Border Collie Complete Profile
Key Facts:
Size: Small - medium
Height: 46 - 53 cm (18 - 21 inches)
Weight: 16 - 22 kg (35 - 48 lb)
Life Span: 15 years
Grooming: Medium
Exercise: Demanding
Feeding: Medium
Temperament: Very alert & trainable
Country of Origin: England
AKC Group: Herding
Temperament:
The Border Collie is alert, keen, intelligent, faithful, hard-working and responsive. Border Collies have remarkable stamina and thrive on activity and working situations, rather than a domestic household environment. They are able to adapt to family life, so long as their need for company and exercise is met. Border Collies demands exercise for their muscles just as much as for their brain. Border Collies are very trainable and get on well with children if socialized from puppyhood. They make great watchdogs and are wary of strangers.
Grooming:
Weekly brushing is enough to keep the coat of a Border Collie looking healthy.
Exercise:
Physical exercise is not enough for this breed. Border Collies need to work, doing various tasks. Border Collies are represented among the top, in competitive sports such as agility, obedience and sheep dog trials. An idle dog will become very badly behaved and even aggressive.
History:
During the 16th century, around the border countries of England, Scotland and Wales, farmers concentrated on developing a top class sheep worker with a natural instinct for keeping their charges together. They succeeded and produced an all round dog excelling in stamina, brains and sensitivity to every gesture made by their master. The Border Collie was once known as the English Shepherd and evolved from smooth coated collies, a longer coated black/white collie and the Bearded Collie. The word 'collie' is believed to be a corruption of the words 'colley' or 'coalie' meaning a black faced sheep.
Physical Characteristics:
General Appearance: Agile, intelligent and swift
Colour: Black/white, blue/white, chocolate/white or tricolour.
Coat: The outercoat is long and dense. The undercoat is short and thick.
Tail: Low set, can have an upward swirl but is never carried over the back.
Ears: Set well apart, V-shaped with the tips dropping forward.
Body: Moderately long back, broad loins, deep flanks and well-angulated fore and hindquarters.
Additional Comments:
Border Collies are fine in a kennel, so long as they have daily activity and spend time with their owner.
Border Collies make ideal working dogs and are perfect for anyone wanting to reach high levels in dog sports.
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This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/border_collie/