Post by charmingnancy on Feb 24, 2009 21:26:47 GMT -5
Border Collie
Group: 7- Herding
Origin: England, Scotland, and Wales
Purpose: Sheep herder
Description:
The Border Collie is a breed of herding dog that originated along the borders of England, Wales and Scotland. They are widely regarded as the most intelligent dog breed in the world. These highly energetic dogs are considered the world's best sheep herding dogs, and are frequently used on farms all over the world for assisting with the handling of livestock. While originally bred for farm work, they have also become popular as pet and sport dogs.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat & Colour:
Coat: Two varieties: 1) Moderately long. 2) Smooth.
In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance. In moderately long coated variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth.
Colour: Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.
Head: Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In blues, nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed. Eyes set wide apart, oval shaped, or moderate size, brown in colour except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen alert and intelligent. Ears medium sized and texture, well set apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use. Teeth and jaws strong with a perfect, regular complete scissor bite, (i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws).
Neck: Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders.
Forequarters: Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone strong, but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.
Body: Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.
Hindquarters: Broad, muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and string, well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear. Feet: oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.
Tail: Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over back.
Gait: Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of feet, conveying impression of ability to move with great stealth and speed.
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded be in exact proportion to its degree.
Size:
Dogs – 21 inches (53 cm); Bitches – slightly less.
Temperament:
Border Collies are an intelligent breed with an instinctive desire to work closely and intensely with a human handler. They are very well behaved and can be very excitable dogs. Although the primary role of the Border Collie is that of the working stock dog, dogs of this breed are becoming increasingly popular as pets. True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very demanding, energetic pets that are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of exercise and ample play with humans or other dogs. Border collies are happiest usually when they have a job to do. However, a job to a border collie isn't necessarily working live stock. An activity such as Frisbee, chasing and retrieving a ball, to name just a few will suffice. As long as the Border collie is in the herding/working position, (Crouched down, tail tucked between legs, eyes firmly fixed on the matter in hand), it considers it work. Border Collies are now also being used in showing, especially agility, where their speed and agility comes to good use which makes dog sports popular with Border Collie owners. However, in an appropriate home, with a dedicated, active owner, a Border Collie can be an excellent companion.
Health:
Hip dysplasia, Collie Eye Anomaly, and epilepsy are considered the primary genetic diseases of concern in the breed at this time.
Elbow dysplasia or osteochondritis, deafness, and hypothyroidism may also occur in the breed. Dogs homozygous for the merle gene are likely to have eye and/or hearing problems.
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a rare but serious disease that is limited to show Border Collies.
Average Lifespan:
Based on a sample of 106 deceased dogs, the median longevity of Border Collies is 12 years and 3 months (minimum 2 months, maximum 17 years, 4 months). The median longevities of breeds of similar size are usually 12 to 13 years, so, if the sample was representative of the population, Border Collies have a typical life span for a breed their size.
History:
The Border Collie is descended from droving and gathering breeds originating on the Scottish, Welsh and English borders, including the Cumberland Sheepdog. Mention of the "Collie" or "Colley" type first appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century, with every current Border Collie tracing back to a dog known as Old Hemp. Old Hemp, a tri-color dog, was born September 1893 and died May 1901. He was bred by Adam Telfer from Roy, a black and tan dog, and Meg, a black-coated, strong-eyed bitch. Hemp was a quiet, powerful dog that sheep responded to easily. Many shepherds used him for stud and Hemp's working style became the Border Collie style.
Wiston Cap is the dog that the International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) badge portrays in the characteristic Border Collie herding pose. He was the most popular stud dog in the history of the breed, and appears in a huge percentage of pedigrees today. Bred by W. S. Hetherington and trained and handled by John Richardson, Cap was a biddable and good-natured dog. His bloodlines all trace back to the early registered dogs of the stud book, and to J. M. Wilson's Cap, who occurs sixteen times within seven generations in his pedigree. Wiston Cap sired three Supreme Champions and is grand-sire of three others, one of whom was E. W. Edwards' Bill, who won the championship twice.
These dogs were traditionally known simply as "collies," but terms like working collie, old-fashioned collie, and farm collie have also been applied to them. It was in 1915 that James Reid, Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society in the United Kingdom, first used the term "Border Collie" to distinguish those dogs registered by the ISDS from the Kennel Club's "Collie," which originally came from the same working stock but had developed a different, standardized appearance following its introduction to the show ring in 1860.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKC
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 7- Herding
Origin: England, Scotland, and Wales
Purpose: Sheep herder
Description:
The Border Collie is a breed of herding dog that originated along the borders of England, Wales and Scotland. They are widely regarded as the most intelligent dog breed in the world. These highly energetic dogs are considered the world's best sheep herding dogs, and are frequently used on farms all over the world for assisting with the handling of livestock. While originally bred for farm work, they have also become popular as pet and sport dogs.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat & Colour:
Coat: Two varieties: 1) Moderately long. 2) Smooth.
In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance. In moderately long coated variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth.
Colour: Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.
Head: Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In blues, nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed. Eyes set wide apart, oval shaped, or moderate size, brown in colour except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen alert and intelligent. Ears medium sized and texture, well set apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use. Teeth and jaws strong with a perfect, regular complete scissor bite, (i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws).
Neck: Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders.
Forequarters: Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone strong, but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.
Body: Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.
Hindquarters: Broad, muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and string, well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear. Feet: oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.
Tail: Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over back.
Gait: Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of feet, conveying impression of ability to move with great stealth and speed.
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded be in exact proportion to its degree.
Size:
Dogs – 21 inches (53 cm); Bitches – slightly less.
Temperament:
Border Collies are an intelligent breed with an instinctive desire to work closely and intensely with a human handler. They are very well behaved and can be very excitable dogs. Although the primary role of the Border Collie is that of the working stock dog, dogs of this breed are becoming increasingly popular as pets. True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very demanding, energetic pets that are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of exercise and ample play with humans or other dogs. Border collies are happiest usually when they have a job to do. However, a job to a border collie isn't necessarily working live stock. An activity such as Frisbee, chasing and retrieving a ball, to name just a few will suffice. As long as the Border collie is in the herding/working position, (Crouched down, tail tucked between legs, eyes firmly fixed on the matter in hand), it considers it work. Border Collies are now also being used in showing, especially agility, where their speed and agility comes to good use which makes dog sports popular with Border Collie owners. However, in an appropriate home, with a dedicated, active owner, a Border Collie can be an excellent companion.
Health:
Hip dysplasia, Collie Eye Anomaly, and epilepsy are considered the primary genetic diseases of concern in the breed at this time.
Elbow dysplasia or osteochondritis, deafness, and hypothyroidism may also occur in the breed. Dogs homozygous for the merle gene are likely to have eye and/or hearing problems.
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a rare but serious disease that is limited to show Border Collies.
Average Lifespan:
Based on a sample of 106 deceased dogs, the median longevity of Border Collies is 12 years and 3 months (minimum 2 months, maximum 17 years, 4 months). The median longevities of breeds of similar size are usually 12 to 13 years, so, if the sample was representative of the population, Border Collies have a typical life span for a breed their size.
History:
The Border Collie is descended from droving and gathering breeds originating on the Scottish, Welsh and English borders, including the Cumberland Sheepdog. Mention of the "Collie" or "Colley" type first appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century, with every current Border Collie tracing back to a dog known as Old Hemp. Old Hemp, a tri-color dog, was born September 1893 and died May 1901. He was bred by Adam Telfer from Roy, a black and tan dog, and Meg, a black-coated, strong-eyed bitch. Hemp was a quiet, powerful dog that sheep responded to easily. Many shepherds used him for stud and Hemp's working style became the Border Collie style.
Wiston Cap is the dog that the International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) badge portrays in the characteristic Border Collie herding pose. He was the most popular stud dog in the history of the breed, and appears in a huge percentage of pedigrees today. Bred by W. S. Hetherington and trained and handled by John Richardson, Cap was a biddable and good-natured dog. His bloodlines all trace back to the early registered dogs of the stud book, and to J. M. Wilson's Cap, who occurs sixteen times within seven generations in his pedigree. Wiston Cap sired three Supreme Champions and is grand-sire of three others, one of whom was E. W. Edwards' Bill, who won the championship twice.
These dogs were traditionally known simply as "collies," but terms like working collie, old-fashioned collie, and farm collie have also been applied to them. It was in 1915 that James Reid, Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society in the United Kingdom, first used the term "Border Collie" to distinguish those dogs registered by the ISDS from the Kennel Club's "Collie," which originally came from the same working stock but had developed a different, standardized appearance following its introduction to the show ring in 1860.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKC
Pictures:
Photobucket