Month-by-month weight ranges for Border Collie puppies, separated by sex. Adults reach 30.0–54.9 lb (13.6–24.9 kg) under the American Kennel Club breed standard, which does not separate the sexes for this breed.
Quick answers
- Adults weigh 30.0–54.9 lb (13.6–24.9 kg); the AKC standard does not separate the sexes for this breed.
- At 6 months a male is usually 22.7–41.7 lb and a female 22.3–40.6 lb — about 75% of adult weight.
- At 12 months a Border Collie is around 92% of its final weight.
- Fully grown at roughly 15 months.
Border Collie weight chart by age
| Age | Male | Female | % of adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 8.2–15.0 lb3.7–6.8 kg | 8.6–15.7 lb3.9–7.1 kg | 28% |
| 3 months | 12.8–23.4 lb5.8–10.6 kg | 13.0–23.8 lb5.9–10.8 kg | 43% |
| 4 months | 16.8–30.6 lb7.6–13.9 kg | 17.0–30.9 lb7.7–14.0 kg | 56% |
| 5 months | 20.3–37.0 lb9.2–16.8 kg | 20.1–36.6 lb9.1–16.6 kg | 67% |
| 6 months | 22.7–41.7 lb10.3–18.9 kg | 22.3–40.6 lb10.1–18.4 kg | 75% |
| 8 months | 26.0–47.4 lb11.8–21.5 kg | 25.6–46.7 lb11.6–21.2 kg | 86% |
| 10 months | 27.6–50.5 lb12.5–22.9 kg | 27.1–49.4 lb12.3–22.4 kg | 91% |
| 12 months | 27.8–50.7 lb12.6–23.0 kg | 27.3–50.0 lb12.4–22.7 kg | 92% |
| 18 months | 29.5–54.0 lb13.4–24.5 kg | 29.1–53.4 lb13.2–24.2 kg | 98% |
| 24 months | 30.0–54.9 lb13.6–24.9 kg | 30.0–54.9 lb13.6–24.9 kg | 100% |
Weigh on the same scale at the same time of day where you can. The trend across several weighings tells you far more than any single row.
Reading the range
The American Kennel Club gives one weight range for Border Collies rather than separate figures for males and females, so the columns above are identical. Males do tend to finish at the heavier end and females the lighter, but the standard does not put a number on it.
How a medium breed grows
Border Collies reach roughly 28% of adult weight at 2 months, about 56% at 4 months, and around 92% at 12 months. A toy breed is already at 36% by 2 months and effectively finished by its first birthday, which is why a Border Collie that still looks unfinished at 10 months is usually on schedule rather than behind. A working-bred Border Collie carrying visible muscle and no spare weight is normal, not underfed.
Where to go next
- Estimate your own puppyEnter an age and weight to project this breed’s adult size.
- Compare across medium breedsThe same curve applied to every medium breed on the site.
- Puppy growth chart by ageAll five size classes in one table, and what the ranges mean.
- Body condition scoreThe 9-point scale vets use, and why it beats the scale alone.
Other medium breeds
Frequently asked questions
What is the average weight of a Border Collie?
An adult male Border Collie weighs 30.0–54.9 lb (13.6–24.9 kg) and an adult female 30.0–54.9 lb (13.6–24.9 kg), according to the American Kennel Club breed standard.
How much should a 3 month old Border Collie weigh?
A male is typically 12.8–23.4 lb (5.8–10.6 kg) and a female 13.0–23.8 lb (5.9–10.8 kg) — around 43% of adult weight.
How much should a 4 month old Border Collie weigh?
Roughly 16.8–30.6 lb for a male and 17.0–30.9 lb for a female, about 56% of the way to adult weight.
How much does a 6 month old Border Collie weigh?
A male is usually 22.7–41.7 lb (10.3–18.9 kg) and a female 22.3–40.6 lb (10.1–18.4 kg).
How much does a 12 month old Border Collie weigh?
27.8–50.7 lb for males and 27.3–50.0 lb for females — about 92% of final weight, with the rest filling in over the following months.
How big will my Border Collie get?
At 56% of adult weight by 4 months, a rough shortcut is to double a four-month weight. The calculator on the home page does this properly, using the growth curve for this size class and returning a range rather than one number.
When is a Border Collie fully grown?
Height is usually settled by about 12 months, but a Border Collie keeps filling out until around 15 months. The last 8% of adult weight takes roughly as long as the jump from 3 to 4 months.
Do male and female Border Collies weigh different amounts?
Yes, and by enough to matter. Adult males run 30.0–54.9 lb against 30.0–54.9 lb for females. Comparing a female against a chart that does not separate the sexes will usually make her look underweight when she is not.
What size class is a Border Collie?
A medium breed, defined by adult weight. That classification determines the growth curve used here: veterinary research shows dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed.
Is my Border Collie puppy underweight if it is below the chart?
Not necessarily. The table shows the middle of the healthy range, so plenty of healthy puppies sit below it. A puppy that is consistently below and not gaining, or that has dropped from a higher line to a lower one, is worth a vet visit. A single reading below the range is not.
How can I tell if my Border Collie is a healthy weight?
Body condition tells you more than the scale. You should be able to feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat without pressing, see a waist from above, and see the belly tuck up from the side. A dog can sit inside the weight range and still carry too much fat.
Why do Border Collie growth charts disagree with each other?
Most published charts come from one breeder’s litters or from unsourced rules of thumb, and many do not say whether the figures are for males, females or both. The ranges here come from centile curves fitted to millions of veterinary bodyweight records, scaled to the AKC adult range, and split by sex.
Does neutering change how much a Border Collie weighs?
The research behind these curves found neutering shifted growth trajectory only slightly, by less than the variation between individual dogs, so separate curves were not needed. Neutering is associated with a higher chance of becoming overweight in adulthood, which is a body condition question rather than a growth chart one.
Where these numbers come from
Adult weights are the breed standard figures published by the American Kennel Club. The month-by-month ranges are estimates rather than measurements of this breed: they come from growth centile curves built from around 15 million bodyweight records collected at US primary-care veterinary hospitals, published open-access by Salt and colleagues, and scaled to the adult range above. That research found dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed, which is what makes the scaling valid. The records were collected between 1994 and 2013 and describe dogs attending veterinary clinics rather than an idealised population. The derived table, the filtering steps and the known gaps are all published, so the arithmetic here can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- American Kennel Club — Border Collie breed standard
- Border Collie Society of America — the AKC parent club for the breed
- Salt C, Morris PJ, Wilson D, Lund EM, German AJ (2017). Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064
- Supporting dataset, University of Liverpool DataCat (CC BY 4.0)
