Centuries ago, dogs were mostly bred with a specific line of work in mind.
Their main purpose was to help people and perform a variety of tasks to make life easier on their humans.
However, today a lot of those hard-working breeds have found their place as family dogs whose duty is nothing more than to bring joy into the lives of their owners.
That’s exactly the case with Border Collies and Beagles.
These two breeds do share the same background, were both originally bred to perform valuable, but different tasks for their humans.
Border Collies made the name for themselves as hard-working sheepdogs while Beagles were known as tenacious hounds.
Still, now both of these breeds top the lists of favorite family pets.
I’ll compare Border Collie vs Beagle to see how they stack against each other and which one is more suitable for certain types of owners.
| Attributes | Border Collie | Beagle |
| Good For First Time Owners | No | Yes |
| Good Guard Dog | With Enough Traning | No |
| Apartment Friendly | No | Yes |
| Good Family Dog | With Enough Training | Yes |
| Shedding | Moderate | Moderate |
| Barking And Howling | Moderate To High | Moderate To High |
| Height | 18-22 inches (46-56 cm) | 12-17 inches (33-41 cm) |
| Average Life Expectancy | 12-15 Years | 12-15 Years |
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Border Collie – Dog Breed Information
Due to its intelligence and agility, Border Collie has long been recognized as an ultimate herding dog.
They originated from the hills of Scotland and England where they used to help locals herd sheep and other livestock.
Today, they’re still used for the same purposes, but those traits have also made them fantastic competitors at agility events and recently as one of the most popular family dogs.
Appearance
Border Collies are lean, athletic, and muscular.
Even though they’re only medium-sized, they pack a surprisingly lot of strength in their body.
The double coat protecting them from the harsh weather comes in two variants.
Some Collies feature smooth and some rough coats.
The topcoat is moderately long and dense, while the undercoat is softer.
The Black and white combination is the most common, although it’s possible to find other patterns, including blue merle, tan, and liver.
Border Collies have medium-sized, folded ears, almond-shaped eyes with a typical deep stare, and long and bushy low-set tails.
Male Border Collies reach around 19-22 inches (48-56 cm) height and can weigh around 30-45 pounds (14-20 kg).
Adult Females reach 18-21 inches (46-53 cm) in height and 27-42 pounds (12-19 kg) in weight.
Temperament
Border Collies are among the top breeds when it comes to both intelligence and energy levels.
This combination makes them extremely active and hard-working.
You’ll almost never see them resting.
They are very dedicated to their owners and enjoy pleasing them and spending time with the whole family.
Strong herding instincts are still alive, so they may try to herd the family members, especially kids.
When they’re not challenged, Collies can quickly become bored.
If you plan on getting one of these dogs, be aware that you’ll have to dedicate a good chunk of your time to them.
However, for more active people, Collies are perfect companions for all sorts of activities.
As highly intelligent dogs, they are highly trainable.
Still, due to occasional stubbornness and independence tendencies, they require an experienced trainer.
Beagle – Dog Breed Information
Originally bred to be scenthunters and track small animals such as rabbits, Beagles are still one of the most used dogs in hunting and preventing smuggling at airports
They are also a very energetic, social, and fun-loving breed, which makes them great family pets.
Appearance
Beagles have a similar appearance to foxhounds, but they’re a bit smaller.
However, they’re very sturdy and muscular and have a solid build. The body is covered in a medium-length, smooth double coat.
Beagles usually feature tricolor combinations. The most common combo is black and light brown with white markings.
There are, however, two-toned breed specimens, such as lemon Beagle with white color and tan markings.
The head is medium long with a wide skull and square muzzle.
The ears are long and characteristically droopy, while the eyes are large, wide apart, and usually brown or hazel.
The tail is moderately long.
Male Beagles grow around 14-17 inches (36-41 cm) and weigh 22-25 pounds (10-11 kg).
Fully grown females are 12-15 inches (33-38 cm) high and weigh around 19-23 pounds (9-10 kg).
Temperament
Beagles are famous for being gentle and fun-loving rascals. They even quickly warm up around strangers after being initially cautious.
This breed also gets easily excited, which results in quite a lot of barking. The main impulse of a beagle is to follow its nose.
Once a beagle gets a scent, there’s no holding it back. So, the leash is often necessary as is the strong arm.
They also like to eat anything that they can get their hands on.
Make sure, if you have a Beagle, that anything you don’t want it to eat is out of its reach.
In addition, Beagles are very curious and clever and like to investigate. This may sometimes lead to them wandering off if you’re not careful.
Still, they are very funny, delightful, and a joy to be around. All these minor flaws can be rectified with early training and socialization.
Border Collie vs Beagle – What are the Differences?
| Border Collie | Beagle |
 |  |
Border Collies and Beagles were developed for different purposes and those original genes are still strong.
Most of their differences come from their different background.
The most glaring difference is quite obvious, Collies are larger and have long hair. This also makes them a bit more difficult to care for and groom.
Beagles will leave fewer hairs around on the carpet and due to their smaller size are more suitable for apartment living.
However, they do bark a lot and can get a bit naughty searching for food and things to do.
In addition, Beagles are easier to train, while Collies can be somewhat challenging for first-time owners.
Both breeds enjoy spending time with kids, but Beagle is known for being one of the most child-friendly dogs.
When comparing Border Collie vs Beagle energy levels, the former is much more active and requires more time dedicated to exercise.
Conclusion
Both of these breeds, should you choose them, will bring you countless hours of fun and joy.
Each of them is very loyal and enjoys being in the company of people.
If this is your first time owning a dog, then, perhaps, the Beagle is a bit more reasonable choice.
Even though they can sometimes take things too far when playing and let their nose, rather than their brains, lead them.
Border Collies, on the other hand, are more difficult to handle.
Still, their independence, high energy, and tendency to be active make them great dogs for owners who enjoy engaging in all sorts of outdoor activities themselves.
