Not Small, Just Fun Size

We’ve been asked repeatedly why these two are so small.

So what better way than to blog and let others know a little more about their breed.

Lycan: 14kg, 50cm*

Lexie: 12-12.5kg, 45cm* as of two months back. Still growing.

*Height at withers

Lexie is slightly shorter than Lycan but her huge ears make up for the height difference.

“Breed Standards” from the Internet

Height:  Males 19 – 22 inches (48 – 56 cm) Females 18 – 21 inches (46 – 53 cm)
Weight: Males 30 – 45 pounds (14 – 20 kg) Females 27 – 42 pounds (12 – 19 kg)

Information from Dog Breed Info Center

Weight	Male	14–20 kg (30–45 lb)
	Female	12–19 kg (27–42 lb)
Height	Male	48–56 cm (19–22 in)
	Female	46–53 cm (18–21 in)

Information from Wikipedia

HEIGHT

General: 1 foot, 6 inches to 1 foot, 10 inches tall at the shoulder (45.72cm – 55.88cm)

WEIGHT

General: 30 to 45 pounds (13.6kg – 20.4kg)

Information from DogTime

Went on Google to search on small border collies and there quite a few questions on that!

“Why is my Border Collie smaller than the other border collies the same age as it?

Answered Last
Border Collies are bred for working ability, not for type. That means, they do not selectively breed for sizes, color, coat, etc. – good Border Collie breeders breed the exceptional working dogs, no matter what size shape or color they are. I know purebred Border Collies that are 20 lbs, and others that are 60 lbs.”

Breed chart shows they’re between 27 – 45 lbs. Does that make a 20 lbs or a 60 lbs dog “less” of a Border Collie?

“There is no physical standard for Border Collies, so you can find dogs than range from 25 to 75 lbs quite easily. Years ago I knew one that was 19 lbs. Her full littermate brother was a solid 45 lbs. When people breed for work and not for physical traits you tend to get a wide variety of dogs.”

From Border Collie Forum

Different dogs come in different sizes though of the same breed. It’s like saying “why is this person taller/shorter than the others? We’re all humans. Why are we of different sizes?” Even kids in the same family can come in different sizes. Some can be short/taller than their siblings/parents. Does that make them “more/less” than their family? NO.

You don’t ask someone “Omg, why is your dog so ugly?” so why do people find it okay to comment how big/small a dog is? At the end of it, you’re still judging the dog by it’s looks.

I won’t deny, I was slightly disappointed and I kept questioning myself why were they so small. Is there something wrong with them. I was expecting Lexie to be much bigger. But if I could go back in time, would I have change my decision on getting her? Nope. Wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I’ve grown to love them for who they are and have no regrets on having “small” Border Collies because there’s a lot of good things about it!

Pros:

– Lesser food intake, lesser poop to clear.

– They are super fast. Especially Lexie. She’s really good at turning and dogs she decides to play with, has never been able to catch her. Not even Lycan.

“However, in a broad generalization, you might find that lighter smaller border collies have better stamina and longer working lives (hold up better). They can be faster and quicker to turn/pivot. There are some small light dogs that just go and go and go.

A large framed dog has more bulk to lug around, more weight on joints and bones and more momentum in taking a fast turn or pivot. In some dogs, stamina could become an issue. You might not notice this unless you were working your dogs hard or expected your dogs to put in long days working.”

“But if you just mean smaller, lighter-boned BCs … you know there is no physical “breed standard,” as such, among working border collies. I’m not a breeder, but I think size is incidental when breeders are looking for working qualities. They’re looking less at physical “type” and more at what working qualities would compliment their breeding pairs. (Outrun, driving ability, amount of eye, power, etc.)

See, my two dogs are brother and sister, different litters but same way bred. Nick, the elder, is a sturdy, muscley boy of about 50 pounds, while little sister Gael is a petite, slender, whippet-like girl of about 30 pounds. Neither dog looks exactly like either parent, it was just the luck of the genetic draw how they turned out, in size.

However … it’s seemed to me that Gael may actually have more endurance than her big brother. He’s powerful and fast and uses himself like a steam locomotive. Gael meanwhile goes flitting about like a lawn dart, and she simply never gets tired. It seems to me there may sometimes be something said for a light, nimble dog who uses himself economically, over a powerful, heavy one who uses himself harder.”

Information from other BC owners on a Border Collie Forum.

– They’re light so really easy to carry around if needed and tricks where they have to be on us, don’t hurt so bad.

– When Lexie herds smaller dogs, their owners don’t find it intimidating cos she’s small and make it seem like she’s playing.

Cons:

Nothing wrong with them, just people’s constant questioning. “Why are they so small?” “Are you sure they’re Border Collies?”

So yup, this is more or less about why they’re “so small”. Hope y’all get a better understanding!