Border Collie Breed Health. Border Collies are generally healthy dogs, but hereditary conditions can show up during development when they are puppies. Life Expectancy. A healthy Border Collie is expected to live for 10-17 years, the average being 12 years old. Common Health Problems. Some of the most common health problems that affect Border One trait this dog often inherits from their Border Collie parent is coat color. Border Collies have more than 20 recognized colors, while Aussies only have four. Some of the more commonly seen coat colors are black and white, red tri-color, red or blue merle and sable. No two Border Collie Australian Shepherd mix puppies are ever the same. Health: Collies are generally healthy dogs, but they can be prone to some health problems, such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and Collie eye anomaly. Collie History The Blue Merle Bordoodle is among the most desirable colorings of this Border Collie Poodle mix. The merle gene may also impact the puppy’s eyes or skin color. It must be noted that breeding two blue merle Bordoodles should never be allowed. There are acute health problems when breeding two merle dogs together which may lead to blindness or This border collie has the merle or double merle gene When any dog with the merle gene has puppies, this merle gene can be passed on to all, some, or none of its puppies. But when a female dog and a male dog that both have the merle gene have puppies together, one-quarter of their puppies (1 out of every 4) will be what is called ‘double However, certain health issues particularly affect some merle Border Collies more than the order colors. Dogs known as double merles or “lethal white” are those that have inherited the merle gene variant from both parents (regardless of breed). This is the color pattern associated with the African wild dog and is very uncommon in pet dogs. It has been reported in the Australian Shepherd, Catahoula Leopard Dog and Border Collie. Health issues. Dogs with two copies of the merle gene (homozygous merle or "double merle") have an even higher chance of being born deaf. Australian Shepherd Border Collie Health Problems One of the most important points to make with Australian Shepherd Border Collie health is that some disorders are linked to their coat color. For that reason, it is essential never to purchase a puppy from two merle parents, as there is an increased risk of the Border Aussie being blind and/or cEOF.