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

The count under the short answer is taken live from our listings, and each dog links to its rescue. Collie crosses show up there too, because rescues often list a collie mix by its collie side. There is no collie breed rescue in Cumbria that lists its dogs with us, so most collies near Kendal are with the general rescues below.

No rescue near Kendal publishes figures on why its collies came in, so we don't guess at numbers. The breed guides point to the usual mismatch. PDSA says collies need at least two hours of exercise a day, like company all the time and are perhaps not the best choice for a first-time owner; a collie bought as a family pet for a busy household can find that hard. Wolfwood won't rehome any dog to a home where it would be left alone all day.

That cuts both ways. A collie in rescue has often done nothing wrong except land in the wrong home, and the rescue can tell you how it copes with being left, with other dogs and with visitors before you commit.

The Royal Kennel Club puts the breed at more than two hours of exercise a day and PDSA at a minimum of two, so this is no dog for a short stroll round the block. Mix walks with training, games and problem solving: a collie that only runs gets fitter, not calmer.

PDSA traces the breed's name to the border country of England and Scotland, where it was bred to work in the hills. Around Kendal that means sheep on many of the walks, so plan on a lead or a long line where there is livestock, and ask the rescue how the dog reacts to sheep, cars and bikes before you choose one for fell walking.

With a rescue collie the fee goes towards vet work already done. A dog from Animal Care Lancaster goes home neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated, and Animal Rescue Cumbria generally neuters adult dogs before they leave and adds 4 weeks of free insurance. Most rescue collies are adults, so their size, energy and habits are already known.

A bought puppy should already be microchipped, since breeders in England must chip by 8 weeks, but neutering and further vaccinations usually cost extra on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes. Training help is yours to find and fund, and a working-bred collie puppy needs a great deal of it.

Rescue collies rarely come with their parents' test results, so ask what the rescue's vet has checked. Collies tend to reach a good age. Working from UK practice records, VetCompass researchers at the Royal Veterinary College calculated 12.10 years of life expectancy at birth, and Dogs Trust gives a typical lifespan of 12 years plus. The points UK sources raise:

• Medicines. PDSA lists multi-drug resistance (MDR1), an increased sensitivity to some commonly used medicines. Make sure any vet who treats your dog knows it is part collie before prescribing anything.
• Eyes. The British Veterinary Association's Eye Scheme lists the Border Collie among the common breeds at risk of eye disease, and The Royal Kennel Club lists DNA tests for Collie eye anomaly and several other inherited conditions among its best practice for breeders.
• Hips, seizures and merle. Hip dysplasia and epilepsy are on PDSA's list too. Merle to merle pairings carry a risk of impaired sight and hearing, which is why The Royal Kennel Club stopped registering their puppies from 1 January 2013.

The Royal Kennel Club reckons a small house can work if it comes with a large garden, and it lists the breed as suited to town or country. The rescues are stricter about where and how you live: Border Collie Rescue won't place a dog in a town or city, and Wolfwood won't rehome any dog to someone out at work full time unless the dog can go too or have regular breaks. PDSA says collies like company all the time, so think about who is home during the day.

Young children are the other question. The herding instinct can mean a collie bumps into small children and knocks them over, PDSA warns, so it suggests an adult-only home or one with teenagers. Border Collie Rescue will not rehome where a child under 8 lives, and the general rescues judge each dog on its profile.

An older collie is often the easiest to live with: calmer, house trained and still keen on a walk. With a life expectancy at birth of 12.10 years in the VetCompass study, a collie of 8 or 9 can have years of walks ahead. On 2 November 2026 the collies listed near Kendal ranged from dogs under a year to Marshall, a Border Collie of nearly 13 at Animal Rescue Cumbria; our older dogs page lists every older dog near Kendal today.

Ask the rescue what an older dog's vet check found and how it copes with stairs, cars and long walks, so you can plan its days around it.

No rescue sells a collie. You apply, the rescue weighs your home against the dog's needs, and if it is a match you pay an adoption fee. Most rescue collies are adults, and with one you can see its energy and quirks before you commit. Today's collies near Kendal, each linked to its rescue, are on our Kendal Border Collie page.

Buying? Dogs Trust says to speak to your vet first, and some practices offer a consultation before you buy; The Royal Kennel Club lists litters through "Find a puppy". A careful breeder can show eye test and DNA results for both parents and will not sell pups from two merle parents. Report scam adverts to Report Fraud.