A Border Collie is a highly intelligent, friendly dog that is a great companion for active families and individuals.
Around 350 years ago, Scottish farmers developed the Border Collie from the wolf as a working dog to help shepherd their animals.
Border Collies are well known for their quiet, low approach and gentle attitude and thrive on working in all sorts of situations.
These days it is not just confined to working animals on the farm, Border Collies thrive in the dog sport ring at agility, dog obedience, flyball, herding and just about any other sport you want to train it in...... Border Collies thrive on a activity based partnership.
Border Collies are a medium sized dog with a double coat that varies from short to plush, and comes in many colours with black and white the most common. Other colours include the tricolour (black, white and tan), red or chocolate and white, blue merle, and blue and white.
A Border Collie’s eyes are oval and set wide apart to give them a kind, alert and intelligent look. They can vary in colour from a deep brown to blue, and sometimes they can have one blue and one brown eye which known as wall eye. Eye colour is dependent on coat colour and you often see a red and white Border Collie with amber coloured eyes. The darker the coat colour the darker the eyes should be.
The ears are a medium size, set well apart and carried semi-erect. A Border Collie’s ears are very sensitive. The ears should not be permanently pricked nor should they be completely dropped.
The dog’s body should be moderately long with a deep, broad chest. A Border Collie is a working dog so its legs are muscular and broad with deep, slightly arched flanks.
Border Collies are intelligent and bred to work. They need a lot of daily physical exercise and things to keep them mentally stimulated. These days the Border Collie has become a popular household pet.
As a pet they are truly full on and flat out, full of energy and demanding and are best off with families with energetic lifestyles.
Being a working dog, they are happiest when they have something to do such as chasing a ball, learning dog obedience or learning tricks.
These days Border Collies are trained for agility which is a sport they are proving to excel at with their intelligence and speed. It is also a great activity to help keep your dog’s mind and body in top condition.
Border Collies do need a high level of interaction with their human and animal pack so be prepared to spend a lot of time with your Border Collie.
A Border Collie is biddable, meaning it is ready to accept and follow instructions. A biddable Border Collie is ready to accept and follow instructions not only when beside you at the end of a lead. But when it counts, when it is 200 metres away obeying your every command. Be it verbal or a whistle. This is the test of a truly biddable Border Collie.
Border Collies live for up to 15 years and are a naturally healthy dog.
The most common things that can afflict a Border Collie include retinal atrophy, a degenerative disease that causes your dog to go blind; and hip dysplasia.
A lot of Border Collies end up in rescue shelters because they do need a lot of time and effort.
Many people attracted to the beauty of the breed are not prepared for the effort a Border Collie needs to be a well balanced member of the household.
If you do not have a lot of time to spend with your dog, or the commitment, this may not be the right breed of dog for you.
Elkana Border Collies