Known as the most intelligent breed, for owners with the time, and the energy and the means and the energy and the athleticism and -did we say energy? The Border Collie is the perfect breed of canine to bring home and have as a companion. Although they are known to settle down for a little cuddle time so you will have that going for you as well.
Known for their herding eyes, will get to that somewhere in this blog, the Border Collies are a breed of muscular yet nimble souls that could come with both a rough coat or a smooth one, and you would not believe the number of colour and pattern variations this breed has. Okay you might, you have been reading these blogs, so you might be used to it. But moving on to the subject at hand, Border Collie, the breed that has marked their territory in the canine kingdom as its most agile, balanced and durable residents. And did we mention the most intelligent?
History
The ancestors of the Border Collie are theorised to be other types of collies and I don’t mean the human types. The Border Collie was developed to be herding dog. Told you will get to that part somewhere in here. They were specially bred to be able to gather and control sheep in the hilly border country between Scotland and England, with their origins dating back to the 1700s. Yes, that’s where they got the Border part of the name too. The collie comes from a Scottish dialect word that describes a sheepdog, so yeah, there’s a piece of interesting titbits. They were really well-known for having these intense gazes, or stares, and they used this to control the flock they were in charge of.
But the breed can be traced even further back to the Roman Empire some 2000 years back. The ancient Roman brought their drover dogs with them to the British Isles and some 1200 years ago the Vikings arrived in England with their Spitz-like dogs.
Now while they were herder, of sheep primarily, they were intelligent enough to manage just about any type of herd be it even the children of their owner’s family. Talk about a promotion in authority.
Characteristics
Recognized for being the most intelligent of the dog breeds, I mean chances are the dog would often be smarter than you, and with a gaze like no other kinds of dog, the Border Collie was able to control the herds they were in charge of with their silent but controlling gaze. This made them the ultimate herding dogs.
These dogs are like dynamos. As in, they are alert, energetic, hardworking and smart, like learning things and commands a bit too quickly to be true smart. But they like to be busy and not the one to stay quietly, so remember to take those walks and activities seriously.
They can be strong willed too and so much independent with a compulsion to herd things, animals and whatever it can around. They can also turn especially shy and fearful if not given the chance to properly socialise as a puppy so do remember that important part of raising a Border Collie.
The Border Collie are a medium sized dog boasting a moderate amount of coat that’s thick and actually prone to shedding a lot. Black and white combo is the most common of the colour patterns seen for the breed but they have been seen to appear in just about any type of colours and combinations of colours that are possible on a dog.
They are highly trainable, we did say they were intelligent now didn’t we, and they are agile. They are highly active and could turn unhappy and destructive if confined without anything to do. These dogs are best suited for the countryside.
They are also very sensitive and are able to detect even the subtleties of commands and follow them accurately. Some are even known to be able to tell what you’re going to ask of them before you ask them, well if they happen to know you well that is.
Packing a size of 20 kilograms in that 22 inch long body the Border Collie has the looks that would resemble that of a light-weight Australian Shepherd, just equipped with a feathery tail instead of the bobtail present on its Australian brethren.
Being a herding dog gives a Border Collie an urge to have to gather a flock. Now that could be a flock of sheep or children, or cat, or squirrels, toys, people on bikes, cars, well let’s just say they have options. So, while they do need to let off that energy someway, letting them run around in the neighbourhood isn’t going to prove to be a good idea.
The Border Collie is a generally healthy breed that is highly adaptable \, but they are best suited to an environment that gives some breathing space, so a city with a secured fence is a good place for this breed. That or a country or a ranch. That’d be ideal. They may be highly intelligent, but needs to be protected from their own not-so-intelligent instincts like chasing cars and stuff.
Notable Names
The 1995 film babe features Border Collies as actors and herders. The breed has also made appearances in movies like Animal Farm, Snow Dogs and the series Mad About You, but there was definitely something about a herder dog’s reaction to a Pig becoming a sheepherder in Babe.
Blitz, a resident Search and Rescue dog from England recently came to be known for finding a missing woman and saving her life when Blitz found her in some thick foliage that wouldn’t have made her visible to the human searchers.
Luath was the beloved Border Collie owned by Scottish poet Robert Burns, who’s passing inspired the poet to write “The Twa Dogs”. Now, we won’t get into much details from that one as you’d really have to read that piece of art to truly appreciate it, but it truly captures the special bond between a dog and its hooman.
Chaser has been recognized widely as the most intelligent dog in the world. Learning names of over 1000 objects.
Interesting Tidbits
The Border Collies were initially classified as the Scotch Sheep Dog.
The name Border Collie comes from their original thriving ground on the borders of Scotland and England with Collie being a Scottish word to describe sheepdogs.
Technically speaking a Border Collie isn’t one to roam. They have this curiosity and intelligence that can lead them to become a kind of an escape artist, travelling the great outdoors even if you happen to want to keep them indoors.
It was through Queen Victoria’s active enthusiasm with Border Collies that began to separate and distinguish the breed from other modern day Collies.
