Appearance wise Border Collies are medium-size dogs without any extreme physical characteristics and an average coat. The coats are actually double coats and can very from slick to lush.

The coat of the Border Collie can come in many different colors but black and white is by far the most common. Single color coats occur occasionally, but most have a couple of colors.

These color combinations include:

  • black and white
  • black tricolor (black/tan/white or sable and white)
  • red (chocolate) and white
  • red tricolour (red/tan/white)
  • blue
  • lilac
  • red merle
  • blue merle
  • brindle
  • Australian red/gold

The length of the Border Collie coat is most commonly long haired. The coat itself is very weather resistant and resists water quite well. This protection helps the dog work in harsh weather. The coat length is dependent for each dog. The top coat is either straight or wavy and the undercoat is short, soft and dense. Smooth coats are common but are generally not desirable for show dogs. However, seasonal shedding is not penalized.

The preferred pattern for Border Collie coats would be a white blaze that begins around the nose and continues up past the top of the head and ending near the white coat on the neck. The tail should have a white end. White on the fore legs from paw to elbow and hind legs displaying tall white socks.

Border Collie Coat