Border Collie Dog | Breed Information, History & Characteristics
Breed Description
The Border Collie is bred for brains and activity, they are high energy dogs and are especially suitable pets for active, energetic owners. They make wonderful companions shadowing you from place to place.
Bored Border Collies are excitable, and maybe destructive, chewing chair and table legs or even doors. If you leave one outside and ignore it you could have a swimming pool dug in next to no time! So be prepared to exercise both their bodies and their minds. They will retrieve anything and like to play football. So take them for long runs and to obedience classes.
These intelligent dogs are unfailingly loyal. They adapt well to the family and will watch over the homestead as if guarding the flock.
They are a medium-sized breed with dogs standing 21-22 ins and bitches from 18 ins. Border Collies have a well balanced, muscular, athletic body and have a graceful motion.
Their coats are medium to smooth weather resistant and come in many colors including Black & White, Blue, Red & White, Tricolour, Red Merle, Blue Merle, with or without tan markings. The head has a broad skull with a moderately short blunt muzzle, oval wide-set brown eyes, and medium-sized wide set erect or semi-erect ears. The tail is moderately long and sets low with a slight swirl to the tip
History
Border Collies were developed in the border regions between England and Scotland selectively bred for the way they worked using “eye control”.
In 1906 the International Sheepdog Society was formed and in 1915 the first studbook was introduced this gave the working sheepdog a recordable pedigree and to distinguish the “eye dogs” from the other collie breeds they were given the name Border Collie.
It wasn’t until 1976 that after extensive discussions with the ISDS the Kennel Club recognized the Border Collie as a breed for show purposes.
Characteristics
A medium-sized intelligent dog that is keen alert and responsive with a loyal, faithful and kindly disposition that responds positively to kind and consistent handling and training.
Collies are not couch potatoes and need a large amount of exercise although never forget to also exercise their very active brain or a very fit hooligan could be the result.
Athletic, muscular and balanced with a low graceful movement Border Collies come in a wide array of colors with medium rough or smooth double coats that are weather resistant.
A fit, well-trained Collie can make an excellent active companion.
Health
A generally healthy and hardy breed the Border Collie can suffer from several known hereditary conditions. All breeding stock should be hip scored, eye tested for centralized Progressive Retinal Atrophy, DNA tested for Collie Eye Anomaly, Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome, Ceroid Lipofuscinosis and MDR-1.