Border Collie Greyhound: Black & White Saluki?

Have you ever imagined what you would get if you crossed the fastest with the smartest dog? Maybe not, because does anyone need a faster Border Collie?

However, designer dog breeders are recently looking at Greyhounds as the new hope to introduce docility and calmness into some breeds. One breed that might benefit from lower intensity is the Border Collie.

A Border Collie Greyhound mix is a medium-sized cross that looks like a black & white Saluki. It is affectionate and loyal with medium-high energy. Most Border Collie Greyhounds are white with black or brown markings. They have short to medium-length soft fur. The mix gets along with other pets, but only a few individuals are suitable for children under nine years old.

Pros & Cons of a Border Collie Greyhound Mix

Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get a Border Collie Greyhound Mix

• Too active for some owners
• Sometimes nervous and high-strung
• Powerful predatory instincts
• Exceedingly difficult to locate a reputable and responsible breeder

Reasons Why You Should Get a Border Collie Greyhound Mix

• Sweet and loving
• Intelligent and highly trainable
• Athletic
• Unique

Appearance, Personality, Coat and Colors, and Traits of a Border Collie Greyhound Mix

Appearance

As with the more recent mixed breed dogs, the Border Collie Greyhound cross has a variable appearance. Nevertheless, most of them have several signature traits.

• Narrow head that widens significantly between the ears and around the eyes
• Button rose, or prick ears that are medium in size
• Round, medium-sized, dark, wide-spaced eyes
• Long, slightly narrowed muzzle
• Very slight stop – more than a Greyhound but much less than a Border Collie
• Long graceful neck
• Body longer than the dog’s height from the ground to the shoulders
• Deep, fairly narrow chest
• Broad, muscular back with a level topline and rounded or moderately sloping croup
• Abdominal slope from the sternum to the lower abdomen is pronounced
• Most dogs will look quite thin, and it is normal to see a faint outline on their ribs
• Tail is set on low from the croup and is carried low at rest and slightly above the level of the back when working or during the excitement
• Legs are long and lean, but strong
• Size – 17 to 24 inches tall; 40 to 60 pounds

This is an example of the typical appearance of this cross. Note your first impression is a long-legged and thin dog. You can also see the half-prick ears and black-and-white coloration.

Personality and Traits

• Adoring
• Loyal
• Some dogs are mildly protective
• Friendly – might be reserved with strangers at first
• Strong work ethic with single-minded focus and intensity
• High prey drive and herding instinct

Coat and Colors

A Gray Border Collie’s coat can be short and smooth with no undercoat, medium-long, and wavy with dense underfur. Most cross members have medium-short fur with longer wisps around the ears and tail. The undercoat is usually thin or moderately dense. Most Gray Border Collies are the following colors:

• White with black patches
• White with chocolate patches
• Black with white markings
• White with merle patches

Border Collie Greyhound Mix Puppies for Sale

A Border Collie Greyhound cross is among the more common Greyhound mixes, but finding an ethical breeder remains difficult. You can detect a seller who is not just trying to profit from the mix’s novelty with a little digging. Conscientious breeders share one or more of the following qualities.

• Keep a clean facility that does not look overcrowded
• Have an excellent record of their dogs and may have even started family trees
• Perform breed-specific tests such as on the hip, elbows, and eyes
• Do not charge exorbitant prices for a so-called rare breed

It is always your best bet to visit a litter of puppies before making a final purchase decision. Inspect each pup’s attitude and state of health.

All puppies should be bright-eyed, active, alert, and curious. Cross off litters that have pups with evidence of diarrhea or that have discharge from their eyes or noses. When possible, puppies should be nine to fourteen weeks old before you take one home.

Grooming Your Border Collie Greyhound Mix

You should brush your Border Collie Greyhound once or twice a week. You may have to increase the brushing to three or four times weekly during the heavy shedding seasons of spring and fall. Other grooming needs are basic.

• Bath every four to eight weeks
• Nail trim every two to six weeks.
• Clean ears of excess wax every few days to every couple of months
• Wipe the face around the eyes every other day
• Brush your dog’s teeth every two or three days

Border Collie Greyhound Mix Health

Border Collie Greyhound Lifespan

A Greyhound and a Border Collies have life expectancies of 10 to 12 years and 14 to 17 years, respectively. On average, you can anticipate that your cross will live 12 to 16 years.

Border Collie Greyhound Health Problems

• Hip dysplasia – growth abnormality and incongruency in the hip joint
• Progressive retinal atrophy – loss of retinal tissue over the years results in eventual blindness
• Elbow dysplasia – resembles hip dysplasia, but lesions are possible at three points of the joint rather than two
• Obesity
• Osteoarthritis – a dog is more prone if one of the parents is from the racetrack

Border Collie Greyhound Mix Food Requirements

A great starting point for feeding your dog is to give her about 28 to 32 calories per pound. This generally works out to about two to three cups of kibble daily or 2% to 3.5% of your dog’s weight daily.

Your dog will benefit if you split her daily food portions into multiple meals. Most dogs thrive on two daily feedings, but a few do better with meals every eight hours.

Whether you feed your Border Collie Greyhound mix dry a homemade diet or commercial wet or dry food, it should be mostly meat and moderate fat. You may need to consult a nutritionist about home-cooked dog food’s vitamin and mineral components.

Border Collie Greyhound Mix Exercise Requirements

Gray Border Collies require about 75 to 100 minutes of daily exercise. You should combine physically challenging activities like chasing, fetch, or jogging with mentally engaging games or puzzles.

Training for puppies is part of their mental development, as does socialization. Adults can engage in advanced training sessions such as agility or RALLY (obedience competition).

If you are so inclined, your dog may have a knack for herding trials, coursing, or luring. Such activities intermix physical and intellectual types of exercises.

Border Collie Greyhound Mix and Families

Border Collie Greyhound hybrids are potentially amazing family pets. Many but not all, make great watchdogs. They share their affection with all family members and tend to accept friends and guests.

Gray Border Collies are a challenge for toddlers and small children under the age of seven. They can be intense and nippy with their strong herding instincts. Moreover, they are big enough to knock little kids over. Screaming may invoke their prey drives.

Border Collie Greyhound Mix and other pets

Border Collie Greyhound mixes tend to get along with other dogs. If exposed at an early age, they can get along with various animals, especially those that live within the home or on a farm.

Your dog’s predatory drive is probably too much for her to co-exist safely with rodents, rabbits, or birds. Some dogs are not even trustworthy around cats.

Is this mix right for you?

If you can say “Yes,” to the following question, this mix might be right for you.

• Are all children living in your home over eight years old?
• Do you have a pet-free household or only a single, medium-sized dog?
• Do you enjoy being active?
• Do you have much time to spend training and exercising a dog?
• Are you able to spend most of your day at home, or is someone always going to be with the dog?