Origin

This breed belongs to the 19th century. They were named after the place on the border of Scotland and England where they were developed. They were basically used for herding livestock. Border Collie has become now a great farm dog and also used for dog shows. They also prove to be excellent companions. TheBorder Collies are old British dogs mand they are some sort of spaniels. It is also used for other purposes like detection and guide.

General description

This breed is not too large in size and they look like the Australian Shepherd. It is not very tall but it is long in size. It has a broad head and a beautiful appearance. It has a black nose on its muzzle and dark brown oval shaped eyes. Some collies also have blue eyes. It has a long tail extending to the hock and the tail is raised when the dog becomes excited. This breed is found in two varieties of coats. This first one is thick, rough and straight more or less three inches long. The second one is smooth and glossy about one inch long. The border Collie is found in various colours like white, grey, red and white, black etc.

Character

The Border Collie is very athletic and can bear hardships. They can take good care of the livestock. Very energetic and confident in their tasks. This is a very obedient breed and that makes training easy. But harsh training methods are not recommended for their sensitive nature. They can perform activities very well because they are enthusiastic and have a lot of stamina. They have a sweet nature and they are excellent to children and other pets but at the same time they are not suitable for other non canine pets. If this breed is not provided proper exercise then things may get worse, they may become bored and destructive. The Border Collies have a tendency of shyness, so early socialization classes are required for them. This is a very passionate and determined breed and they have a tendency of succeeding at anything they perform. They should not be left unattended for long periods of time and due to their

Temperament

The Border Collie is very intelligent and loyal to their owner. They have a sensitive attitude and love to get attended by human beings. Not at all recommended by novice dog owners. If left alone for long time they may get frustrated and become destructive. They are mainly suitable for homes which have older children. Generally they are good to other pets but they should not be left alone with small animals. As this is a herding breed they have a tendency of herding any moving object.

Training

Early training classes are required. This breed can be trained well if the training is done with consistency, firmness and fairness. As they are very sensitive harsh training methods are not recommended.

Health

The Border Collie is a healthy breed but some may be affected by hip dysplasia, epilepsy, deafness etc. They live up to 12-15 years and average litter rate is 6.