disorder that happens in episodes and gets triggered by too much physical activity.
BCC also goes by “the wobbles”, stress seizures, exercise-induced hyperthermia, and exercise-induced collapse. Symptoms of BCC include the following:
- Disorientation
- Loss of focus
- Staggering
- Swaying
- Falling to the side
- Exaggerated lifting of each limb while walking
- Scuffing and crossing of the legs
BCC episodes start about 5 to 15 minutes after exercise and last anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes.
CEA (Collie eye anomaly)
A Blue Heeler Border Collie mix suffering from CEA has an underdeveloped choroid that can cause the retina to detach.
This genetic developmental condition can lead to vision loss or blindness. It can’t be treated, only managed.
Who Is the Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Suitable For?
The Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is a highly energetic, athletic, and strong dog. A herding pooch by nature, it enjoys being outdoors and involved.
As such, this hybrid canine is ideal for individuals or families that lead an active lifestyle.
The Blue Heeler Border Collie mix also makes for a great protective pet. It’s loyal and can be very obedient after training.
Heeler Collie dogs aren’t suitable for apartment living. They don’t do well with confinement, especially with how much exercise they need to thrive.
How Much Do Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Puppies Cost?
The thing about the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix is that it isn’t classified as a designer breed. It’s a cross of two working breeds, so you won’t find many breeders specializing in this mix.
That said, Heeler Collie pups are generally reasonably priced. You can expect to pay within the range of $500 to $800, depending on factors such as the purebred parents’ lineage and the breeder’s location.
Don’t buy Heeler Collie puppies from pet stores. These are most likely sourced from mills and suffering from chronic conditions.
Instead, look for a trusted breeder. Don’t forget to ask them for a copy of the medical documents of the hybrid puppy and its parents.
Wrap Up
Clever, energetic, and fierce, there’s no doubt that the Blue Heeler Border Collie mix deserves way more recognition than it has. It’s a fantastic working dog that’ll happily protect you and become your exercise buddy.
This crossbreed needs lots of physical stimulation and can get destructive if left alone for too long. They’re good with kids and other pets, but require supervision as they may try to herd them.
