Border Collie

The Border Collie is a hard-working breed of herding dog that originated in the border country of England and Scotland. They are regarded by many as the most intelligent dog breed. Like most working dogs, they have a tendency towards neurotic or destructive behaviour if not given enough to do. They are still frequently used on farms all over the world for assisting with the handling of livestock. Though known to be reserved with strangers, these dogs can also be protective of a human family member and affectionate to those they know.

Appearance

Because Border Collies have historically been selected for working ability, and not looks, they vary widely in appearance.

In general, they are medium-sized dogs without extreme physical characteristics and a moderate amount of coat. Their double coats can be anywhere from slick to lush, and can come in many colours, although black and white is by far the most often seen at conformation shows and herding trials and therefore the most common in public perception; tricolour (black/tan/white) and red and white also occur regularly, with other colours such as, blue and white, red merle, blue merle, or sable seen less frequently. Eye colour varies from deep brown to amber or blue with occasionally one eye of each colour. The ears of the Border Collie are also highly variable -- some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped and others are semi-erect (similar to that of the Rough Collie). Although working Border Collie handlers sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their dogs (many handlers do not prefer red dogs, or mostly white dogs), in general a dog's appearance is considered to be irrelevant. It is much more useful to identify a working Border Collie by its attitude and ability, not its looks.

Those dogs bred for the conformation ring are much more uniform in appearance than working Border Collies, since to be successful show dogs they must conform to kennel club standards that are specific on many points of the anatomy and furnishings. Kennel clubs specify that the Border Collie must have a keen and intelligent expression, and the preferred eye colour is generally brown. In deference to the dog's working origin, scars and broken teeth received in the line of duty are not to be counted against a Border Collie in the show ring.

Temperament

Border Collies are an extremely intelligent breed with an instinctive desire to work. They are also extremely energetic and require a lot of attention, but are very responsive to training. In many cases, having another dog can help, providing mental and physical stimulation for both dogs. They are better off in a household that can provide them with plenty of exercise and a job to do. Like most herding breeds, they will attempt to herd family members, cats, squirrels, bicycles, cars, or anything else that moves in the absence of other charges. This might even include birds in mid-air.

Border Collies don't make good pets for people who cannot provide a considerable amount of daily exercise, both physical and mental. Many Border Collies end up in shelters or rescue groups because families, attracted by their appearance and intelligence, discover that they cannot provide the considerable attention and effort required for this driven, active, easily bored breed—though this problem can be alleviated by giving the dog lots of mental and physical stimulation, for example having more than just the one dog.

This can be done by taking them to training classes and for long, brisk walks. Participating in dog sports such as dog agility, flyball, sheepdog trials, tracking, dog dancing, Disc dog, dog sledding races and obedience are also popular with Border Collie owners for this reason. It may also help to have more than one dog. However, in some cases, having two dogs may increase your workload as they may lay around waiting for you to be the one to direct them. Some owners believe that a Border Collie will benefit from having a personal trainer. As with many breeds, temperaments vary widely among individuals.

Among some breeders in Britain there is a common saying: "no sheep, no collie", referring to the dog's usual unsuitability to people who just want a "smart dog." A dog bred from prize winning sheep-herding stock may well be less suitable as a companion dog than one which has its immediate ancestry more rooted in domestic environments. Border Collies love to play and do not always know when to stop on their own; owners are advised to ensure that their dogs do not dangerously overexert themselves, especially in hot weather.

Some owners have great success with mental exercising of this breed. Border collies receiving a great deal of attention from their owner will normally learn a stronger understanding of language than basic commands. What might be "Frisbee" for another dog, can be "Get your frisbee from the backyard", resulting in the dog opening a simple door mechanism, exiting the home and returning with the desired object, or "Do you want to go on a walk?" will result in the dog returning with the leash in their mouth and standing by the door. Most new words or phrases can be mastered in one or two tries, and normally if associated with another familiar phrase. The learning process is similar to a human child learning their first words.

History

The Border Collie is descended from British droving breeds originating on the Scottish and English border. Mention of the 'Collie' or 'Colley' type first appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century with the current Border Collie type emerging with dogs such as Old Hemp in 1893.

As is the case with many breeds of dogs that are still used for their original purposes, breed standards vary depending on whether the registry is more interested in a dog that performs its job superbly or a dog whose appearance meets an ideal standard. The Border Collie lines have developed recently under such standards.

There are two types of tests, or standards, to determine the breeding quality of a Border collie. The original test was the ISDS sheepdog trial, where a dog and handler collect groups of livestock and move them quietly around a course. The 'standard' comes from the fact that, the world over, there are certain standard elements to this test. Sheep must be gathered without being too much disturbed, from a distance farther than the typical small airport runway. They then must be directed through obstacles at varying distance from the handler, and then the dog must demonstrate the ability to do work close at hand by penning the sheep and sorting them out. It is these elements which have shaped the working abilities of the Border Collie and defined the breed until very recently. These dogs are necessarily capable of incredible feats of athleticism, endurance, intense focus, and high levels of trainability.

In nearly every region of the world, the Border Collie is now also a breed which is shown in ring or bench shows. For the people who participate in these events, the Border Collie is defined by the breed standard, which is a description of how the dog should look to maintain a breeding ideal. In New Zealand and Australia, where the breed has been shown the longest, the Border Collie standards have produced a dog with a long double coat (smooth coats are not allowed), a soft dark eye, a body slightly longer than square, a well-defined stop, and a gentle and friendly expression. This style of Border Collie has become popular in winning show kennels around the world, as well as among prestigious judges, so it is to be expected that this type will soon predominate even in countries like the US where the native lines are very different.

It is possible for a dog to do both, but a working dog's options for competition in conformation shows might be limited depending on its ancestry and on the opinions of the various kennel clubs or breed clubs involved. Many handlers of working Border Collies are not interested in participating in dog shows. Conformation-bred dogs are less commonly seen on the sheepdog trial field. Dogs registered with conformation-based registries are seen in other performance events such as agility, obedience or tracking, however these dogs do not necessarily conform to the breed standard of the registry as this is not a requirement in performance events.