Border Collies are a herding animal. These dogs are packed full of energy. A well-known border collie is Jack from the TV series “Little House on the Prairie.”
Breed History
The Border Collie originated on the Scottish/English border and is derived from a mixture of Spaniel and the early droving breeds. This breed was used for herding sheep and is thought to have been around since the Romans invaded England. They are extremely intelligent and are one of the chosen few to be used in narcotics and bomb detection.
Breed Description
Border Collies are medium sized and are very energetic. They have oval eyes that are wide set and are usually brown in color. They have a double coat which is dense and close-fitting. The most popular colors for coats are black and white, tricolor, red and white, black and gray, yellow, and sable. Their fur can be a sleek, short coat or a coarse rough coat. Coloring and fur vary greatly in this breed since they are work dogs, not bred for beauty. Typical traits for a Border Collie is a long, two-toned mane, they are perfectionists, great herders, suspicious of strangers, and are tireless workers. They can weigh 30-50 pounds and be 18-21 inches in height. Border Collies have a life span as long as fifteen years. Some common health issues are hip problems, deafness and epilepsy.
Border Collie Personality
This eager, energetic animal needs room to run and requires activities to simulate herding. Border Collies do not do well in apartment living. They will thrive in a kennel as long as sufficient daily exercise is provided. Border collies will suit best with singles, families with older children, agility trainers and shepherds. Due to their high intelligence, they need constant stimulation and do very well with constant tasks set before them. Because they have a natural herding instinct, small pets and young children may get “herded” occasionally. People who like dog sports will love Border Collies as they are great competitors. They form a strong bond with their owners yet can be standoffish with strangers. This canine will let you know quickly if someone is approaching the house. These collies are agile and fast who have boundless energy. They thrive on carrying out tasks and love to chase after a ball or bring a stray sheep back to the herd. If they do not receive enough exercise they can get bored and be destructive. They may also give themselves tasks and start herding young children and strangers.
Border Collies love to run and are born to work hard and please their owners.
Photo: Courtesy of Peet de Rouw via Flickr (CC by 2.0)