Facts on the Border Collie

The Border Collie ranks at the top of the list as far as being one of the most intelligent of the dog breeds. Originally bred to herd sheep, cattle and other live stock, these dogs have become a favorite with owners for their ability to learn a multitude of tricks and tasks and their agility in competition courses.

Originating from the area between Scotland and England the breed was sometimes called the Scottish Sheep Dog, until it was recognized as a separate breed in the last part of the 1800s.  

Border Collies are medium-size dogs usually weighing around 35 to 50 pounds and around 19 to 22 inches at the shoulders. Color ranges from the most common black and white to a mix with red or orange. Solid black or white is also possible, but some sheep owners believe that a solid white Border Collie is not intimidating enough to handle the duties of herding. Coats can be either long or medium in length. Dogs with a long coat have a soft undercoat with a stiff, wiry outer coat while the medium length coats are usually stiff throughout. Moderate shedding can be expected once a year, usually in the late spring or early summer.

Heads are usually broad with the shout and head the same length with eyes set wide apart. Ears are also set wide and high on top of the skull. One or both ears can sometimes droop at the tips but remain agile. Eye color can be brown to lighter colors and sometimes tied to coat color. It is not uncommon to have one or both eyes blue if the body color is lighter.

Border Collies are intelligent working dogs. Bred for livestock control, they will work tirelessly for hours on end without complaint even if injured. They will work even if out of sight or hearing of their masters locating lost livestock and returning them to the fold. When working, the front legs and head are set low while the collie maintains eye contact with its opponent. They react quickly to any movement to keep the herd under control.

Be prepared if you plan to keep one as a pet. They are not suited to be inside all day long and benefit from elevated dog feeders with unique dog bowls.  Border Collies need room to run and because of their high intelligence they need some form of training or duties if not allowed to perform their natural tasks of livestock control. Ball or Frisbee chasing can be an effective form of activity to keep the dogs mind active. The ability of this breed to work all day long usually leads to owners giving up their dogs to shelters because the owners were just not willing or able to spend the time demanded from this breed.

Border Collies tend to chase or control anything that moves. Small children running in the back yard are often targets as are bicycles or moving cars. Nipping the legs or heals are the collies way of controlling sheep but can be frightening to children so care must be taken to control this behavior early in the dogs life.

 If you have the time to spend training and working with your Border Collie you will be amazed with amount skills the dog can learn even in later life and the stamina they have to perform what they have learned.