Border Collie Picture Gallery

Border Collie Breeders

Border Collie Clubs/Associations

The Full Border Collie Description

The supreme sheep herding dog, the Border Collie lives to work. This is the dog for the athletic person who is ready to engage a dog in directed activities. His intense concentration, deep desire to please, as well as speed and intelligence give the breed the edge in just about any job he undertakes.

So you want to own a Border Collie?

In temperament, the Border Collie is highly intelligent, alert and responsive. It must be biddable, or receptive to training. To its friends, it is affectionate; to strangers, sensibly reserved. Its ability and eagerness to learn are legendary. Intelligence is its hallmark. The Border Collie is one of the breeds that exemplifies the work ethic.

Border Collie puppies have a short, soft, dense, water-resistant coat that becomes the undercoat in adult dogs.

Indicative Breed Standard

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 sheep dog, 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 wide apart, oval-shaped, of moderate size, brown in colour except in merles where one or both 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, regular 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.

Forequarters

Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from 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, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear.

Feet

Oval, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.

Tail

Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to 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-coated 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 ins); bitches slightly less.