Basque Shepherd vs Australian Collie - Breed Comparison

Basque Shepherd vs Australian Collie - Breed ComparisonAustralian Collie is originated from Australia but Basque Shepherd is originated from Spain. Australian Collie may grow 21 cm / 8 inches shorter than Basque Shepherd. Both Australian Collie and Basque Shepherd are having almost same weight. Australian Collie may live 3 years more than Basque Shepherd. Australian Collie may have less litter size than Basque Shepherd. Both Australian Collie and Basque Shepherd requires Moderate Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Herding dogs
Working dog
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Australia
Spain
Height Male:
36 - 40 cm
14 - 16 inches
47 - 61 cm
18 - 25 inches
Height Female:
36 - 40 cm
14 - 16 inches
46 - 59 cm
18 - 24 inches
Weight Male:
15 - 25 kg
33 - 56 pounds
17 - 29 kg
37 - 64 pounds
Weight Female:
15 - 25 kg
33 - 56 pounds
17 - 36 kg
37 - 80 pounds
Life Span:
12 - 18 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 6
6 - 9
Size:
Medium
Medium
Other Names:
Australian Koolie, German Koolie, German Coolie
Basque Herder, Basque Sheepdog
Colors Available:
red or blue patterned merle; some of them are born as one colored, usually red/chocolate or black. When they have two colors, they are red and white, black and white, black and tan, red and tan. Tricolor Collie is merle, with tan points and a white chest.
fawn, yellow orange or copper coat with other shades being red, blue and black
Coat:
smooth and short or short and rough; double coated or single coated. Some of them have longer coat their legs or without.
smooth and soft to rough and coarse
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Social
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Social, Sweet
Grooming:
Moderate Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

australian collieThe Koolie, as a breed we know today, originates from Australia. But, before they were breed and imported, they were the mix made of Britain smooth coated blue merle Collie and the Black and Tan Collie from the Highlands of Scotland. The Koolie came to Australia to work as a kennel dog since they are known as the working, farm dog that can adapt to any weather condition. They were bred to be agile and non-aggressive quiet herding dogs, and they have kept most of those good characteristics until today.

basque shepherdThe Basque Shepherd is one of the oldest dog breeds. With this Spanish dog, you’ll find paintings dating back 12,000 years ago. The Basque Shepherd is known as a landrace breed, which means the dog hasn’t gone through the same selective breeding programs as what other breeds have. Landrace breeds have more variations in appearance and temperament than regular breeds.

The Basque Shepherd has 2 distinct varieties, the Gorbeiakoa and the Iletsua. The smooth-haired Gorbeiakoa has a softer coat that is fairly short while the rougher-haired Iletsua has a lighter coloured coat, and unlike the Gorbeiakoa, the ears are not typically erect.

Even though this is an ancient breed of dog, only the Royal Canine Society of Spain recognizes the breed with the two varieties, and in January 1996, the two breeds - Iletsua and Gorbeikoa – were recognized.

Description

australian collie puppy - descriptionKoolie is a medium bred. Their head is small, with a pointy jaw. Ears are pricked, semi-dropped or dropped. Their coat can be smooth or rough, short or medium length, always with the undercoat. The colours can be Red or Blue Merle, solid Red or Black, sometimes with minimal white or cream speckles. They are usually two-coloured or tricoloured, but some of them are actually one-coloured.

Some Koolie have one or two blue, green or yellow eyes. Eye colour is, of course, affected by the gene that creates the coat pattern and eye colour as well.

They are athletic dogs, with fine bone structure but great stamina. Actually, they were breed to be like that – to work hard, be noticeable among the sheep, eat little and be loyal to one person.

Two Varieties

basque shepherd puppy - descriptionThe Basque Shepherd is a strong, well proportioned dog with brown eyes and medium sized ears, which sometimes have folds. This medium-to-large dog has a beautiful fawn coat of medium-length hair that can be straight or slightly wavy. He has a long feathery tail that will wag readily when he sees his owner. You’ll find other colors for the Basque Shepherd shared between the two varieties - a yellow orange or copper coat with other shades being red, blue and black. His hair is shorter on the head and he doesn’t battle with hair over the eyes.

An Intelligent Breed

The Basque Shepherd is a highly intelligent dog and also very energetic. Of the two different kinds of Basque Shepherd, it is the Gorbeiakoa which is the more outgoing. The dogs will require a firm owner and they thrive on the discipline when it is combined with lots of with lots of exercise and activities.

The Basque Shepherd is generally friendly with people, if not a little reserved with strangers. He gets on well with children and other pets in the home, although socialization and training will be necessary to bring out their best.

Characteristics

Around children

australian collie dog - characteristicsKoolie is naturally energetic, playful and affectionate so they are naturally very good to raise with children.

Special talents

They are known as great obedience dog. They are very famous as the tracking dogs.

Some of them are successful as the rescue dogs, therapy dogs or educators for school children.

Adaptability

This is not a type of dog that will be alone in the house, wait for you and then be quiet while you rest. They need a great deal of activity and they are not such great choice for indoor life anyways. The best thing for them would be the large yard, with somebody home most of the time. They are great if raised in a family, with children and active owners. They will be great for a loner at the farm as well since that is in their blood. They need enough place to run, chase, play, rest on the sun and be active as they please. They get affectionate towards their families, but they will be accepting their new home when they are older just fine.

Learning ability

They are very good at learning. Intelligent, yes, but yet very silly and playful to do what is told all the time. They will surprise you with how quickly they will pick up the new trick but not feeling like doing it every time you would like them to. Everything is a play for them, so it would be best if you know how to play, be affectionate and friendly to become a good owner of this breed.

basque shepherd dog - characteristicsThe dog is well suited to being a family pet, loving to spend time with family, being a people-oriented breed. He gets on well with children as well as other pets in the home, but can be reserved with strangers.

He doesn’t have an aggressive nature, and yet he does what it takes to protect his beloved human family.

He is full of energy, hardy and tough. He loves his human family and wants to be included in all their activities. He is energetic though and as a responsible dog owner, you want to make sure that your Basque Shepherd has enough space to run.

Health Problems

australian collie puppies - health problemsIf you are careful enough, you will choose your Koolie form patiently chosen breeders, after checking the health history of the pup and the pup’s family. Advisable is to do these things in person and never to buy a Koolie from a pet shop.

Sometimes, pups can be born blind or deaf pups. They have the great chance of joint problems because of their extreme activity. Their need to run, jump and play all the time may result in damage to cartilage and ligaments, especially since they are not aware of their age most of the time.

There is a chance that pup has skin allergies or immune system issues if they are growing on a farm near the chemicals used for plants, so be careful what kind of herbicide you use if you have a Collie.

In some rare cases, they suffer from seizers. If untreated, they can cause death. If you decide to take him to a regular vet check, you will have a happy and playful life together.

basque shepherd puppies - health problemsBecause this is an ancient breed, the Basque Shepherd doesn’t have to contend with genetic health problems such as more modern breeds. Just like other dogs though, he could be prone to certain conditions such as hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear infections and cancer. As a larger breed, he may also be prone to bloat.

Chronic Ear Infections

Breeds with floppy ears, such as the Basque Shepherd will be more prone to developing ear infections. To prevent infection, keep his ears clean and dry. If you’re unsure, the vet can guide you how- and what to do.

Hip Dysplasia

This is a disease which is common to other dog breeds too and not just the Basque Shepherd. This condition affects the hip joints and can result in chronic pain for the dog and also lameness. Checking your dog’s weight is important and the pain can be managed with medication.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy and adult

australian collie dogs - caringWhether you choose canned food or dry food, treats as biscuits or left-overs, the quantity is the safest way of keeping the balanced diet for your Collie. They like raw meat and raw bones. Make sure not to feed them with cooked bones because they can do more harm than good.

Grooming

Since Koolie coat can be very short with the undercoat or a bit longer with undercoat, bristle brushing every 3 or 4 days will be enough for them. Some of them like the water and some of them don’t and that is perfectly fine since there is no need for a regular bath.

Points for Good Health

Lots of activities and lots of love. They express their love all the time and you can learn a lot from them actually. They like raw bones and from-the-table delicious treats but make sure not to overfeed them.

The best type of activity

Games that need them to be fast and think quickly. Running with them, driving a bike with them (but not on the leash!) would be a great fun for them. Why not leash? They are so playful and happy and they tend to jump and run to the side to chase a butterfly or catch the falling leaf.

basque shepherd dogs - caringThis is a medium to large breed dog and he should therefore be fed a high quality food which has been formulated for medium to large breeds. Because he is a herding dog, you might want to also look at an active-dog or working-breed formula to supply him with that much needed energy.

Grooming

The Basque Shepherd’s coat is lush and long with either straight or wavy hair. Regular brush at least twice a week will maintain the coat, get rid of loose hair and prevent fleas.

Training

The Basque Shepherd is an intelligent breed that will respond well to socialization and training. He is a breed that loves sports too because of this very high energy levels. You need to be careful with the Basquae Shepherd around small children, not because he is aggressive in any way, but because he is highly active, and his exuberance and boisterous antics could see him unintentionally knocking over small children.

Comparison with other breeds

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  9. Basque Shepherd vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Basque Shepherd vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
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  27. Australian Collie vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Australian Collie vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Australian Collie vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Australian Collie vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Australian Collie vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Australian Collie vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Australian Collie vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Australian Collie vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Australian Collie vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Australian Collie vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Australian Collie vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Australian Collie vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Australian Collie vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Australian Collie vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Australian Collie vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Australian Collie vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Australian Collie vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Australian Collie vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Australian Collie vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Australian Collie vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Australian Collie vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Australian Collie vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Australian Collie vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Australian Collie vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison