Live Life Team
The Border Collie originates from Northern England near the Scottish border. It is a herding dog and used to control and move herds of sheep and cows. In addition to being the traditional sheep dog, the Border Collie is also used by many police forces in the search for both drugs and explosives and rescue operations. This breed is easy to train and can often be seen participating in agility and obedience trials.
The Border Collie is a medium sized dog. The head is wide with a muzzle that tapers off and ends in a black nose. Ears are usually upright and eyes dark although blue eyes are possible. Some Border Collies even have one dark and one blue eye. There are two varieties of this breed. One with longer, thicker, coarser hair and a second with shorter and much silkier hair. In both there are a number of colours seen including black and white, all black, black and gray and tricolour. The longer haired Border Collie will also have more hair around the neck and tail than the shorthaired variant. Facial hair in both is short. The coat needs regular grooming to ensure it remains in good condition but bathing should only occur when necessary. The Border Collie sheds an average amount of hair.
This is a highly intelligent breed and consequently requires a lot of attention and exercise. They are often highly strung and sensitive to sound. This makes them a less popular pet for families with young children. They may also be aggressive with other dogs and smaller pets such as cats. The dog has a huge amount of energy and must be exercised extensively in order to prevent a number of undesirable behaviours. They can become destructive and neurotic if left alone for long periods of time. They love to be with humans and have a great desire to please their human owner. The herding instinct may see them attempting to herd humans especially children and strangers and so firm training and handling is necessary at all times. It is very important that the owner establishes himself or herself as the leader and is consistent else the Border Collie will try to take over.
Like most breeds of this size the Border Collie has an average life expectancy of around 12-15 years. They tend to be a hardy and healthy breed but there are several conditions to which they are prone. Collie Eye Anomaly is an eye disease which often afflicts them, and many of this breed suffer from hip dysplacia. Deafness and epilepsy may also be seen and they have an increased sensitivity to fleas. More seriously the Border Collie is susceptible to a serious neurological disease known as Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. This is limited to this breed only and those who have it will normally not live past the ages of two as there is no cure. It is possible to test breeding dogs to determine if they carry the gene for this condition.
