Adopting a Border Collie in Manchester: rescues, costs and health

The count under the short answer is live: every Border Collie and cross listed with us within about 25 miles of Manchester, each linked to its rescue. It is often a short list or none at all, and we found no Border Collie rescue based in the North West, so expect to look further afield 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, and The Freedom Of Spirit Trust For Border Collies says they need sensible exercise and their brains worked, not over-stimulated, rather than a ten mile run every day. Ask about this dog.

At Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home, £200 for an adult brings a dog that is health checked, neutered, vaccinated once and microchipped, with four weeks' free insurance. Some charities charge less for older dogs: Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over. Border Collie Trust GB also offers £100 towards neutering if a dog it rehomes couldn't be neutered before adoption.

Buying works the other way round. By law 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 flat is a hard match. Time and company matter as much: PDSA says collies prefer company all the time, and The Freedom Of Spirit Trust For Border Collies won't rehome to full-time workers.

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.

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. Puppies do come through: Border Collie Trust GB takes in litters with little warning, but asks people to think hard about whether they need a pup, as older dogs are waiting. Our Manchester Border Collie page shows what is listed near the city 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).