Crossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Sporting + Herding) · Medium (35-52 lbs typical) · 12-15 years
Sprollie
Typically friendly from the English Springer Spaniel side and remarkably smart from the Border Collie - but a cross is an individual first: littermates can land at opposite ends of both parents. Meet the dog, not the label.
Crossbreed
35–52 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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Why it matters
Color & health
Sprollies can inherit color-linked health risks from either parent line. A cross does not dilute these — the gene is either there or it is not.
Merle pattern (from the Border Collie line)
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single merle Border Collie is a normal dog. The danger is breeding merle to merle, which produces on average one double merle in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
Risk: Double merle (two copies) carries a high risk of deafness, blindness or both
A single merle Border Collie is a normal dog. The danger is breeding merle to merle, which produces on average one double merle in four puppies — typically mostly white, and at high risk of deafness and eye defects, because the gene suppresses the same pigment cells the inner ear and retina need to develop.
What to ask a breeder: Are BOTH parents DNA tested for merle? Cryptic merles look solid and carry the gene, so eyes are not enough. Never accept a litter from two merle parents.
On crosses: Merle marketed in a cross whose parents are not naturally merle means the pattern was introduced from somewhere else, and it brings the double merle risk with it. 'Merle doodles' are the common example.
Most color variation is exactly what it looks like — variety, and nothing more. Black, yellow and chocolate Labradors are equally healthy. Rough and smooth Collies differ only in coat. A Chihuahua's long and smooth coats are both standard. This section is about the specific cases where color and health are genuinely linked, not a suggestion that color usually matters.
What this is
A cross of: English Springer Spaniel × Border Collie. A cross can inherit from either parent line — in temperament, coat and health. Read both parent breeds, and treat anything shared by both as the risk that matters most.
What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Quick study - learns in a handful of reps
✓ Forgiving of first-timer mistakes
✓ Wants to work WITH you - biddable to the bone
✓ Brilliant problem-solver with an on-switch for work
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Needs a real outlet, rain or shine
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: Build the outlet into the routine: Spaniel hunt tests. Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School. A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes.
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: Build the outlet into the routine: Spaniel hunt tests. Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School. A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes.
Under-exercise becomes YOUR problem
A working engine without an outlet redirects into barking, digging, and demolition.
What helps: A daily aerobic outlet is non-negotiable - Herding trials is this breed's love language. 20 minutes of brain work tires like an hour of fetch: puzzles, scent games, new tricks. Feed meals from puzzle feeders and snuffle mats - make breakfast a job.
A working engine without an outlet redirects into barking, digging, and demolition.
What helps: A daily aerobic outlet is non-negotiable - Herding trials is this breed's love language. 20 minutes of brain work tires like an hour of fetch: puzzles, scent games, new tricks. Feed meals from puzzle feeders and snuffle mats - make breakfast a job.
The fur is a lifestyle
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it. Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup). A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house.
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it. Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup). A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house.
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: High - 1-2 hrs/day (from English Springer Spaniel) / Extreme - 2+ hrs/day plus mental work; the highest-need breed for stimulation (from Border Collie) - a cross can land at either end, or between.
Training profile — Herding type: You acquired a brilliant coworker, not a pet that lies around. Meet the mental quota daily or the breed will freelance - usually as a perimeter-patrolling, ankle-directing manager.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Herding trials · World-level agility · Disc dog · Flyball
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: High effort expected. The specifics depend entirely on which coat this individual inherited - see coat_and_grooming for the honest version, including matting risk and professional grooming budget.
Shedding: Heavy as a starting expectation - but shedding is one of the least predictable traits in a cross. See coat_and_grooming: a single litter can produce both a low-shed and a full-shedding coat, and no breeder can promise which you'll get.
Good to know
Health to know about
From the English Springer Spaniel line: Ear infections, hip dysplasia, PRA, PFK deficiency, rage syndrome (rare, in some show lines) | From the Border Collie line: Collie eye anomaly, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, MDR1 sensitivity, deafness, TNS (tested); physically very hardy | SHARED BY BOTH LINES (not diluted by crossing): hip dysplasia
BOTH parent lines carry risk for: hip dysplasia. This is the important one to understand - crossing does NOT dilute a risk that both lines share, and 'hybrid vigor' does not apply here. Ask for testing on BOTH sides for these.
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
How much should YOUR Sprollie eat?
Open the appThis page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
Seizure
Collapse with paddling, jaw chomping, drooling, loss of awareness
→ Clear the area, do NOT touch the mouth, time the seizure and video it. Over 3 minutes, a cluster of 2+, or first-ever seizure = ER now
Collapse with paddling, jaw chomping, drooling, loss of awareness
→ Clear the area, do NOT touch the mouth, time the seizure and video it. Over 3 minutes, a cluster of 2+, or first-ever seizure = ER now
Drug reaction (MDR1 breed)
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
These need to work when the signal does not
Get it on your phoneThe app keeps every Sprollie red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.
📊 The numbers›
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Crossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Sporting + Herding) |
| Size | Medium (35-52 lbs typical) |
| Lifespan | 12-15 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 35–52 lb |
| Original purpose | Bred as a companion cross, not for a working role. The instincts still arrive from both sides - English Springer Spaniel: Flushing and retrieving game birds. | Border Collie: Gathering and controlling sheep with stalking movement and intense gaze. |
| Monthly care | $80-$150 (estimated range across both parent lines) |
| Typical puppy price | $800-$2,500 (spans both parent breeds; reputable cross breeders should still health-test BOTH lines) |
Got a Sprollie?
Open the app
Add them in the app for feeding by weight, training for their stage, and Sprollie emergency red flags saved to your phone. Free, no account needed.
Bring your Sprollie in
Add your dogAdd them once and everything here becomes about your dog: feeding by their weight, training picked for their stage, a day built around your hours, and a vitals log that shows the trend. Free, works offline, no account needed.