How long do Border Collies live?

The median lifespan of the Border Collie is 13.1 years, based on the 2024 McMillan et al. study of 584,734 UK dogs.

Is the Border Collie a healthy breed?

On the Breed Health Score the Border Collie scores 78 out of 100 (grade A), compared with an average of 71 across 155 breeds.

78/ 100

Border Collie Grade A

Q: What health problems do Border Collies have?

Commonly reported conditions in the Border Collie include Collie eye anomaly, Hip dysplasia, Epilepsy, Trapped neutrophil syndrome, Ceroid lipofuscinosis.

Median lifespani 13.1 yr · medium · 14-20 kg

⇆ Compare Border Collie

The Border Collie is a medium breed with a median lifespan of 13.1 years, which places it around the middle of the 155 breeds we rank for longevity. Commonly reported health conditions include Collie eye anomaly, Hip dysplasia, Epilepsy, Trapped neutrophil syndrome. Its overall Breed Health Score is 78/100 (grade A), against an average of 71/100 across all breeds.

Score breakdown

Longevityi 65%

Conformationi 20%

100

Hereditary burdeni 15%

Higher is healthier. See methodology.

Common & hereditary conditions

Collie eye anomaly Hip dysplasia Epilepsy Trapped neutrophil syndrome Ceroid lipofuscinosis

Red marks a life-threatening or major-welfare condition. Click a condition to see which breeds it affects. This list reflects commonly reported conditions, so better-studied breeds may show more; hereditary burden is the lightest-weighted part of the score. Source: RVC VetCompass / AKC / PDSA (indicative).

Thinking of a Border Collie? A breed's health profile affects insurance cost. Comparing pet insurance early, before any conditions become pre-existing, usually gets the best cover.

Compare with similar-size breeds

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<div style="font:12px -apple-system,Segoe UI,Roboto,sans-serif;margin-top:4px"><a href="https://breedhealthscore.com/breed/border-collie/">Border Collie health score on Breed Health Score</a></div>

Data & citation. Median lifespan: McMillan, K.M. et al. (2024) "Longevity of companion dog breeds", Scientific Reports (584,734 UK dogs). Data CC-BY 4.0. Source. Machine-readable: developer API. These are independent estimates for comparing breeds, not veterinary advice. Photo: Magda Ehlers via Pexels.