Border Collie Colors and Patterns

Border collies are attractive and adorable dogs known for their high intelligence. This dog breed comes from a cross between the Viking and Roman breeds. Border Collie colors are astonishing and unique, making them easy for people to recognize at first glance.

Border collies exist in a variety of colors in both rough and smooth coats. As there are so many colors in this breed, you might get confused about which one you should choose. However, it will be fun if you are picky about dog colors. 

Major Kennel Clubs recognized many Border Collie colors. Some dogs may also change their coat color as they grow up. To learn more about Border Collie colors and patterns, make sure to have a look at the following details.

The Border Collie colors are determined by genetics, and the number of genes controls their coat color. Melanin is a substance that gives a border collie hair its color, and two types of melanin are in the dog. The eumelanin is the dark pigments of black and brown and the pheomelanin is yellow or red.

Some key genes including B locus, E locus, S locus, and A locus mainly determine the border collie colors. B locus decides if the dog is black or brown, E locus affects whether black or red pigment shows. The S locus controls the amount of white marking while the A locus influences color patterns. When these genes combine, it results in different Border Collie colors including red, black, blue merle, etc.

There is a wide variety of standard colors in border collie dogs. Ranging from the most common black and white to the rarest blue and white combination. However, different kennel clubs including the Canadian Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, and the American Kennel Club recognize different Border Collie colors. 

Almost every color of Border Collie is recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club. The United Kennel Club considers black and red the most common colors. However, they approved sable, red merle, gray, blue merle, and lemon color in border collies.

The American Kennel Club recognized 17 different colors and patterns for the border collie breed. Every color looks unique and amazing in border collie dogs. Following are the colors and patterns of the border collie that the American Kennel Club recognized. 

• Gold
• Black
• Lilac
• Blue
• Red
• Brindle
• Sable
• Blue merle
• Red merle
• Sable merle
• Saddleback sable
• White and black
• White and red
• White and blue
• White and red merle
• White and blue merle
• White ticked 

Gold 

The gold color is also known as ee Red or Australian Red. It is one of the unique and rarest colors in the border collie breed. Due to the dilution of red coats, the color of the gold border collie is commonly associated with golden retrievers. The gold color in these dogs can range from deep gold to light gold but a recessive gene is responsible for coloring.

Black

Black border collies are different from the white and black border collie. Black border collie dogs have less white in their coats. They only have white markings on their chest. Like gold, black color is also rare in border collie dogs. Moreover, the solid black color in these dogs is also hard to find.

Lilac 

Lilac border collies are unique and come with light brown fur that appears almost purple. Due to health reasons, these dogs are rare like white border collies. Also, to appear lilac, they need two copies of the recessive dilute gene and two copies of the recessive red color.

Blue 

The blue color is a diluted black in border collies that appear grey. They are born in light gray color but get darker over time. They also come in different shades ranging from light grey to dark grey that almost look black. The eye color of blue border collies is green or grey and their nose is typically dark grey.

Red

Red border collies come in orange color, however, the pure red color in these dogs is relatively rare. Also, these dogs have different shades ranging from dark auburn to golden red. The red border collies have white spots on their faces and chests. 

Brindle

Brindle is a pattern in which dogs have a base coat in any color. Border collies with this pattern often have a red or light brown base color. The brindle pattern is common in other dog breeds but rare in border collies. The brindle border collies look similar to Merle, however, they have stripes on their coat instead of patches. 

Sable 

The Sable pattern is not commonly seen in border collie dogs. The sable border collie has a tan coat with black tips, giving them a brown/black look. Sable dogs come in different colors but are most common: red sable, black sable, blue sable, and slate sable. Some sable colors also come with white markings.

Blue Merle 

Blue Merle border collies have gray coats with black or blue patches. These dogs often have light eyes and noses. Blue Merle border collies look the same as slate Merle, but they are darker in color.

Red Merle 

Red Merle Border collies have light coats with white and darker markings. Like blue merle, they have light eyes, paws, and noses. A genetic pairing of a dominant recessive gene from one parent and a merle gene from the other results in a striking coat of the red merle border collie.

Sable Merle

Sable can come in combination with Merle. This pattern is very striking in young Border Collie puppies. In Sable Merle, the border collies have light-colored fur and darker patches with sable hairs. The sable hairs are darker at the tips and lighter at the roots. The nose of the sable merle border collie often determines the base color of the dog.

Saddleback Sable

The saddleback sable border collie comes with light sable fur that is darker at the tips. Like horse saddle, the saddleback sable dog has black markings on its back. They also appear like sable or sable tricolor dogs. You may also see some tan on their faces. 

White and Black

The most common border collie coat color is a combination of white and black. The combo of white and black looks elegant in this dog breed. Their bodies are black with white markings on their chest, belly, tails, faces, and legs. 

White and Red

White and red border collies have brown-orange or red fur with white markings. The white and red combination is commonly seen in border collies. In border collies, the red and white color combination is determined by specific genetic combinations.

White and Blue

The appearance of the white and blue border collie is similar to black and white dogs but they have blue or gray color in their coat instead of black. The white and blue border collies have white blaze, chest, points, and collar. Their eyes can be sky blue, dark brown, hazel, or medium brown while their nose leather is blue/grey.

White and Red Merle

These dogs have a red base coat with white markings. White and red merle border collies are somewhat more common than red merle. However, they are rarer than white and red border collie dogs.

White and Blue Merle

White and blue merles are common in the border collie breed. These dogs come with a distinctive appearance. They have white markings on the blue or gray color body. 

White Ticked

White-ticked border collies come with two coats of color. They have black ticks or spots on white bodies. Border collies with this color pattern are hard to find.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) has officially recognized the following markings in the Border Collie Breed:

• Tan points
• Merle Markings
• White Markings
• White Markings, Tan Points
• White Markings, Tan Point, Ticked 
• White Markings, Brindle Points, Ticked 
• White Markings, Ticked
• White Markings, Brindle Points

Even though border collies don’t change coat color over time, however, there is a possibility that some border collie dogs may experience changes in the shade of their coat color after getting mature. Blue border collies are born light gray but get darker as they age. Also, some dogs used to be light tan when puppies but get more golden after their growth.

The border collie colors are amazing, making this breed unique from other dog breeds. Major kennel clubs approved different colors in the border collie breed. The prices of border collies are also influenced by their coat color. The rare coat color will be more expensive than a common one. However, puppies with rare coats are sometimes prone to health issues.