Collie Mixes

Nowadays, Collie mixes are becoming just as popular as the purebred Collie!

If you’re wondering what Collie mixes are available to you, look no further!

This article will tell you everything you need to know about popular Collie mixes to help you decide which could be the best new member of your family.

The Collie – Facts and Figures

Before we look at the different Collie mixes you can get, let’s look at the original Collie breed.

Mix puppies can inherit any combination of their parents’ characteristics. So it’s important to know everything about the parent breeds of your mixed-breed dog.

Collies are an old breed, written about even in the early 1800s. They were loved and popularized by Britain’s Queen Victoria.

Collies are also known from their popularity in the media, through famous collies like Lassie.

Female Collies can grow up to 24 inches at the shoulder, while male Collies can measure 26 inches.

Females can weigh up to 65 pounds, and males up to 75 pounds!

They tend to have a long life expectancy, too, of up to 14 years.

Collies – Grooming and Care

Collies have two coat types that give them a distinctive look: rough and smooth.

Rough coats

Rough coat Collies are also known as long-haired collies.

These need a little more care when grooming, as their fur can mat easily.

Regular grooming keeps their coat healthy and also helps to remove any loose fur from the undercoat.

Smooth coats

Collies with smooth coats require less grooming, but should still be brushed every couple of days, especially during shedding periods.

Smooth Collies still have a double coat, so don’t be fooled into thinking they have no grooming needs!

Exercise and Training

Collies are active dogs that need regular exercise, whether this is running around or playing games like fetch.

They love the chance to run around in enclosed yards throughout the day. Daily walks are a must.

This exercise helps to prevent boredom, which can lead to undesirable behaviors like barking.

Collies are sociable dogs that love to be with their people, happy to settle down with you after a long day of activities!

They are a very intelligent breed that benefit from early socialization and training.

They are an excellent choice if you want to train a dog in agility, obedience, or activities like herding!

Collies are a generally healthy breed but can be prone to eye problems, pancreatic atrophy, and sensitivities to certain drugs.

So why might someone want to change any qualities of the Collie?

Some people might want a dog that is a little easier to care for in terms of grooming.

That being said, Collies have beautiful fur. Perhaps you’re hoping to blend this trait with another breed you love!

Collies are a medium sized dog.

Collie mixes can be a way to change the size of your dog, which is great if you’re in love with the idea of a smaller or bigger dog!

Mixed breeds can be a fun way of finding a dog more suitable to your lifestyle – for instance, a mix might be the answer if you’re worried you won’t be able to give a Collie enough exercise!

Collie Types

So, if you’re not sure a purebred Collie is right for you, let’s look at some Collie mixes to see if any of these are more suitable.

We’ve looked at what characteristics your Collie mix might inherit from its Collie parent, but what about the other breed?

Let’s take a look at what Collie mixes are available, and what qualities they might have.

Afollie

The Afollie is a cross between the Collie and the Afghan Hound.

The Afghan Hound was originally a hunting companion, known for its beautiful, sleek, flowing coat.

They are medium to large dogs, meaning your mix will probably be a little bigger than a regular Collie.

An Afollie’s grooming needs may increase as it gets older, especially if it inherits a longer silky coat like an Afghan Hound!

Brush this mix daily to avoid any tangles, and bathe the dog regularly.

Afollie Training and Exercise

Afghan Hounds usually have a strong instinct to chase things, which your Afollie could inherit. Avoid letting it walk or run off the lead.

However, an enclosed area where your Afollie has the opportunity to run to its heart’s content will do it the world of good.

These dogs require regular exercise. Be aware of their ability to leap over short fences!

Although both parent breeds are intelligent, your Afollie may inherit the Afghan Hound’s stubborn, independent nature, making training tricky!

Start training and socialization as early as possible.

But be aware that training may not stop your Afollie’s natural chase instinct.

Your Afollie is likely to be a loyal pup that loves spending time with its owners, making it a great pet for those that want a friend for life.

Afollie Health

Some possible health issues include:

sensitivities to anesthesia
hip dysplasia
bloat

Boxer Collie

The next of our Collie mixes, the Boxer Collie is a cross between the Collie and the Boxer breeds!

It is a medium-sized, muscular cross.

Boxers, unlike Collies, have short, shiny coats that require little grooming.

The needs of your mix will depend on the coat type it inherits.

This might be a good breed choice if you’re hoping for a cross with fewer grooming needs.

However, although they don’t need as much grooming, they will need a lot of exercise!

Boxer-Collie Mix Exercise

Like Collies, Boxers love to run around. They’re very high energy dogs.

They need lots of exercise to maintain their muscular physique.

The strength of Boxers mean your Boxer Collie should be trained and socialized from a young age, to ensure it doesn’t accidentally hurt anyone if it jumps up!

The high intelligence of both parent breeds means these Collie mixes are a great choice for agility, herding, or obedience training.

They’re eager to please, so take to training well, but may get bored with long training sessions.

Unfortunately there are some health problems to be aware of, including:

hip dysplasia
heart conditions
thyroid deficiency
degenerative myelopathy

Cadoodle

The Cadoodle is a mix between the Collie and a Poodle.

The Cadoodle is a medium to large dog.

Both its parent breeds have high grooming requirements, so you may find it easier taking your Cadoodle to a professional groomer.

Poodle fur needs to be brushed completely to the skin, otherwise tangles can occur at the roots of the fur. If this occurs, the pup will need to be shaved.

Poodles are low shedders, which makes them popular with people with dog allergies. However, remember you cannot guarantee the poodle coat when breeding a Cadoodle.

Like Collies, Poodles require lots of exercise, as they are full of energy!

Activities like swimming, running and retrieving toys are perfect for this cross.

Both Poodles and Collies are very intelligent and take well to training.

Cadoodles make a great choice if you’re looking for a dog you can train in agility, obedience, or tracking.

Cadoodle Health

The health problems your Cadoodle could be prone to include:

hip dysplasia
eye disorders
epilepsy
von Willebrand’s disease
bloat

These health issues emphasize the importance of choosing a reliable breeder.

Doberman Collie

This is the cross between the Doberman Pinscher and the Collie.

The Doberman Collie is a large, intelligent dog that loves being around its owners.

The Doberman requires little grooming, so the Doberman Collie can be a safer bet if you want a Collie mix that you won’t have to brush more than once a day!

Of course, this does depend on the type of coat your cross inherits.

These Collie mixes will require a lot of exercise, and is a great breed if you’re looking for a hiking or walking companion.

A large enclosed yard for your Doberman Collie to run around in is vital.

This mix is naturally intelligent and eager to please!

However, if not trained properly, they can exhibit destructive behaviors, showing why early training and socialization is so vital.

Doberman Collie Health

Some health conditions this mix can suffer from include:

bloat
hip dysplasia
enlarged heart
Von Willebrand’s disease
progressive retinal atrophy
hypothyroidism

Gollie

The Gollie is a cross between a Collie and a Golden Retriever.

This will produce a medium-sized cross.

Most people hope for the golden fur of the Retriever when they mix these breeds!

Depending on the coat your dog inherits, it is likely you will have to groom regularly, and increase frequency during heavy shedding seasons.

Both parent breeds have high exercise needs, especially to avoid undesirable behaviors.

You should give your Gollie daily exercise. They make great companions for long walks or runs!

They’re a highly intelligent breed, great candidates for sports like agility, obedience and tracking.

Training and socialization should start at a young age to make the most of this breed’s naturally loving personality.

Some health conditions to be aware of include elbow and hip dysplasia, muscular dystrophy, eye problems, and heart conditions.

Labollie

The Labollie is a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Collie, and has similarities to the Gollie.

This is a medium sized mix that is adored for its personality.

With the Collie’s intelligence and energy and the Lab’s love and eagerness to please, you can’t go wrong!

This cross makes a brilliant family pet, especially if surrounded by people to give it attention and affection.

Labradors only require occasional bathing or brushing, so the amount of grooming for your cross will depend entirely on the type of coat it inherits.

Labollie Exercise and Training

This mix will be extremely energetic and love lots of exercise to avoid destructive behavior.

Retrieving games like fetch are great, as well as running in enclosed places, and learning agility, obedience, or tracking.

Early socialization and training are key to make the most of this breed’s friendly nature.

It will take well to training given its high intelligence.

Labollie Health

Some health problems to watch out for include:

hip dysplasia
heart disorders
hereditary myopathy
eye problems
bloat

German Collie

This is the cross between a German Shepherd and a Collie.

This produces a medium to large, hard working cross.

Depending on the coat they inherit, they will likely require regular brushing, more frequent during shedding seasons.

They are very active, and will need daily exercise and play to avoid destructive behaviors.

Their tendency to chase things means they’re best running around in enclosed yards.

High intelligence makes these Collie mixes great at activities like herding, tracking, and agility.

Socialization and training should start early on to receive the best results!

There are relatively few health conditions that affect this mix, but you should keep an eye out for:

degenerative myelopathy
elbow and hip dysplasia
bloat

Sprollie

The final mix on our list is a cross between the Collie and the English Springer Spaniel!

These beautiful crosses are medium sized and usually very friendly.

Grooming will depend on the coat they inherit, but they should be brushed at least weekly to keep their coat shiny and healthy and avoid tangles.

They aren’t the most high energy mix on this list, but love outdoor activities with their owners, whether it’s daily walks or longer hikes and runs!

They’re a great choice for activities like obedience, tracking, agility and rally!

They are very eager to please their owners, so early socialization and training will produce a very well trained pup!

However, the Sprollie can show undesirable behaviors if left alone for too long. They’re best for families with lots of time.

Some health problems to watch out for include:

elbow and hip dysplasia
eye conditions

Is a Collie Mix Right For Me?

So is one of these Collie mixes the perfect match for you?

If you’ve had one of these mixes, let us know what they were like in the comments!

Or if you know a perfect mix that we’ve left out, be sure to tell us about it!

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