The cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Border Collie is called the Borador and the dogs in this breed are known for being curious, friendly, sweet, playful and very loving. The most usual colors for these dogs are black, white and brown. The Borados have a lot of abilities and are known to be very talented, which allows them to take part in all sorts of contests and activities such as obedience, agility, search and rescue, narcotics detection, man trailing and other police works.
These dogs require a relatively low level of grooming, which is ideal for a lot of dog owners. They need a regular physical exercises routine in order to maintain a good health, being one of the active breeds. Due to their talent and abilities, the Boradors are easily trainable and it would take fewer repetitions than for a lot of other dogs to teach them various things.
Intruders don’t have many chances of getting away unnoticed by the Boradors, who will bark and alert their owners of their presence. Children will get along very well with the dogs in this breed, being very friendly and fun. They get along well with other dogs as well. All these traits should help anyone one to make an idea if the Borador is a suitable dog for them.
The looks of the Borador can vary depending on which of the two parent breeds is the dominant one. Thus the coat can be either long like the Collie’s or short like the Labrador’s. Usually, they are black colored with some white patches which sometimes are diamond shaped and on the chest. Most often the body of a Borador has the build of the Collie and the colors of a Retriever.The Boradors are dogs with a good, balanced temperament and get very attached to their families. Their intelligence allows them to learn new commands very easily and to respond promptly to any order. They are active dogs and enjoy both the company of men, as well as the company of other dogs.
Although the Boradors are easily excitable and extroverted personalities, they very rarely show signs of true aggression. They are devoted to their families and are always happy to please. They develop strong attachment to the family members, but are not very possessive, accepting with ease new acquaintances. Although they get along well with children and other dogs, some of them may be unpredictable with smaller pets.
When it comes to shedding, the Boradors are not ideal dogs, although not the worst either. They shed fine, thin hairs and not fur tufts. Despite this, grooming is only occasionally required, as these dogs’ coats do not develop mats, nor do they have a strong dog odor.
As mentioned previously, the intelligence of these dogs makes them among the most suitable breeds for training, being able to learn new commands with very few repetitions. Another strong advantage or explanation for this is their desire to please, although sometimes they may tend to lose focus due to excessive excitement.
Besides the quick learning abilities, the Boradors are cute and love to cuddle, being very fond of manifesting and receiving attention and affection. They always feel comfortable when they’re in the center of attention, but do have a general happy attitude. When it comes to smaller dogs, they may tend to become and act as dominant dogs and may even display some aggression.
The Boradors are not the barking type. Although strange noises may stir them to bark, they are not impressed easily with strangers or simply people walking by. They bark sometimes when they play or when they feel excited and also at night, when they sense anything out of the ordinary. They are pretty good watchdogs.
Boradors tolerate mostly any weather conditions with the exception of extreme ones. They have a tendency to tolerate more easily the cooler weather rather than the warmer one. A lot of physical exercises are required to keep them fit and healthy. Swimming, running and fetching are among their preferred activities.
Boradors can adapt to both indoors and outdoors environments. The disadvantage of the outdoors is the cold weather which they dislike and for indoor living they need plenty of diversions such as toys and bones in order not to chew furniture and other off-limits things. However, living indoors can only work with consistent daily exercises, be it long walks or running sessions, combined with playing time.
As a puppy, a Borador resembles pretty much a Labrador puppy, only it has a pointier and shorter nose and smaller, slightly folded ears. The head size is similar to the Labrador’s and the brown, small and round eyes have a piercing look like the Border Collies.An adult Borador will reach about 74 centimeters from tail to nose, a height of about 43 centimeters at shoulders and can reach up to 40 kilos in weight.When it comes to their senses, the Boradors are not known for a particularly good sense of smell, but they do have an exquisite hearing.
The teeth of the Borador are proportional in size with the rest of the face and the body. They are aligned closely to one another, aspect which grants these dogs a very tight and powerful bite.
On the overall, the body of the Borador is much like the body of a young Labrador, but somehow stalkier and with athletic traits. The forequarters point rather to the Border Collie heritage, while the hind ones, with some feathered hair towards the back, are somewhere in-between the hardy legs of a Labrador and the svelte ones of a Collie. The tail is pure Labrador Retriever heritage, being the ‘rudder’ type.
When it comes to gait, the Boradors prove to be very graceful, looking like they are doing no efforts to move. Thus, their gate is smooth and a high ability of cornering.The coat of the Boradors is about medium in length and has a very shining look. Typically there is no undercoat, nor any feathering of the hair on elbows and butt. The coat is a bit longer on the chest area and right under the ears.Before getting a Borador, one should know that the life expectancy is around twelve years. Herding instincts are present in this dog and the looks are pretty much like the Retriever’s, except the nose. They do very well when used as guide dogs.
In terms of health, the risk of becoming overweight is maybe the most important for this cross breed and this is why a consistent level of physical exercises is so required. Constipation is also likely to occur more often than at other dogs. The ears need to be kept clean and dry at all times. There is generally little to worry when it comes to teeth, as they are in excellent shape, due to their love to chew things.
With enough brushing, the coats of the Boradors will maintain the good looks. It doesn’t present any excess oils and has little dander.A concern is the hip-dysplasia, which is inherited from the Labrador breed. They should be prevented to jump off things that are too high or playing too roughly.
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