Bordernese Dog Breed

The Border Collie-Bernese Mountain Dog mix, as a crossbreed, is not an official member of any breed group. Neither does any info exist about these hybrids' specific origin; while a Border Collie mix with Bernese Mountain Dog may have existed naturally for a long time, no breeder or breed club has claimed its creation. Regardless, these friendly, intelligent, task-oriented dogs are great both as working animals or as pets for active active families of any size.

A few facts about Bordernese dogs: they're medium- to large-sized, averaging 23 inches at the shoulders in height and 65 pounds in weight; they normally have medium-length, thick, double-layered coats that shed seasonally; and they're energetic and will need a lot of exercise.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning a Bordernese:

The Bordernese is the offspring of two resourceful, hard-working breeds: the Border Collie is famed for its exceptional herding abilities, and the Bernese Mountain Dog has a long history as an all-purpose farm worker. This means your Border Collie-Berner mix will indeed have a strong work ethic! Physically, these hybrids are pretty big and athletic: height at the shoulders is normally 21-25 inches, and weight is 50-80 pounds. Their thick, all-weather coats come in a variety of colors, usually in multi-colored patterns, that include black, white, brown, red, and various brindle and merle patterns.

With the Bordernese's work ethic, though, comes the need for constant mental stimulation. Like other working breeds, these dogs like having a job to do--and they often instinctively try to "take control" of situations. Owners need to expect their Bordernese to try and exert their authority in these situations; early obedience training and socialization will help curtail this unwanted behavior.

The Bordernese will also have lots of energy, and will need a lot of exercise--walks or jogs, fetch or other games, and various canine sports--to give them outlets for that energy. This mixed breed doesn't do well in apartments; homes with larger fenced yards are best for them.

Friendly, intelligent, hard-working, protective, and at times stubborn and strong-willed, the Bordernese temperament is one of both activity and love. These hybrids will be very affectionate with family members--but their strong work ethics mean they instinctively try to "control" people and situations, so they'll need training to curtail that behavior. Bordernese can, however, get along very well with kids and other pets. Even so, owners say, it's best if your Bordernese grows up alongside any children or household pets so they learn to be accustomed to one another.

In regards to training: these hybrids are incredibly smart, and can respond very well to it--but they can also be stubborn, and will need confident trainers willing to play the role of "alpha" in the dogs' lives. That said, Bordernese dogs normally don't have much trouble learning commands or tasks. As with any breed, firm, consistent, reward-based training methods are best.

And Border Collie-Berner mixes have pretty good watchdog skills. These hybrids are alert, confident, and vocal--a combination of traits that means they're likely to bark at and investigate unknown sights and sounds.

The Bordernese, due to hybrid vigor (in which a crossbred dog inherits the healthiest traits of its parent breeds), is pretty healthy. Even so, these hybrids can suffer ailments common to the parent breeds including hip and/or elbow dysplasia, epilepsy, various allergies, and assorted eye problems (the most serious of which is Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or PRA). Larger, deeper-chested dogs may also be prone to gastric torsion (or bloat), especially if they're allowed to "wolf" their food too quickly. Potential owners are advised to ask breeders for health screenings for the dog and/or its parents, or they can have their own veterinarians do the screenings.

Life expectancy for the Bordernese is relatively short, at 9-13 years.