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A Border Collie is a hard-working, extremely intelligent breed of herding dog that originated in the border country of England and Scotland. Like most working dogs, they have a tendency towards neurotic or destructive behavior if not given enough to do. They are still frequently used on farms all over the world for assisting with the handling of livestock. Though known to be reserved with strangers, these dogs can also be protective of a human family member and affectionate to those they know.
Appearance: Because Border Collies have historically
been selected for working ability, and not looks, they vary
widely in appearance. In general, they are medium-sized dogs
without extreme physical characteristics and a moderate amount
of coat. Their double coats can be anywhere from slick to
lush, and can come in many colors, although black and white is
by far the most often seen at conformation shows and herding
trials and therefore the most common in public perception;
tricolor (black/tan/white) and red and white also occurs
regularly, with other colors such as, blue and white, red
merle, blue merle, or sable seen less frequently.
Eye color varies from deep brown to amber or blue with
occasionally one eye of each color. The ears of the Border
Collie are also highly variable -- some have fully erect ears,
some fully dropped and other are semi-erect (similar to that
of the Rough Collie). Although working Border Collie handlers
sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their
dogs (many handlers do not prefer red dogs, or mostly white
dogs), in general a dog's appearance is considered to be
irrelevant. It is much more useful to identify a working
Border Collie by its attitude and ability, not its looks.
Those dogs bred for the conformation ring are much more
uniform in appearance than working Border Collies, since to be
successful show dogs they must conform to kennel club
standards that are specific on many points of the anatomy and
furnishings. Kennel clubs specify that the Border Collie must
have a keen and intelligent expression; the preferred eye
colour is generally brown. In deference to the dog's working
origin, scars and broken teeth received in the line of duty
are not to be counted against a Border Collie in the show
ring.
Temperament: Border Collies are an intelligent breed
with an instinctive desire to work. They are also extremely
energetic and require a lot of attention, but are very
responsive to training. They are better off in a household
that can provide them with plenty of exercise and a job to do.
Like most herding breeds, they will attempt to herd family
members, cats, squirrels, bicycles, cars, or anything else
that moves in the absence of other charges.
Border Collies make bad pets for people who cannot provide
a considerable amount of daily exercise, both physical and
mental. Many Border Collies end up in shelters or rescue
groups because families, attracted by their appearance,
discover that they cannot provide the attention and effort
required for this driven, active, easily bored breed—though
this problem can be alleviated by giving the dog lots of
mental and physical stimulation.
This can be done by taking them to training classes and for
long, brisk walks. Participating in dog sports such as dog
agility, flyball, sheepdog trials, tracking, dog dancing, Disc
dog, dog sledding races and obedience are also popular with
Border Collie owners for this reason. It may also help to have
more than one dog.
Among some breeders of the breed in Britain, there is a
common saying: "no sheep, no collie", referring to
the dog's usual unsuitability to people who just want a
"smart dog". Border Collies love to play and do not
always know when to stop on their own; owners must ensure that
they do not overexert themselves, especially in hot weather,
which can be dangerous.
Health: Hip dysplasia is widespread among purebred
Border Collies. Elbow dysplasia or Osteochondritis also
occurs, along with epilepsy and hypothyroidism. Dogs
homozygous for the merle gene are likely to have eye and/or
hearing problems.
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a type of lysosomal
storage disorder that results in accumulation of lysosomal
storage bodies in the cells of many tissues of the affected
animal. This leads to progressive neurodegeneration
(degeneration of brain and eye cells) and results in severe
neurological impairment and early death. The mutation causing
the form of the disease found in Border Collies was identified
in the laboratory of Dr Alan Wilton of the School of
Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New
South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Affected dogs appear normal at
birth, but begin to exhibit symptoms early in life – around
1- 2 years of age. The age of onset and severity of the
disease can vary greatly among individuals. The symptoms
include progressive motor decline with seizures and loss of
coordinated muscle movements, cognitive decline and abnormal
behavior. Visual impairment may occur. Due to the severity of
the disease, affected Border Collies rarely survive beyond
26-28 months. There is no treatment or cure at this time.
Collie eye anomaly (CEA) is a congenital, inherited eye
disease affecting Border Collies and other breeds involving
the retina, choroid, and sclera. It can be a mild disease or
cause blindness.
Both Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and Collie eye
anomaly (CEA) are caused by a simple autosomal recessive gene
defect. The mutations, or changes to the structure of the
genes, probably occurred spontaneously in a single dog but
once in the population has been inherited from generation to
generation like any other gene. The disorders show an
autosomal recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the
defective gene (one inherited from each parent) have to be
present for a dog to be affected by the disease. Individuals
with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal
gene - called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the
defective gene onto their offspring.
When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on
average) of the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25%
will be clear and the remaining 50% will themselves be
carriers Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and Collie eye
anomaly (CEA) can now be tested for genetically. The DNA tests
not only diagnoses dogs affected with this disease but can
also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no
symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups.
Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number
of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is
important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding
population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the
disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.
Once samples have been submitted for testing, breeders will
be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of
three categories:
CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will
neither develop the disease, nor pass a copy of the mutant
gene to any of its offspring.
CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one
copy of the mutant gene that causes the disease. It will
not develop the disease, but will pass on the mutant gene
gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring if bred to a
clear dog.
AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the mutant gene and
will be affected with the disease.
Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50%
of such a litter will be clear and 50% carriers; there can be
no affected pups produced from such a mating. Pups which will
be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to determine
whether they are clear or carrier.
History: The Border Collie is descended from British
droving breeds originating on the Scottish and English border.
Mention of the 'Collie' or 'Colley' type first appeared toward
the end of the nineteenth century with the current Border
Collie type emerging with dogs such as Old Hemp in 1893.
Breed standards: As is the case with many breeds of
dogs that are still used for their original purposes, breed
standards vary depending on whether the registry is more
interested in a dog that performs its job superbly or a dog
whose appearance meets an ideal standard. The Border Collie
lines have developed recently under such standards.
There are two types of tests, or standards, to determine
the breeding quality of a Border collie. The original test was
the ISDS sheepdog trial, where a dog and handler collect
groups of livestock and move them quietly around a course. The
'standard' comes from the fact that, the world over, there are
certain standard elements to this test. Sheep must be gathered
without being too much disturbed, from a distance farther than
the typical small airport runway. They then must be directed
through obstacles at varying distance from the handler, and
then the dog must demonstrate the ability to do work close at
hand by penning the sheep and sorting them out. It is these
elements which have shaped the working abilities of the Border
collie and defined the breed until very recently. These dogs
are necessarily capable of incredible feats of athleticism,
endurance, intense focus, and high levels of trainability.
In nearly every region of the world, the Border collie is
now also a breed which is shown in ring or bench shows. For
the people who participate in these events, the Border collie
is defined by the breed standard, which is a description of
how the dog should look. In New Zealand and Australia, where
the breed has been shown the longest, the Border collie
standards have produced a dog with a long double coat (smooth
coats are not allowed), a soft dark eye, a body slightly
longer than square, a well-defined stop, and a gentle and
friendly expression. This style of Border collie has become
quite popular in winning show kennels around the world, as
well as among prestigious judges, so it is to be expected that
this type will soon predominate even in countries like the US
where the native lines are very different.
It is possible for a dog to do both, but a working dog's
options for competition in conformation shows might be limited
depending on its ancestry and on the opinions of the various
kennel clubs or breed clubs involved, and most handlers of
working Border Collies are uninterested in participating in
dog shows. Conformation-bred dogs are less commonly seen on
the sheepdog trial field. Dogs registered with conformation
based registries are seen in other performance events such as
agility, obedience or tracking, however these dogs do not
necessarily conform to the breed standard of the registry as
this is not a requirement in performance events.
In the UK, there are two separate registries for Border
Collies. The International Sheep Dog Society [3] encourages
breeding for herding ability, whereas the Kennel Club (UK)
encourages breeding for a specific appearance. The ISDS
registry is by far the older of the two, and ISDS dogs are
eligible for registration as pedigree Border Collies with the
Kennel Club (KC) - but not vice versa. The only way for a
Border Collie without an ISDS pedigree to be added to the ISDS
registry is by proving its worth as a herding dog so that it
can be Registered on Merit (ROM).
In the United States, the vast majority of Border Collies
are registered with the American Border Collie association,
which is dedicated to the preservation of the working dog.
However, the breed was also recognized in 1995 by the American
Kennel Club, which promotes standards based on appearance and
promotes registration of dogs whose parents were registered.
The recognition was under protest from the majority of Border
Collie-affiliated groups, such as the United States Border
Collie Club, that felt that emphasis on the breed's working
skills would be lost under AKC recognition. AKC registrations
have gradually increased since recognition and by the year
2004, there were 1,984 new AKC registrations of Border
Collies, with a further 2,378 for the year 2005.
In Australia, Border Collies are registered with an
Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC) affiliated state
control body or with a working dog registry. Between 2,011 and
2,701 ANKC pedigreed Border Collies have been registered with
the ANKC each year since 1986 [6]. Inclusion on the ANKC
affiliate's main register allows Border Collies to compete in
conformation, obedience, agility, tracking, herding and other
ANKC sanctioned events held by an ANKC affiliated club, while
inclusion on the limitted register prohibits entry in
conformation events. The ANKC provides a breed standard,
however this applies to conformation events only and has no
influence on dogs entering in performance events. Non ANKC
pedigreed dogs may also be eligable for inclusion on an ANKC
associate or sporting register and be able to compete in ANKC
performance or herding events. Agility organisations such as
the Agility Dog Association of Australia (ADAA) have their own
registry which allows the inclusion of any dog wishing to
compete in their events.
Activities: Herding and other dog sports: These
collies can take direction by voice and whistle at long
distances when herding. Their great energy and herding
instinct are still used to herd all kinds of animals, from the
traditional sheep and cattle, free range poultry, and pigs, to
deer and ostriches. They are also used to remove unwanted wild
birds from airport runways, golf courses, and other public and
private areas.
Border Collie competitions may involve actual herding or
simulated tasks. Shepherds in Britain have taken the most
critical elements of herding and designed a sheepdog
competition. Originally farmers used such competitions to
evaluate possible mates for their working dogs, but they have
now developed into a true sport with many competitors from
outside the farming community taking part. In the US, the
national body for these competitions is the USBCHA. In Britain
it is the International Sheepdog Society, and in Canada the
CBCA
Because of their working background, Border Collies excel
at several dog sports. They dominate the higher jump heights
at dog agility competitions, so much so that in England the
Border Collies occasionally are given competitions separate
from all other breeds.
Border Collies also have a highly developed sense of smell
and with their high drive they make excellent and easily
motivated tracking dogs for Tracking trials. These Tracking
trials simulate the finding of a lost person in a controlled
situation where the performance of the dog can be evaluated,
with titles awarded for successful dogs.
Famous Border Collies:
Rico. Dog who was studied for recognizing dozens of
objects by name.
Shep. Long-term companion to John Noakes of the BBC's
Blue Peter and also Meg, companion of Matt Baker, former
presenter of Blue Peter.
Fly and Rex from the movie Babe
Bingo from the movie Bingo
Nop's Trials by Donald McCaig. Book about a man's search
for his Border Collie, Nop, with lots of herding stories.
Dog in the cartoon strip Footrot Flats.
Mike. Dog in the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
Angelo, Rinoa's pet in the video game Final Fantasy
VIII.
Murray, played by Maui the Dog, in the NBC sitcom Mad
About You (border collie mix).
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