Border Collie

SCRAPS Breed Profile BEARDED COLLIE STATS Country of Origin: Scotland Group: Herding Use today: Family companion, tracking, herding, agility, competitive obedience. Life Span: 14 to 15 years Color: Coat colors are black, brown, blue or fawn. Coat: Double coated. Dense, weatherproof outer coat with a thick, soft undercoat. Grooming: Daily brushing of the long, shaggy coat is important. Mist the coat lightly with water before you begin. Tease out mats before they get bad, and give extra attention when the dog is shedding. Use the comb sparingly. If you prefer, the coat can be professionally machine- clipped every two months or so. Eyes, ears and paws should be checked daily. Bath or dry shampoo when necessary. It is difficult to locate ticks in the thick undercoat, so check regularly. This breed is an average shedder. Height: 20 – 22 inches Weight: 40 – 60 pounds Profile In Brief: Active, outgoing and affectionate, the the dogs reach maturity, they darken again to Beardie makes a wonderful family pet. Like most their adult coat in any of the four colors, black, long-haired breeds, Bearded Collies require a brown, blue, or fawn. The final coat color is commitment to grooming. They need a few somewhere between the puppy coat and the minutes of brushing or combing every day. This yearling coat. breed also needs exercise, but will make a wonderful addition to many homes. Temperament: Known for his "bounce," the exuberant Beardie will charm you with his Description: The Bearded Collie, or "Beardie" joyous, affectionate, happy-go-lucky ways. He is as he is known to his fanciers, is a medium- playful and lively with an always wagging tail. sized, agile, herding dog with a shaggy coat and The perfect companion for children. an ever-wagging tail. He is an ancestor of the Enthusiastic, stable and self-confident. Males Old English Sheepdog, and the family tend to be more bold and outgoing, while resemblance is obvious. The Beardie has a females tend to be calmer and more submissive. broad head, short muzzle and a shaggy coat all The Beardie needs to be with people and not left over his body, even under the chin (hence the alone without anything to do. They are name "Beardie"). Beneath the dense, humorous and high-energy dogs. Very trainable weatherproof outer coat lies a thick, soft for many activities. Obedience training is a must undercoat. Its head and teeth are large. The as Beardies think a lot and can be headstrong at eyes are wide set and harmonious in color with times. The Beardie is a natural herder of people its coat, set high on its head and pendent. The and animals. They are noisy barkers, but are not ears lie close to the head and the tail is long and watch dogs. They should not be shy or carried low unless the dog is excited. The aggressive. Beardie is robust, hardy and active, but not massive. The color of the coat changes several Health: Generally healthy. Beware of hip times over the life of the dog. Puppies are dysplasia. Their dense coat may conceal generally born black, brown, fawn or blue. The external parasite infestation. puppy coat then fades to light gray or cream. As Living Conditions: The Bearded Collie is not recommended for apartment life. They are fairly dog, derived from the "colley" or "coaley" black- active indoors and will do best with at least an faced sheep. The name Bearded Collie comes average-sized yard. Beardies can sleep from the long hair under the Beardie's chin outdoors and make excellent farm dogs. They which flows into the chest, forming a "beard." are also good in windy, rugged or wet areas The Beardie's lovable personality and since the dogs will go out in all weather appearance makes him an ideal companion and conditions. It does not like to be confined and family dog. The breed almost disappeared in the should have a place to run off of its lead. The early part of the twentieth century, but was Beardie prefers to be outdoors. rescued through mating a pair in 1944. It is still not very widespread. Still fairly rare in the United Exercise: This is an active dog that needs lots States, the first US litter of Beardies was of exercise, preferably running free. whelped in 1967. The Bearded Collie is in all likelihood related to the bobtail (Old English Origins: The Bearded Collie is a descendant of Sheepdog). It is very similar although the the Polish Sheepdog (the Polski Owczarek Beardie is smaller, leaner and has an undocked Nizinny or PON) which was first introduced into tail. Some of the Beardie's talents are tracking, Scotland in 1514 by a Polish sea captain who herding, agility, competitive obedience, and traded three of his dogs to a Scottish shepherd performing tricks. for a valuable ram and ewe. The dogs were bred with local herding stock and this formed the foundation for the Bearded Collie breed. For Centuries, the Beardie was used in Scotland as a herder of both sheep and cattle, and was known variously as the "Highland Sheepdog," the "Highland Collie," and the "Hairy Moved Collie." Collie is the Scottish word for herding Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service 6815 E. Trent • Spokane Valley • Washington • 99212 (509) 477-2532 voice (509) 477-4745 fax www.spokanecounty.org/animal .

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