What you should know about the Border Collie

Breed Characteristics

The herding ability of the Border Collie is legendary.Once you have seen these dogs in the field workingsheep, you will never forget the intelligence, eye, andmotivation of this exceptional breed. Living with such adog can be challenging. The Border Collie Society ofAmerica offers its present and continuing support.

driven to participate in as many family activities aspossible. It is up to you to make this constructive.Performance activities such as herding, agility,obedience, daily running, biking, or other outdooractivities can help provide the physical and mentalexercise a Border Collie requires. It is appealing in athirty second TV commercial, but this dynamo can befrustrating in some pet home environments.As described in the standard, the Border Collie is a

well-balanced, medium-sized dog of athleticappearance, displaying grace and agility in equalmeasure with substance and stamina. His hard,muscular body has a smooth outline which conveys theimpression of effortless movement and endlessendurance. He is energetic, alert, and eager.Intelligence is his hallmark.

The Border Collie may herd moving objects and people.When misdirected towards cars, children, bicyclists,roller bladers, cats, squirrels, rushing water and anyother moving things, the Border Collie's herding instinctcan be a problem for the entire neighborhood. MostBorder Collies react very quickly to stimulation, whichcan make them sensitive to sudden sounds andmovement. Although they can serve as enjoyablecompanions for mature well-behaved children who areexperienced with animals, Border Collies may find thenoisy games of younger children disturbing andover-stimulating. This may evoke inappropriate herdingbehaviour, even including nipping, on the part of thedog.

The Border Collie is a workaholic which thrives onmental and physical exercise. That is the good news.The bad news is that these are the very traits that canmake him difficult to live with. A fenced yard orenclosure is important to keep your Border Collie safe.Traffic is especially hazardous for this breed, since thedogs may tend to try to herd cars if not kept out ofharm's way. A fenced area will not provide enoughphysical exercise, nor will a walk around the block and afew tossed balls. Boredom is the source of manybehavioral and training problems. A Border Collie that isalone for long periods of time may tend to developcompulsive behaviors such as chewing or digging. Thisis not a dog that will happily lie in a corner and watch theworld go by. In addition to being intelligent and eager,as a breed they can be inventive, strong-willed,independent, territorial, and manipulative. They are

Training

While a well-trained and socialized Border Collie makesa superb companion and working partner, this does nothappen by accident. Some Border Collies can tend tobe uncertain or noise-sensitive when young. All dogsrequire proper socialization as they are growing up togain confidence in a variety of settings to help themmature into calm, well-behaved adults.

© 2003 The Border Collie Society of America

All dogs should be trained to use a crate, as this is thesafest way to protect the dog and your belongings whenthe dog is home alone or unsupervised. Inside a crate isalso the safest way to ride in a car. Puppy trainingclasses provide a head start on the training andsocialization process. In addition to classes, expose thepuppy to different people, animals, sights, sounds, andexperiences by taking him everywhere with you duringhis entire puppyhood. This will result in an adult dog thatcan cope in a variety of environments with assurance.

especially herding. The dog should be certified as beingfree from hip dysplasia, eye disease, and thyroiddisorders. For the sake of their pet and the breed as awhole, owners have a responsibility to spay or neuterthose Border Collies that do not meet the higheststandards for breeding. Spaying and neutering are bothrelatively simple procedures and have positive healthbenefits. Neutered males and spayed females tend tolive longer, in part due to a lower risk for some cancers. Neither procedure will cause the dog to gain weight. Itmay take the edge off of an aggressive or anxious dog,but otherwise will not change the dog's temperament.The AKC welcomes spayed and neutered dogs into allherding, obedience, agility, tracking, and JuniorShowmanship events.

Rough Coat

Smooth Coat

Spay and Neuter

Breeding Border Collies is a tremendous responsibility.The breeder has in his hands the future of the breed,both physical and mental. Responsible breeders willevaluate their breeding stock on the basis of herdingability, temperament, structure, physical soundness,trainability, and overall health. The Border Collie issubject to such genetic diseases as hip dysplasia, eyedisease, thyroiditis, and epilepsy. A predisposition toallergies also occurs. Before considering breeding,owners should research pedigrees and check that thestock is free of genetic defects to the extent possiblewith current technology.

The BCSA recommends keeping a relationship alivewith your breeder for the lifetime of the dog. Goodbreeders should encourage you to contact them at anytime with questions or requests for help, and should beinterested in the welfare and development of your puppythroughout its life. Breeders appreciate this opportunityto help them make breeding decisions in the future.Consult your veterinarian in conjunction with aprofessional behaviorist if you encounter significantbehavior problems, as there may be a physiologicalcomponent to the issue. Breeding dogs is not typically financially lucrative as

there is a high risk of pregnancy complications orpuppy health issues that can quickly add up to largeveterinary expenses. By the time you total the hoursof puppy care required, most people find the pursuitpays pennies per hour and is reduced to a labor oflove.

The Border Collie Society of America maintains a website that has a great deal of information about BorderCollies. There are sections devoted to rescue,breeding, training, behavior, canine performanceactivities, and competition, and to help answer manyquestions about the breed. Visit us at:

Responsible breeders will have the time, facilities, andfinances to properly socialize and provide health carefor their litters. They investigate potential buyers andeducate new owners to understand Border Collieneeds and instincts. They do their best to makecertain that the dog and family are well suited to eachother. Finally, they will take back at any time andwithout question any dog they have produced at anytime so that these dogs are never abandoned,relinquished to shelters, or placed with rescueorganizations.

www.bordercolliesociety.com

The Border Collie Society of America recommendsthat any dog being considered for breeding be not onlyof excellent temperament and structure but also haveproven some success in performance activities,