Description
The Bearded Collie, or "Beardie" as he is known to his fanciers, is a medium-sized, agile, herding dog with a shaggy coat and an ever-wagging tail. He is an ancestor of the Old English Sheepdog, and the family resemblance is obvious. The Beardie has a broad head, short muzzle and a shaggy coat all over his body, even under the chin (hence the name "Beardie"). Beneath the dense, weatherproof outer coat lies a thick, soft undercoat. Its head and teeth are large. The eyes are wide set and harmonious in color with its coat, set high on its head and pendent. The ears lie close to the head and the tail is long and carried low unless the dog is excited. The Beardie is robust, hardy and active, but not massive. The color of the coat changes several times over the life of the dog. Puppies are generally born black, brown, fawn or blue. The puppy coat then fades to light gray or cream. As the dogs reach maturity, they darken again to their adult coat in any of the four colors, black, brown, blue, or fawn. The final coat color is somewhere between the puppy coat and the yearling coat.
Temperament
Known for his "bounce," the exuberant Beardie will charm you with his joyous, affectionate, happy-go-lucky ways. He is playful and lively with an always wagging tail. The perfect companion for children. Enthusiastic, stable and self-confident. Males tend to be more bold and outgoing, while females tend to be calmer and more submissive. The Bearded Collie was bred to be hardy and reliable, able to stand up to the harshest conditions, and the toughest sheep. He is stable and self-confident, showing no signs of shyness or aggression. The Beardie needs to be with people and not left alone without anything to do. They are humorous and high-energy dogs. Very trainable for many activities. Obedience training is a must as Beardies think a lot and can be headstrong at times. The Beardie is a natural herder of people and animals. They are noisy barkers, but are not watch dogs. They should not be shy or aggressive.
Height, Weight
Height: 20-22 inches (51-56cm.)
Weight: 40-60 pounds (18-27 kg.)
Health Problems
Generally healthy. Beware of hip dysplasia. Their dense coat may conceal external parasite infestation.
Living Conditions
The Bearded Collie is not recommended for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. Beardies can sleep outdoors and make excellent farm dogs. They are also good in windy, rugged or wet areas since the dogs will go out in all weather conditions. It does not like to be confined and should have a place to run off of its lead. The Beardie prefers to be outdoors.
Exercise
This is an active dog that needs lots of exercise, which includes a long daily walk. This breed also will greatly enjoy time to run free in a safe area.
Life Expectancy
About 14-15 years
Litter Size
4 - 12 - Average 7
Grooming
Daily brushing of the long, shaggy coat is important. Mist the coat lightly with water before you begin. Tease out mats before they get bad, and give extra attention when the dog is shedding. Use the comb sparingly. The rich coat covers the Beardie is made up of a soft undercoat and a hursher straight overcoat that may be slightly wavy but never curly.To keep a Beardie coats in good condition it is essential to brush the areas where knots can form:behind the ears,on the paws and the stomach.This is not difficult,but it is important to get the dog used to being handled from an early age.As far as the colour is concerned it is said that a characteristic of the Beardie coat is one of constant change. If you prefer, the coat can be professionally machine-clipped every two months or so. Eyes, ears and paws should be checked daily. Bath or dry shampoo when necessary. It is difficult to locate ticks in the thick undercoat, so check regularly. They need atleast one hour or more than an hour and per week bath is very necessary. This breed is an average shedder.
Origin
The Bearded Collie is a descendant of the Polish Sheepdog (the Polski Owczarek Nizinny or PON) which was first introduced into Scotland in 1514 by a Polish sea captain who traded three of his dogs to a Scottish shepherd for a valuable ram and ewe. It seems that it's origins can be traced back to the Magiari,hungarian shepherds that moved their flock in search of new pastures accompanied by long haired sheepdogs.The Magiari went as far as Asia and Europe. The dogs were bred with local herding stock and this formed the foundation for the Bearded Collie breed. For Centuries, the Beardie was used in Scotland as a herder of both sheep and cattle, and was known variously as the "Highland Sheepdog," the "Highland Collie," and the "Hairy Moved Collie." Collie is the Scottish word for herding dog, derived from the "colley" or "coaley" black-faced sheep. It was developed as an independent worker, capable of thinking on its own and making decisions about the safety of their flocks without depending on the shepherd who might be miles away. Beardies have never brought home a wrong sheep despite the practice of flocks intermingling while out to pasture. The Beardie is still used as a shepherd's helpmate in Scotland, and in the U.S. The name Bearded Collie comes from the long hair under the Beardie's chin which flows into the chest, forming a "beard." The Beardie's lovable personality and appearance makes him an ideal companion and family dog. The breed almost disappeared in the early part of the twentieth century, but was rescued through mating a pair in 1944. It is still not very widespread. Still fairly rare in the United States, the first US litter of Beardies was whelped in 1967. The Bearded Collie is in all likelihood related to the bobtail (Old English Sheepdog). It is very similar although the Beardie is smaller, leaner and has an undocked tail. Some of the Beardie's talents are tracking, herding, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks.
Group
Herding, AKC Herding
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