Adopting a Border Collie in Cardiff: rescues, costs and care

The count under the short answer is live: every Border Collie and collie cross listed with us within about 25 miles of Cardiff, each linked to its rescue. Collies were among the breeds we saw most often near the city when we checked, but the list changes week to week, so look at the collie charities too.

More than two hours a day, says The Royal Kennel Club, and at least two, says PDSA, which suggests several walks with off-lead time somewhere secure, plus training and games. A bored collie is "very bad news", PDSA warns.

The collie charities add a caution: Border Collie Trust GB says the belief that every collie needs hours and hours of activity is often wrong and can harm some dogs. Ask the rescue about this dog, and look at its energy rather than the breed label.

At Cardiff Dogs Home the fee covers first and second vaccinations, a microchip and initial flea and worm treatment, and adult dogs are neutered before they leave, a cost it says its charity, The Rescue Hotel, usually covers. Some charities charge less for older dogs: Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over.

Buying works the other way round. In Wales, as across the UK, a breeder must microchip a puppy by 8 weeks, so the chip should already be done, but neutering and further vaccinations usually come on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for the puppy.

A rescue collie's parents may not have been tested, so ask what the rescue's vet has found. The breed is long-lived: a Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of dogs under UK vet care put its life expectancy at birth at 12.10 years, and Dogs Trust says typically 12 or more. UK sources raise these points:

• Eyes. Breeders are asked by The Royal Kennel Club to have eyes tested and to DNA test for Collie eye anomaly, among other conditions. The Border Collie heads the British Veterinary Association's Eye Scheme list of common breeds at risk of eye disease, and the scheme is open to crossbreeds and unregistered dogs too.
• Medicines (MDR1). PDSA lists multi-drug resistance, an increased sensitivity to some commonly used medications, among the conditions the breed is at risk of. Tell any vet that your dog is a Border Collie or collie cross before it is given medication.
• Hips, fits and merle. PDSA also names hip dysplasia and epilepsy, and since 1 January 2013 The Royal Kennel Club has refused to register puppies from merle to merle matings because of the risk to sight and hearing.

The Royal Kennel Club says a small house can do but pairs it with a large garden, and Border Collie Rescue won't consider urban homes, so a city-centre flat is a hard match. Time and company matter as much: PDSA says collies prefer company all the time, and Border Collie Rescue wants an adult at home for most of the day.

With children, take the herding instinct seriously. PDSA wouldn't recommend a collie with younger children, because herding can mean bumping into them and knocking them over, and suggests an adult-only household or one with teenagers. It also says the breed might not be the best for first-time owners, though experienced owners can find collies easy to train. If you rent, Cardiff Dogs Home and All Creatures Great and Small both ask for your landlord's written permission.

No rescue sells a Border Collie. You apply, the rescue matches you with a dog that suits your home, and you pay an adoption fee. Young collies do come through: when we checked, one listed near Cardiff was under a year old, and All Creatures Great and Small asks £375 for a dog under 12 months. Our Cardiff Border Collie page shows what is listed today.

If you buy, Dogs Trust suggests asking your vet about a pre-purchase consultation, and The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. Ask to see both parents' eye test and DNA results, walk away from merle to merle litters, and report a suspected scam to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).