Dog Breed Profile - Border Collie
By Stephanie Bayliss
Tip! Scout, like most Border Collies, gets along great with everyone and is never a problem with other dogs. He is also gentle with all the animals we have: cats, chickens, rabbit, guinea pigs and pet birds.
History
Border Collies date back many, many years, although were given the name Border Collie around 1915. They were bred out of necessity; shepherds in the borders between England and Scotland could not have worked their flocks without the help of their trusted sheep dogs. Many herding exist, but the image that most people summon when they think of sheep is that of the Border Collie.
Appearance
Border Collies have a fairly broad face, with strong short muzzle. They have beautiful, big oval eyes, which are usually brown but can be striking blue in merle coloured dogs.
Tip! This is highly intelligent breed, that has inherited a strong protective instinct. A dog of real substance, the Collie is renowned for its endurance.
The most common Border Collie colour is Black and White, although they also come in red and white, blue merle and many variations in-between. Their coats can be long or short, but are dense in both cases.
Border Collies look like true athletes; strong and agile - they are so active that its rare to see an overweight Border Collie!!
Temperament
Border Collies are extremely intelligent and are the true work-a-holics of the dog world!!
They are extremely loyal to their trusted family group but generally develop an unbreakable bond with their master; no dog can make its master feel more important and loved than a Border Collie; once you have their trust, its hard to break!
They are great fun for older kids as they will play Frisbee or ball; they have endless energy and the kids will tire long before a Border Collie would!
Tip! Before you acquire a Border Collie puppy or adult make sure you have the space for them to run and that you want to spend two years training and thirteen more enjoying his high energy.
Their intelligence does not make them ideal pets for most people; they need significant amounts of exercise and if they are not given a job to do to keep their mind active, they can become destructive and stressed.
Agility, Flyball and Obedience competitions are dominated by Border Collies because of their energy and intelligence. Some of these competitions run classes called ABC classes (Anything But Collies) to give some of the other breeds a chance!!
Tip! Agility, Flyball and Obedience competitions are dominated by Border Collies because of their energy and intelligence.
Grooming
A quick groom once or twice a week (perhaps more at shedding time), should keep a Border Collie's dense coat in lovely, shiny condition.
Exercise
Border Collies require significant amounts of physical and mental exercise; they will walk and run for hours and will still want to play ball when you get home! They excel in agility, flyball and obedience because of their boundless energy and intelligence.
They will make themselves busy around the house; performing tricks and fetching and carrying newpapers and post. But if you don't give these mental workouts and things to do, they will find things for themselves, like emptying bins and generally being destructive!
Not a dog for the feint hearted!!
Health Problems
Border Collies are one of the healthiest and hardiest and do not tend to suffer illness often. Some Border Collies suffer from allergies and deafness is known to affect the breed occasionally.
Tip! If you are interested in adopting a Border Collie consider fostering one from a rescue. You'll learn if a Border Collie is for you, save a life, and maybe even end up adopting your foster dog.
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