Borador
Borador Summary
Get to Know Boradors
- Brainpower: With the Border Collie consistently ranked as the smartest dog breed and the Labrador among the top 10, the Borador inherits exceptional intelligence.
- Versatile Athletes: Boradors excel in agility, obedience, flyball, dock diving, and virtually every canine sport available.
- Working Heritage: Both parent breeds are among the most popular working dogs worldwide—Border Collies in herding and Labs in retrieving, service, and therapy work.
- Eager Swimmers: Many Boradors inherit the Labrador's love of water and are natural swimmers who enjoy lake trips, beach outings, and dock diving.
Borador Personality & Temperament
- Highly Intelligent: Boradors learn quickly and thrive on mental challenges. Without adequate stimulation, they may invent their own entertainment—often in the form of unwanted behaviors.
- Friendly & Social: They typically inherit the Labrador's sociable nature and enjoy meeting new people and dogs. They make poor guard dogs but excellent social companions.
- Energetic & Driven: These dogs have significant energy reserves and a strong desire to work or play. They are best suited to active households that can match their stamina.
- Loyal & Affectionate: Boradors bond deeply with their families and are happiest when included in daily activities. They can develop separation anxiety if left alone for extended periods.
Borador Care & Grooming
- Exercise: At least 60 to 90 minutes of vigorous daily exercise. Combine physical activities like running, hiking, and fetch with mental challenges like training sessions, puzzle toys, and nose work.
- Grooming: Their medium-length double coat sheds moderately year-round and heavily in spring and fall. Brush two to three times per week to manage shedding.
- Diet: Feed a high-quality food for active medium-to-large breeds. Labs are prone to obesity, so monitor portions carefully and use treats wisely during training.
- Health: Watch for hip and elbow dysplasia, Collie eye anomaly, progressive retinal atrophy, and exercise-induced collapse. Health testing of parent breeds is important.
What to ask your breeder?
Here's a short summary of what you should be asking your breeder:
Border Collie Health Testing
| Screening | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Hip Dysplasia | One of the following: OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation. PennHIP Evaluation. Results registered with OFA. |
| ACVO Eye Exam | Annual Eye Examinations until 7 years (84 months) old . Results registered with OFA. |
| DNA Repository | Participation in the OFA/CHIC DNA Repository (DNA Bank). |
| Elbow Dysplasia | Optional: OFA Radiographic Elbow Evaluation. |
| Shoulders | Optional: OFA Radiographic Shoulder OCD Evaluation. |
| Autoimmune thyroiditis | Optional: Autoimmune Thyroditis Evaluation from an approved Lab. Results registered with OFA. |
| Congenital Deafness | Optional: B.A.E.R. hearing test. Results registered with OFA. |
| Cardiac Evaluation | Optional: Basic Cardiac Exam. Advanced Cardiac Exam. |
| Collie Eye Anomaly | Optional: DNA based CEA test results from an approved lab; results registered with OFA. First Generation Offspring of tested dogs eligible for Clear By Parentage. |
| Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis | Optional: Optigen CL test results registered with the OFA. |
| Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome | Optional: TNS test; results registered with OFA. email Dr. Wilton at a.wilton@unsw.edu.au for test request. |
Labrador Retriever Health Testing
| Screening | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Hip Dysplasia | OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation. |
| Elbow Dysplasia | OFA Radiographic Elbow Evaluation. |
| ACVO Eye Exam | ACVO Eye Examination. Results registered with OFA. |
| EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse) | EXERCISE INDUCED COLLAPSE - DNA based test from an approved lab. |
| D Locus (Dilute) DNA Test | DNA based D LOCUS results from an approved lab. |
| Centronuclear Myopathy | Optional: DNA Based CNM Test - results registered with the OFA. |
| Cardiac Evaluation | Optional: Advanced Cardiac Exam. Basic Cardiac Exam. |
| prcd-PRA DNA Test | Optional: DNA based prcd-PRA test from a licensed lab - results registered with the OFA. |
Borador History
The Borador is a cross between the Border Collie and the Labrador Retriever—two of the world's most popular working breeds. This hybrid emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as breeders recognized the potential of combining the Border Collie's unmatched intelligence and work ethic with the Labrador's friendly, easygoing temperament and versatility. The result is a highly trainable, active companion that excels in families who enjoy outdoor activities and can provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation.
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Borador Per Year?
Determining the cost of owning a Borador is essential for responsible dog ownership. Use our calculator to estimate expenses, including food, grooming, veterinary care, and more.
The Ultimate Dog Cost Calculator
Calculate NowSee full Borador cost breakdown
Find Borador Breeders Near You
Connect with trusted Canadian breeders raising Boradors.
Find Borador BreedersFrequently Asked Questions About Borador
When you talk to a breeder, you're not just asking “do you have available Borador puppies?” You're looking for a match in the process of rehoming a dog. As a prospective dog owner, you are assessing how predictable the dog's health, temperament, and long-term welfare will be and whether the breeder's practices reduce avoidable risk.
You should engage in a conversation about the following topics:
- Which health tests and genetic screening do you do specifically for Borador, and can I see the results?
- What do you do if a puppy develops a serious genetic condition? What contract, policies and support do you offer as a breeder?
- How are puppies raised from birth to 8+ weeks? Ask about socialization, philosophies on early neurological development, handling, and exposure.
In Canada, Borador puppies from reputable breeders typically cost between $2,100 and $4,600 — but the puppy price is only the beginning.
The real cost of a dog isn't just the puppy price. After year one, the cost of a dog includes the predictable annual costs + the unpredictable “risk costs.” Your goal is to make the cost legible before you commit, as one of the top causes of surrendering a dog is not being able to afford the dog in later years.
To help you assess these costs, Paction has created the Ultimate Cost Calculator. You can also read an article written by a Paction breeder on why a prospective dog owner should focus on the ongoing costs of dog ownership and not “how much” the puppy costs.
For Borador, responsible breeders commonly screen breeding pairs using tests such as Hip Dysplasia, ACVO Eye Exam, DNA Repository, and Elbow Dysplasia.
Every dog breed has certain health issues that tend to occur more often, but what matters most is how predictable and preventable those risks are. For many breeds, common concerns include inherited conditions (such as orthopedic, eye, or cardiac issues) as well as lifestyle-related challenges like weight management, dental health, skin or ear problems, and anxiety.
Responsible breeders help reduce inherited risk through appropriate health testing, careful selection of breeding pairs, and transparency about family history. To understand more about responsible breeding programs that prioritize health and genetic screening of breeding pairs, check out Making Science Simple: Canine Genetics for Puppy Shoppers.
As an owner, you play an equally important role. Consistent preventive veterinary care, proper exercise and enrichment, healthy nutrition, and early screening can significantly improve long-term health outcomes.
Whether a Borador is right for you depends less on the breed itself and more on how well its typical energy level, temperament, and care needs align with your daily life. Important factors include your schedule and activity level, living environment, household dynamics (such as children, other pets, or allergies), and tolerance for noise or independence. Long-term fit also comes down to maintenance like grooming, training needs, and how often you travel or rely on outside dog care.
Use Paction's Dog Breed Matchmaker and Pup Time Estimator to find out more about what dog is right for you.








