The Border Collie is a highly intelligent dog that regularly wins awards for obedience. She needs lots of open space to exercise in. She is a working sheep herding dog and she is the happiest with a job to do. She will get too bored and possibly destructive just sitting around a house alone. She is considered to be one of the most intelligent dogs.
*Approximate Adult Size. The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Border Collie is 19 to 22 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 30 to 45 pound. The females range from 18 to 21 inches to the withers and 27 to 42 pounds.
*Special Health Considerations. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Border Collie is no exception. Some of the medical problems you might encounter are Progressive Retinal Atrophy (inherited disease of the retina that can cause vision loss and blindness), Canine Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (inherited neurological disorder that can lead to progressive degeneration of brain and eye cells and can cause severe impairment and early death), canine hipand elbow dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), Collie Eye Anomaly, epilepsy and flea allergies.
This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list. She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.
*Grooming. The Border Collie has a medium length double water resistant coat that needs to be brushed every few days, daily if possible. She should be bathed rarely as this strips her coat of its protective oils. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat and also help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with your pet.
Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.
Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.
*Life Span. The Border Collie can live between 12 and 15 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.
*History. The Border Collie originated in Scotland and England. The American Kennel Association first registered Border Collies in 1995.
*Some Registries: Border Collie Society of America Inc. UKC United Kennel Club NKC National Kennel Club CKC Continental Kennel Club APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc. AKC American Kennel Club FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club ACR = American Canine Registry
Litter Size: 4 to 8 Border Collie puppies
Category: Herding.
Terms To Describe: Loyal, intelligent, faithful, obedient,
*SPECIAL GOOD POINTS Good watch dog. Has lots of energy. High intelligence. Wants to please. Trains quickly. Usually along with other dogs but possibly not other small pets. OK with older children. Can tolerate cold. Good with the Frisbee.
*SPECIAL BAD POINTS Poor guard dog. Can get bored and destructive if left alone for long periods of time. Needs room to run, not for an apartment. Possibly not good with very young children. One person dog. May nip at joggers, bicycles and other moving people and objects. Needs to be socialized early for shyness.
*Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.
The Border Collie is a sheep-herding dog of exceptional qualities. For many years the Border Collie has excelled at sheepdog trials as a dog with uncanny instinctive abilities to herd sheep. The dog performs this function often without any direction from the herder. When direction is given it is through low whistles or hand signals on the part of the human Master. The Border Collie will lie down with uncanny timing and precision, will dart in or out at just the right moment to guide the sheep, all the while maintaining an intense eye contact or "staring" at the sheep; this eye contact is a well known characteristic of the breed. Anyone who has seen this dog perform at herding trials cannot help but be fascinated by the outstanding talents of the breed.
The Border Collie originated as the name implies, from the border territories of England and Scotland. The first Sheepdog Trials were held in North Wales in 1873, where a dog named "Tweed" won the trial and also a prize for being "the most handsome dog". It is said that this dog became the foundation of the Border Collie breed.
The Border Collie was imported into Australia as a working sheepdog. The breed developed in that country as a versatile herding dog. It was used very successfully on both sheep and cattle and in the vast ranchlands of Australia became well known as the herding dog of choice. When it later began to be imported into the United States, it also joined the ranks of the dogs who are shown in dog shows and is popular as an Agility dog and Obedience dog.
The dog is extremely agile, able to crouch, spring and corner skilfully for the purpose of driving the recalcitrant sheep or cattle into line. The Border's coat should not be overly abundant yet should be double and thick enough to be weather resistant. In appearance it is most like the collie but with shorter length of feathers. There is a "smooth coat" variety of this breed, however this variety appears mostly in Great Britain and the most popular type of coat is the "rough coat". The dog is of medium height and build and comes in many colors, but white should never be predominant.
This breed is highly instinctive. Coincidentally, both The Border collie and the Newfoundland have been used in the genetic studies of the Human Genome Research Project as the DNA markers for comparison of strong inherited behavioral tendencies. The Border Collie is noted as one of the most intelligent of breeds and is not happy without a job to do. It learns quickly and enjoys the challenge of learning. This is not a dog who will be happy left alone for hours in a house and also should not be left unsupervised in an unfenced area. This dog needs mental and physical stimulation to be happy and healthy.
The dog does well in Obedience, Rally Obedience, Agility, Flyball, Sheep Herding Trials and is a popular Conformation breed. Furthermore their medium size and high intelligence have made them quite useful as Search and Rescue dogs. These dogs should always exhibit stable temperament and be absolutely without shyness. People who have this dog as a pet or as a utility dog will have a loyal and faithful friend, one who will respond eagerly and willingly to any request and is happiest when asked to perform a job.
Both Mitch Endick & Michael Russell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mitch Endick has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home, Puppies Dogs and Education. Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site petpages.com.