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MediumHerding Group

Bearded Collie

The Bearded Collie is a long-coated herding breed from the Scottish Highlands, genetically distinct from the Border and Rough Collies despite shared working heritage.

Calculate Bearded Collie age
Lifespan13.9 yrrange 13–14
SizeMediumHerding Group
Weight45–55 lb20.4–24.9 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Bearded Collie

The Bearded Collie is a long-coated herding breed from the Scottish Highlands, genetically distinct from the Border and Rough Collies despite shared working heritage. The characteristic chin furnishings give the breed its name.

Aging

How Bearded Collies age

RVC VetCompass reports a median lifespan of 13.9 years (n=1,735). Addison's disease is disproportionately common — one of the highest rates for any breed — and breed-club testing now covers it alongside collie-eye-anomaly variants.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.9 yr · range 13–14Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues5 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–55 lb(20.4–24.9 kg)
Height
20–22 in(50.8–55.9 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlackBlueBrownFawn
Temperament

Temperament

How Bearded Collies tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

charismaticbouncyenergeticaffectionate
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Bearded Collie physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.