German Shepherd and Border Collie Mix: Everything You Need to Know

Dogs are the human’s best companion and a friend. Dogs are the most omnipresent and the most found domestic animals in the world. They are with a human being from the past 12,000 years, helping in activities like hunting, protecting the home, etc. They also serve as the best object of nobility present at home. In the cult of westernization, the relation of dogs and humans has enhanced a lot. Many people have started to raise dog as their family pet. One breed that has gained a lot of popularity in the past few years as a family breed is the German Shephard Border Coolie Mix breed.

What is a German Shepherd Border Collie Mix?

A German Shephard Border Collie mix breed is a hybrid variety prepared from two great family-based breeds, i.e., Greman Shephard and Border collie. In terms of looks, it is a perfect combination of both the species. The mixture of these two breeds is named as Shollie. 

  What are some basic facts about this German shepherd and Border Collie Mix?

For the past two decades, it is the most popular designer dog. This dog has acquired the best qualities from its parents in terms of an athletic body, playful nature, Intelligence, and, of course, the attraction of his body, i.e., a perfect almond-shaped eye. Let’s dive deep into the German Shephard Border collie mix breed and figure out some of the basic facts about this dog:

History

Shollie is a perfect mixture of German shepherd’s loyalty with the Border collie intelligence. It is the canine companion designed basically to accomplish the purpose of designer dogs back in the 1900s. After some time seeing the quality and features of Shollie, it ended up in the category of best shelter dogs. American Kennel Club registered this breed in 1995.

Appearance

Its physical appearance is more similar to the German shepherd. The character of Collie seen in the appearance is very minimal. The dog is large with a proportionate body. The ears of these dogs are large and triangular and maybe floppy sometimes. It has an almond-shaped dark brown or hazel colored eyes with a gentle, intelligent gesture on his face. It adopts the trait of Collie’s coat thickness. The color of the coat may be black, sable, brown, or white. 

 Height and Weight

Shollie is a large-sized dog with around 75-80 lbs of weight and 25 inches of height when 18 months of age. There is no significant difference between the size and weight of the male and female shollie. Till the age of 6 months, their growth is speedy. They gain weight of 65 lbs with a height of 23 inches. After this period, they grow very slowly.

Temper

Shollie is a friendly and affectionate low tempered dog with a lot of energy and loyalty for their owners. Even with strangers, they act nicely till anyone doesn’t harm them. If shollie is not correctly taken care of, then they express their aggressive nature. It may also lead to their timid behavior. The shollie is a playful and friendly dog who likes to enjoy their naps a lot. Their levels of energy are higher than both their parents. They are easily trained, but insufficient care during training may affect their temperament directly.

Required Activity

It is a family dog, but the activity required to maintain a shollie properly is high. If shollie is not active, then it may lead to a change in its behavior. It may lead to this breed’s destructive nature, which may harm both the owner and the dog. The estimate walk shollie require per day is 12 miles. It requires at least 60 minutes of activity per day. The shollie can quickly adapt to any climate range, so its changes never affect the level of activity of shollie.

How to Train a German Shepherd Border Collie?

The training of German Shepherd and Border Collie Mix requires extensive care and precautions. Things you should keep in mind while training a shollie are:

Training sessions: The training session should start from the day you bring a new shollie pup. It would help if you were doing 3-4 sessions of training every day around 20- 25 minutes each. Make the training part fun so that your dog gets appropriately involved and enjoys it.

Always pay treats: On every excellent behavior and learned concept, give your pet a pleasure. It will develop their mindset, and they will start working for the treat and try to adapt faster.

Keep the dog’s crate near you: You should keep your puppy’s crate near your bed during night time. It will not develop a feeling of separation in your dog. 

Never use puppy pad at home:- Puppy pad will enhance the feeling in your pup that you can poop in the house. If you want your collie german shepherd dog to learn this habit of going out for poop, never use puppy pads.

Exposure: Let your dog expose to a lot of people and other dogs. It will remove their shy nature and also teach them how to behave appropriately in public.

How to Care For a German Shepherd Collie Mix?

There are some essential points you should take care of while upbringing a shollie:

Healthy weight and diet

You should always maintain a proper diet of your dog as prescribed by the vet. You should never overfeed and underfeed them. It will lead to significant deflection in their weight. This eventually affects their mood, temper, and activity status.

Avoid heavy work

Never bind your dog to perform a task that includes heavyweights and increase the activity beyond prescribed. It will affect their joints directly.

Find a responsible breeder.

After a certain age, shollie requires breeding. So you should take care that you hire a very responsible breeder that takes care of every breeding cycle of your dog.

Regular Vet checkups

Dogs indulge in various indoor and outdoor activities. They get easily caught up by multiple bugs and diseases, so a regular vet checkup for a long and healthy life.

Conclusion 

German Shepherd and Border Collie Mix, Shollie, is a playful and energic dog that will be a perfect fit for your family. Just take care of him properly and follow the simple guideline to groom up your puppy, and they will be proven as the best companion you would have ever had in your life.