Border Collie breed information, pictures and more...

The Border Collie is a well-balanced, medium-sized dog of athletic appearance. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers. It is very agile, and has a well proportioned body of lean muscle. This dog breed is highly intelligent and hard-working that responds quickly and eagerly to training.

The Border Collie is the world's premiere unsurpassed as a sheepdog in terms of agility, stamina and patience. It excels in obedience competitions. It thrives on games and is willing to please. The Border Collies are bred for working ability and intelligence rather than for physical beauty.

It appears in many colors, with various combinations of patterns and markings. The most common color is black with or without the traditional white blaze, collar, stockings and tail tip, with or without tan points. A variety of primary body colors is permissible; solid color, bi-color, tri-color, merle and sable dogs are judged equally with dogs having traditional markings. White should never predominate.

Two varieties are permissible, both having soft, dense, weather resistant double coat.

It is generally a hardy breed, but some are prone to hip dysplasia, PRA and an eye disease (common to Collies known as Collie Eye Anomaly). Many dogs are allergic to fleas and some are prone to epilepsy and deafness. To minimize the risk of your Border Collie developing any hereditary health issues, you should buy a Border Collie puppy from a reputable breeder.  

The Border Collie is very intelligent, alert and responsive. It excels at obedience, agility and Frisbee. The Border Collie is highly energetic with great stamina. The Border Collie will get along quite happily with other dogs and children, but it may be aggressive with other dogs of the same sex.

It should not be trusted with small non-canine pets. Generally it's affectionate towards friends. It makes an excellent watchdog; it may be sensibly reserved towards strangers. It thrives on human companionship, it is eager to learn and to please. The Border Collie should be very well socialized as a puppy to prevent shyness. At competitive levels in various sports such as: obedience, agility skills and sheepdog trials the Border Collie is represented among the leaders in the sport.

It is not an ideal pet for people who have no plans to spend a lot of time with the dog. This dog is too intelligent to lie around the house all day with nothing to do. The Border Collie may become destructive if it gets bored or if it is ignored. It can become neurotic if it's left alone for long periods, leading to many behavior problems. The Border Collie is known as an escape artist. It has strong herding instincts. It does best with an experienced owner who has lots of time to spend with the dog.

It is not recommended for apartment life. The Border Collie is very active indoors and does best with acreage. This breed is not suited to life chained up in the back yard all day. It needs daily exercise.