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Photo © Rabhin S. Jainandunsing  |
 Photo © Kerrin Winter/Dale Churchill Have you 'herd'? Border Collies require dedicated owners willing to spend time and energy interacting with their pets. Discover what type of care and training this talented, intelligent breed needs before introducing a dog into your home |
Border Collies: The Workhorses Of The Canine World
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By Kim D.R. Dearth |
Living with a Border Collie is like living with an intelligent toddler. It requires dedicated time and effort to survive the experience!-"Living With Border Collies," the brochure of the Border Collie Rescue Organization. Border Collies are known for their incredible intelligence. They are quick learners, loyal and hard-working. They also can be stubborn and manipulative with novice owners, and can become destructive, hyperactive and even neurotic if they are not given the physical and mental exercise they require. Few sights are more awe-inspiring than a Border Collie working in tandem with a shepherd, controlling a flock with its intense, mesmerizing gaze, crouched and ready to head off an errant sheep. The Border Collie has been revered for hundreds of years for its working ability and is known today as the world's premier sheepherder, although the breed also uses its talents herding other animals, too. These positive traits can turn into negatives quickly, however, if not given the proper outlet. To fully understand the character of the Border Collie, we first must understand its heritage. | |
The Beginnings Of The Border Collie |
The Border Collie's ancestors are believed to date to before the time of Christ. Around 55 B.C., Roman armies invaded Britain, bringing with them herding dogs that are believed to have evolved into today's Border Collie. These dogs guarded as well as herded the flock, and they were larger and more aggressive than the modern Border Collie. Around 794, the Romans' dogs were bred with smaller, Spitz-type herding dogs brought by invading Vikings. The cross resulted in an agile sheepherding breed that could manage livestock over the rough, hilly terrain of Scotland and Wales. These new dogs often bore white markings, making them easier to see at night. This was a definite advantage for shepherds working in the dark during the short winter days. References to Border Collie-type dogs are sprinkled throughout early writings, leading to a more detailed description of the "Shepherd's Dog" that appeared in Dr. Johannes Caius' "Treatise on English Dogges" in 1576. This book not only gave a physical description of the breed, but it also mentioned the trained dog's ability to work from its owner's hand signals and voice commands. "A General History of Quadrupeds," published in the 1700s, included engravings of dogs that look remarkably like today's Border Collie. Border Collie-type dogs steadily gained popularity as hard-working sheep dogs. As shepherds' flocks grew to keep up with the demand for wool, these "Collies," as they were called at the time, became indispensible helpers and were well-established in Britain by the 1800s. The origins of the word collie are not exactly known. It may stem either from the Celtic word "coalley," which means black; the Welsh word "coelius," meaning faithful; or the name for the Scottish breed of sheep, the "colley." Whatever its origins, its use to describe this particular breed of herding dog was creating confusion with another well-known herder, the Rough Collie. Soon, other names were given to the breed, including the Working Collie, Old-Fashioned Collie, Farm Collie, Scotch Collie, English Collie and Welsh Collie. Finally, in 1915, the word "Border" was added by the secretary of the International Sheepdog Society to distinguish the breed as the type of dog originating from the border between England and Scotland, and Border Collie became the official moniker of the breed. Border Collies first were entered in dog shows in Britain in 1865. These were not conformation shows as we know them today-Border Collies at that time ranged greatly in size and color, because British stockmen bred for working ability above any physical characteristics. The dogs were judged on appearance as it pertained to working ability. In 1873 the first sheepdog trial was held in Bala, Wales, to assess herding dogs' working aptitude. It was won by a compact, tricolor dog named Tweed, who also was awarded a prize for embodying Border Collie type. Twenty years later Adam Telfer of Northumberland, England, bred a litter of puppies from which came Old Hemp, who would go on to become one of England's greatest field trial dogs as well as an amazing sire. Handlers were amazed by his "eye," or his ability to control sheep with his gaze. Modern standards were based on the body type and characteristics of this astounding dog. | |
The Border Collie Controversy |
Although Border Collies continued to be judged in herding trials and stockdog shows, they weren't recognized officially for conformation showing in England until 1976. In the United States, the Border Collie's place in the conformation ring has been the source of much controversy. In 1955 the Border Collie was admitted to the American Kennel Club's Miscellaneous class. The breed was not shown in conformation events, but dogs that were granted an Indefinite Listing Privilege from the AKC were allowed entry in AKC-sanctioned obedience and tracking trials. (To get an ILP, owners must send in a form, $25, two photos of the dog-one full front view and one full profile-and a veterinarian's certificate stating that the dog has been spayed or neutered. If pedigree information is available, it also should be enclosed, but it is not essential.) The breed continued in this capacity for many years until 1994, when the AKC decided the Border Collie must obtain full recognition (which would involve a vote by the AKC) or be barred from all AKC events. This action caused a rift among Border Collie lovers. Although some welcomed full AKC recognition, which would mean registered Border Collies could be shown in all AKC events, including conformation, others felt full AKC recognition would compromise the breed's working heritage, with dogs being bred more for looks than for working ability. In addition, many people feared the increased popularity that usually follows AKC recognition would cause overbreeding of the Border Collie, with a resultant decline in physical health and stable temperaments. The United States Border Collie Club, established in 1975, is the oldest Border Collie club in North America. It has been the most vocal group in its opposition to AKC recognition. It vehemently fought AKC recognition, along with the three established working Border Collie registries-the American Border Collie Association, American-International Border Collie Registry and the North American Sheep Dog Society-and the United States Border Collie Handlers Association, which organizes sheepdog trials across the nation. The USBCC itself does not register dogs or run sheepdog trials. Instead, its stated goal is to protect the heritage of the Border Collie as a traditional working dog. Despite the opposition, the Border Collie was fully recognized in December 1994. Two newer Border Collie clubs, the Border Collie Society of America and the American Border Collie Alliance (which since has disbanded) petitioned to become the breed's official AKC parent club. (These two groups had pushed for AKC recognition.) In 1996 the AKC chose the BCSA. Although it has been a number of years since full recognition occurred, the controversy has not died. Advocates of recognition insist that beauty and working ability do not have to be mutually exclusive. The BCSA maintains that its goal is to protect the breed's herding instinct and ability while supporting the rights of Border Collie owners to pursue any activity they wish, including conformation. Opponents contend that herding ability cannot be preserved within the AKC's system of priorities; the USBCC argues that the traits needed for herding excellence are so complex they must be the constant focus of knowledgeable and committed breeders or they will be lost. It is unlikely these two sides ever will resolve their differences. There even has been talk of changing the name of the working Border Collie to distinguish it from show dogs. | |
The Standard Debate |
Just as AKC recognition has been a bone of contention, so has the use of a physical standard for judging purposes. Although members of the BCSA welcome a standard as a goal they should aspire to when breeding their dogs, members of the opposing faction feel physical appearance means little as long as a dog displays good working ability. In general, Border Collies are medium-sized dogs, weighing about 25 to 55 pounds. The coat may be smooth, medium or rough according to working Border Collie clubs, although the AKC standard specifies only two categories-smooth and rough. Although black and white Border Collies are the most common, the breed actually comes in a variety of colors, including tricolor (black, white and tan), red and white, red tricolor, red merle, blue merle, blue and white, and, although rare, white. Many Border Collies have a white blaze, collar, stockings and tail tip, although these markings are not essential even by the AKC standard. The AKC allows all colors in the show ring except pure white. Working Border Collie clubs don't care about eye color, or even if the eyes match, as long as the dog "has good eye," or is able to control livestock with its eyes. The AKC standard recognizes a full range of brown eye colors but allows blue eyes or partial blue eyes in merles only. Ear set also can vary quite a bit. Ears can be prick (erect), semiprick or semierect, and the tips can fall forward or out to the sides. Again, working Border Collie proponents don't care if the ears match. The typical stances of a show Border Collie and a working Border Collie are very different. A Border Collie on the job carries its head low to the ground with its hindquarters high and its tail tucked between its legs, ready to change direction in an instant. A Border Collie in the show ring adopts a more typical conformation stance, in which the dog is "stacked" by its handler, or enticed to stand square and tall. The AKC standard stresses that the Border Collie is the world's premier sheepherding dog and should display characteristics consistent with this vocation. Again, however, working Border Collie aficionados state that herding instinct and ability should supercede all physical characteristics. | |
Is This The Breed For You? |
Regardless of which side of the AKC-recognition fence they fall on, most Border Collie breeders agree on one thing: This is not the breed for everyone. The Border Collie is an intelligent, driven canine workaholic. Although these traits make it ideal as a working stockdog, they can make it difficult for the Border Collie to adapt to life as a pet unless it is given the proper outlet for its energy. This is not a breed that will be content to wait at home for you all day only to spend the evening quietly sitting next to you on the couch. Nothing is more disastrous to household possessions and your nerves than a bored Border Collie. "If you need a good herding dog to help with your livestock operation, a Border Collie is for you," says Eileen Stein, president of the USBCC. "Otherwise, only a dog-centered person should own a Border Collie. If you enjoy spending time with them, doing things together, figuring out what makes them tick, more than likely you will think they're wonderful. If you just want a dog to greet you when you come home at night and then leave you alone, you'll probably come to feel a Border Collie is more trouble than he's worth. They tend to be active dogs, and they generally don't like to amuse themselves-they want to do something with you. "I also think a Border Collie is not a great choice for a first-time dog owner. It would be better to develop some skill and understanding of dogs with a calmer, more predictable breed, just as it would be advisable to learn to handle a sedan before you try a high-performance racing car." Unless this breed receives proper exercise, it will find inventive ways of amusing itself, such as ripping apart decorative pillows or chewing and/or digging its way through your kitchen wall. Border Collies need about one to two hours of exercise every day. Ideally, they'll have access to a fenced yard. However, don't think your Border Collie just can be let outside a few times a day to run off pent-up energy. Most Border Collies will not self-exercise. You'll have to take an active role in their fitness regimen, whether that means playing fetch in the yard, going for long walks or jogs or participating in a canine activity, such as agility, flyball or, of course, herding. Due to its exercise requirements, you may wonder if a Border Collie ever can adapt to life in a city environment. The answer is yes, as long as its owner is dedicated to meeting its needs. This will mean walks every day, no matter what the weather, supplemented with trips to the dog park and other interactive activities to keep your dog fit and happy. Val Maurer, a Border Collie owner for 13 years and founder and rescue director of the Border Collie Rescue Organization (which was disbanded at the end of 1999 due to a lack of funds), learned through her years of rescue work how to judge potential owners by more than first impressions when it comes to their ability to provide for a Border Collie's needs. "I had two couples here one blustery cold January day looking to adopt a Border Collie," Maurer says. "One couple lived in an apartment in Chicago. The other couple had a home on seven acres in rural Ohio. The couple from Chicago zestfully put their coats on every time I took a BC outside to do whatever activity that dog enjoyed. They walked dogs, they played Frisbee® with them, they ran around the yard for ambush games-they had fun! The couple with the large property asked me to keep my door open so they could watch everything from my dining room. The couple living in an apartment got to adopt one of my Border Collies. I gave the other couple rescuer phone numbers of less-active breeds." In addition to physical exercise, Border Collies also need mental stimulation. For many Border Collies, even a five-mile jog is just a warm-up. Challenging your dog mentally as well as physically will deplete its high energy reserves more effectively. Obedience work or other canine sports, or even teaching your dog fun tricks such as playing dead, can provide mental exercise. Stein says interacting with your dog can be more important than the actual nature of the exercise. "I know BCs who get restless and mopey if they don't get a long walk or run every day or two, and others who can thrive on much less, although they'd rather have much more. But when people come to me with problems, it's more often the person's lack of motivation to spend time doing things with the dog that's the problem, rather than a too-small yard or insufficiently vigorous exercise. I think it's a mistake to get a Border Collie unless you envision spending at least an hour or two a day interacting with the dog. You don't have to be working or playing with the dog every moment of the day-or every moment he wants action-but you do have to deliberately train the dog, as working dogs are trained, to be quiet and calm when he's 'off the clock.' " |
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Working For A Living |
Hand-in-hand with the Border Collie's need for mental stimulation comes its need to work. Never forget what the Border Collie was bred to do and you and your dog will have a much happier relationship. It was bred to herd all day, every day and keep coming back for more. Understanding this, you will be less likely to be dumbfounded when your dog returns with you from a jog around the park only to retrieve its toys one by one and deposit them in your lap for a game of fetch. "A Border Collie cannot live without work," Maurer says. "Catching a tennis ball can be work if we approach it with the right attitude. The right attitude is always expecting a bit more from the dog, and not accepting a sloppy performance unless there are health issues involved." Stein agrees that Border Collies are happiest when working but again stresses that interaction is most important. She also notes that the breed is sensitive and highly responsive to everything going on around it. "Because they're so sensitive," Stein says, "Border Collies can get very stressed in situations they find tense or threatening, and the greatest stress reliever for them is to do a little work, such as retrieving or jumping or obeying some other little series of commands." Even a Border Collie that is given a job or interacts very frequently with its owner, however, can develop some decidedly odd behaviors. Border Collie owners need to have a sense of humor and a lot of patience. "They can be obsessive about the things they like to do, and their obsessions can make them a little weird at times," says April Quist, who has lived with Border Collies for 15 years and works her dogs in competitive obedience and herding. "My youngest dog, who is 2 years old, chases shadows on the wall, flecks of dust floating through the air and raindrops. My middle dog, who is 5, not only watches TV but tries to actively participate in whatever is going on on the TV. He chases cats and other animals on the screen, biting and licking at it. My 8-year-old dog is obsessed with squirrels. He once saw a squirrel in the tree in our back yard. Now, every time he goes outside he checks that tree to make sure there isn't one hiding there. And if I'm walking him somewhere where someone is flying a kite, he chases the kite. A couple of times he's even chased jet planes as they flew low over the field we were running in. Another dog I know actually pounces on the ground to kick up dirt so she can chase that. All three of my dogs are obsessed with the hose outside. I can't water my yard unless my dogs are closed in the house or they'll trample my flowers trying to chase and bite at the water." Quist adds, "Border Collies are not easy dogs to live with as pets, but they're definitely interesting and fun as companions if you can enjoy, rather than be annoyed by, their activity level. They're good dogs for very active people who like to spend a lot of time doing things with their dogs." | |
Training This Superdog |
What types of things can you do with your Border Collie? The answer: pretty much anything! The Border Collie's intelligence and responsiveness to training make it a natural for canine sports such as agility, flyball, tracking, Frisbee disc competitions, obedience and its first love, herding. Border Collies also have excelled at some not-so-typical herding dog endeavors, including sledding and Schutzhund. They also make excellent search and rescue and service dogs. The key to training a Border Collie is to keep its sensitivity and responsiveness in mind. Harsh training methods will shut down a Border Collie emotionally. The breed responds best to motivational training, such as rewarding with treats or toys. Many Border Collies, however, will work just as well, or better, for mere praise, and even that must not get too enthusiastic due to their extreme sensitivity. "They respond to subtlety and low-key training methods; heavy-handed correction and exuberant praise are often sensory overload for them, preventing them from focusing on what you want," Stein says. "Typically, they have a great desire to work in partnership with you to accomplish a task. "They also are drawn to movement and generally have very quick reactions, both mental and physical, which makes precise timing very important in training them," she adds. Some Border Collies love children and guard them as they would their flock. Others never adjust to children's high-pitched sounds and unpredictable movements. "The odds are much better [they will get along with children] if they're raised with children," Stein says. "Some BCs are naturally mellower than others. Some find running and screaming very stressful and react to it with a nip or worse. How well-behaved the children are has a lot of bearing on it, too. It's not likely that there would be a problem with older children, but a Border Collie would not be my first choice for a household pet with children under 9 or so." Early socialization also is important for a Border Collie to get along with other pets later in life. In general, Border Collies raised around other dogs and even cats get along fine with these pets. "However, they may need pretty concentrated training to guarantee good behavior with more preylike pets, such as rabbits," Stein warns. | |
Genetic Concerns |
If you think you can handle the needs of this challenging breed, it is important to educate yourself about possible health issues before rushing out to get a dog. Although the Border Collie is a relatively healthy breed, hip dysplasia is a concern. This progressive, degenerative joint disease, in which the thigh bone does not fit correctly into the hip joint, ranges from mild, asymptomatic cases to severe cases that cause serious pain and/or debilitation. X-rays must be taken to make a definitive diagnosis. Because this disease can be so devastating, all breeding stock should be evaluated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, the Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals or the PennHIP® system and determined to be free of this condition. It also is advisable to not overfeed a growing puppy, as the results of overfeeding-pups that grow too fast and/or are overweight-may exacerbate the condition. Several eye diseases may affect the Border Collie. Collie eye anomaly is an inherited condition that can range in severity from mild sight difficulties to complete blindness. Puppies should be examined for CEA between 6 and 12 weeks of age. Progressive retinal atrophy is even more severe, always resulting in blindness. This increasing degeneration of the cells in the retina usually does not become apparent until about 2 years of age. Thankfully, PRA is rare in Border Collies. All dogs should be examined yearly for any eye disorders and certified by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation before they are bred to help ensure no abnormalities are being passed on to future generations. Two different forms of epilepsy can affect the Border Collie. Both cause seizures, ranging from partial to generalized. The first type is primary epilepsy, also known as genetic or true epilepsy. This form usually occurs in dogs 1 to 3 years of age and most likely is caused by a genetic factor. The second form is secondary epilepsy, which is caused by another influence, including infection, acute injury, the ingestion of a toxic substance or a degenerative disease. Because it often is difficult to determine the origin of epilepsy, no dog that experiences seizures should be bred. Ceroid lipofuscinosis is a devastating disease that so far has been confined mainly to Border Collies in Australia. It causes waste products to accumulate in the brain during puppyhood, leading to major mental and physical deficits and rage attacks. Dogs with this disease generally do not live past the age of 3, with many having to be put down. This disease is a concern to breeders in the United States, because conformation Border Collies now are being imported into this country. | |
Finding A Border Collie |
When searching for a Border Collie, you first should decide what you want to do with your dog. If you plan on using your dog for farm work or serious herding competition, buy your Border Collie from someone who has experience in these areas. If you are looking for a Border Collie for conformation showing, choose a pup from conformation lines. If you are looking strictly for a pet, your options are much more open. Pet-quality conformation-bred dogs and puppies from working lines usually sell for $400 to $600. Stein says, "Rarely if ever is there a difference in price between a herding-bred pup destined to be a working dog and one destined to be a pet, since it's not possible to tell anything about herding ability at the age when pups are sold." Fully trained working Border Collies can command prices as high as $10,000. No matter what sports or work a breeder does with his or her dogs, health and temperament must be your first considerations when choosing a Border Collie. Ask to see health clearances on the parents-and the pups, if they already have been tested-for the genetic conditions mentioned above. Visit the breeder personally to meet both parents, if possible, or at least the mother to evaluate her temperament. Be honest with yourself and the breeder about your plans for your dog. Someone who wants a jogging companion and a pal to play fetch with in the yard may seek a mellower Border Collie than someone who has aspirations of taking the agility world by storm. If you are looking for an older canine companion, Border Collie rescue organizations are excellent sources of adolescent and adult dogs. Many of these dogs were given up, through no fault of their own, by owners who did not take the time to research the breed beforehand or were not realistic about how their lifestyle would suit a Border Collie's needs. Above all, as you prepare to welcome a Border Collie into your life, retain your sense of humor, keep your patience high and gear yourself up for a great adventure. Life with a Border Collie promises never to be boring! Kim Dearth writes about issues concerning dogs and cats from her home near Madison, Wis. She is the recipient of two Dog Writers Association of America awards and has published several breed-specific books. Her latest, "Your Border Collie's Life," is due out in the fall. She and her husband live with one canine and two feline research assistants. | |
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