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Border Collie

Border Collie

Border Collie pictures ➜

ORIGIN: Great Britain

UTILIZATION: The Border Collie is highly intelligent breed, with an instinctive tendency to work and is readily responsive to training. It is keen, alert and eager to please, always ready for work. Although primarly a sheepdog, this versatile breed is very succesful in any job or dog sport, where is mostly at the top.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The earliest written reference to sheepdogs that were working in a similar manner to modern Border Collie is found in Dr John Caius’s “Treatise on Englishe Dogges” written in 1570. Written proof that this type of dogs existed in mid-1700s is illustration of rough coated Collie, black and white in colour in “The General History of Quadrupeds” by Bewick from 1790. Beside intelligence, Border Collie’s most important characteristic – the power of the eye, according to the writings of James Hogg, was already taken for granted in shepherding scene in the late-1700s. Big influence in development of modern Border Collie had Sheepdog Trials, which started at the end of the 19th century (1st was held in Bala, Wales in 1873). In one of first documented sheepdog trials (Hawick trial in 1883) William Wallace astounded all those present by his outstanding performance as he worked his dog by a mere hiss and by quiet whistle when dog was working at a distance. This set the pattern that is still followed today, more than hundred years later. With the birth of the legendary Old Hemp in 1893 and Old Kep in 1901, the modern Border Collie was firmly established.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.

CHARACTERISTICS: Tenacious, hard-working sheepdog, of great tractability.

TEMPERAMENT: Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.

HEAD AND SKULL: Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle, tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown, in blues nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed.

EYES: Set well apart, oval shaped, of moderated size, brown colour except merles where one or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.

EARS: Medium size and texture, set well apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.

MOUTH: Teeth and jaws strong, with a perfect and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK: Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders. Topline is level, with slight arch over the loins. Body is athletic in appearance.

FOREQUARTERS: Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from the side. Bone strong but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.

BODY: Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.

HINDQUARTERS: Broad, muscular and in profile sloping gracefully to set of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hind legs well boned and parallel when viewed from the rear.

FEET: Oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.

TAIL: Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to the hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over back.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of feet, conveying impression of ability to move with great stealth and speed.

COAT:

Two varieties:

  1. Moderately long;
  2. Smooth.

In both, topcoat dense, and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance. In moderately long coat variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth.

COLOUR: Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.

SIZE: Ideal height: dogs 53 cms (21”); bitches slightly less

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.


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