Border Collie: Dog Breed Information, Facts and Pictures

Lifespan: 10 – 17 years
Weight: Male: 30–45 lbs (14–20 kg), Female: 27–42 lbs (12–19 kg)
Temperament: Tenacious, Keen, Energetic, Responsive, Alert, Intelligent
Colors: Blue Merle, White, Black, Blue, Lilac, Brindle, Red Merle, Dark Brown, Chocolate, Tan, Sable Merle, Sable, Gold
Height: Male: 19–22 inches (48–56 cm), Female: 18–21 inches (46–53 cm)
Origin: Scotland, United Kingdom, Ireland, England, Wales

The Border Collie prefers to move close to the human being, creating a very close bond. The breed of Border Collies is considered friendly, cuddly and fond of children. Well balanced, they always meet their environment curious and open-minded. By nature, the Border Collie shows no aggressive behavior, but its great sensitivity and intelligence can lead to nervous or even aggressive behavior in low employment or basically wrong education. Since this dog breed is a workhorse, it also wants to be physically and mentally challenged accordingly. The Border Collie learns eagerly and quickly. He also acts courageously, can independently identify and solve problems. A Border Collie always has his reference person in view and tries to "guard" it. Therefore, to ensure a peaceful coexistence, it is important to maintain a stable ranking. Owners should also treat the animal to rest, because the "Border" wants to play because of his character even when he is already exhausted.

Originally, the Border Collie was used as a herding dog in the former Kingdom, where he kept sheep. Since 1873 first sheep competitions (Sheepdogtrials) took place. The International Sheep Dog Society maintains a register of working dogs focused on the animal's work performance. 

As a family dog, the Border Collie is in demand because of its nature, the popularity of the breed also contributed to its popularity in feature films and its appearance. Nowadays, the Border Collie is no longer bred exclusively for its herding ability, but rather a wide range of uses to arise. Finally, the breed provides the necessary facilities that goes beyond the use of a herding dog.

Der Border Collie stammt ursprünglich aus dem schottisch-englischen Grenzland, was auch zu seinem Namen führte (engl. border = Grenze). Ein Hund namens „Old Hemp“ gilt als Stammvater der heutigen Border Collies. Das Tier zeichnete sich durch außergewöhnlich gute Hütefähigkeiten aus, deshalb gilt er als bedeutendster Zuchtrüde. Erste Aufzeichnungen über diese Rasse sind über 2.000 Jahre alt. Zu dieser Zeit fielen die Römer in Britannien ein und brachten frühe Formen des Border Collies auf das europäische Festland mit. Die Arbeitsweise der Border Collies nach heutiger Definition wird erstmalig im Buch "Treatise on Englische Doggess" festgehalten, welches im Jahr 1570 von John Caius publiziert wurde. Vom kynologischen Dachverband Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) wird der Border Collie seit 1976 anerkannt. Im Jahr 1978 erfolgte die erste Eintragung eines Border Collies in das Zuchtbuch des Clubs für Britische Hütehunde. In Deutschland verbreiteten sich Border Collies mit Beginn der 1970er Jahre.

Officially, two coat variants are recognized, one stocky and one with a moderately long coat. In the latter case, a clear expression of mane, pants and flags is desired. The coat length on the face, ears and forelegs should be short. According to the breed standard, many color combinations are allowed, however, white should never be the predominant coat color. The eye color is brown, only in the coat variant Blue-Merle one eye or both eyes may also be blue. The nose is black, brown or slate depending on coat color.