Border Collie: breed description and breeding

Anyone who is fortunate enough to be the owner of a Border Collie breed dog will be called an outstanding mind and intellect. Together with charm, such qualities make her a real "gem" among dogs.

The most popular version of the appearance of this breed is the crossing of deer racers (dogs chasing deer) on the border of England and Scotland with shepherd dogs of various stripes living in that area. So the ancestors of modern representatives of the breed appeared. There were no special requirements for cattle breeds, they just had to be able to drive cattle. Best of all, medium-sized and medium-sized dogs coped with this. It was these dogs that best exhibited such qualities as reliability and tirelessness.

Only those dogs that showed excellent qualities participated in the breeding. The desired type of breed was an individual with a medium size, strong, agile, energetic. The blood of such breeds as a bearded collie, Polish lowland shepherd, greyhound mixed with this breed. For the first time, the ancestors of modern border collies were mentioned at the end of the 16th century.

1894 is a significant year for the breed, because not being recognized by the international community, Border Collie beat competitors in the competition, receiving the title "Best Shepherd Dog in Great Britain". However, this did not lead the breed to the leaders, leaving it in the shade. Border Collie received official recognition in the world only in 1976. As soon as the breed was recognized, its representatives became real stars - they began to be loved, brought up in many families.Efficiency, intelligence, charm and devotion - these are the characteristics that made these dogs so popular and loved by breeders around the world.

The Scots' love for the breed was so great that a monument to this dog was erected by sculptor Innes Elliott on Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. This happened in 1968 in memory of the help the animals provided to the migrating Scottish shepherds in their sheep grazing activities.

In Scotland, too, there is a similar monument, it was erected in 1896. This is a monument to Flora MacDonald, who saved Prince Charles from pursuing enemies. Flora is depicted accompanied by a representative of the Border Collie breed.

The breed standard was adopted on June 24, 1987. The description of the breed necessarily includes a mention of an expressive and intelligent look.

Representatives of the border collie reach 54 cm in height, and in weight - 20-21 kg. Dogs have a lifespan of about 16 years. They are very elegant and proportionately folded with relatively small stature.

The properties of the breed are:

• an elongated head;
• the nose is black, gray or brown, depending on the color of the dog;
• eyes are small, oval, with a square iris, marble border collie have a light color of the iris;
• ears with a triangle, their size is small, widely spaced, are in a standing position;
• a mouth with a scissor bite and medium-sized pure white teeth;
• black pigment of the lips, they fit snugly to the jaw;
• medium length neck with good muscle development;
• paws are long and slender;
• muscular body, elongated with a wide sternum, convex barrel-shaped ribs;
• saber-shaped tail, on it a thick and long coat, twists during movement, hangs in a stance.

Border Collie movements are light and graceful. During a quick run, it seems that her paws do not touch the ground, and she soars.

The breed has two varieties - long-haired and short-haired, which is sometimes called smooth-haired. Two-layer wool is wool and undercoat. The coat is thick and somewhat tough, and the undercoat is soft and silky. In long-haired dogs, the coat is fluffy, and the tail resembles foxes.

The colors of representatives of the breed are allowed by the standard different. One rule is constant - the white shade should not be dominant. There are several color options:

• the black;
• black and tan;
• brown;
• brown with tan (red);
• marble (the only color in which tricolor is possible) - there may be blotches of blue, the eyes of marble border collies can be of different colors or blue.

The muzzle can be completely white, and spots can also be located in the area of ​​the collar or sternum, paws or tail. There are dark spots on white spots.

Border Collies have a rather complex character. They are not dirty tricks and not mean, but because of their high intellectual abilities they are unusually cunning. This can greatly complicate the educational process. These dogs have the ability to scan the owner, look for weaknesses in him and use them so as not to do what they do not want. If the owner does not succumb to the provocation of his dog, then after some time he will cease to provoke him, because by virtue of his ingenuity he will understand that such tricks do not work.

The rest of the character of the Border Collie is wonderful. They are very curious, therefore they like to accompany the owner anywhere. Together with curiosity, they are unobtrusive, try to stay at a distance from the owner, if he is not in the spirit. The dog will always wait for the owner to call him to communicate. You can’t call them sticky.

While at home among the members of the owner's family, the dog watches each of them. Observation in their blood - for centuries they have been outstanding shepherds.In some cases, representatives of the breed may attempt to organize or restrain the "young" in the family or other pets, but do not show aggression. With children they are kind, playful.

On a walk, these dogs behave exemplary - do not stick to other dogs, do not fight, do not bark. They like to play and run, they need long everyday walks. If they do not “run out” on the street and do not look tired, they will play and run at home, and this can lead to confusion.

Like any other breed, a border collie has advantages and disadvantages.

The pluses include:

• high intelligence - besides the mind, they are developed by intuition, capturing the nuances of the mood of the owner;
• excellent learning ability - border collie remembers teams often the first time, easily understands not only them, but also the intonation of the conversation;
• sharp mind;
• non-intrusiveness;
• the breed is quiet, has no habit of barking for no reason, while it is sociable and very social - it wants to communicate with people and other dogs;
• hard work;
• flexible character, which makes training fast and makes it possible to prepare a pet for participation in exhibitions and competitions.

Of the minuses or, rather, difficulties with the breed, the following can be noted:

• the pet will need at least 4 hours every day for intensive walks with games and teams;
• This is a very nimble and active dog;
• not suitable for slow and calm people, as it needs constant interaction with the owner;
• not an ideal companion;
• she has no watchdog qualities;
• the puppy learns to go to the toilet outside the house for a long time and, in principle, matures for a long time, remaining a baby in the shower
• the need for constant care of the dog;
• genetic predisposition to epilepsy, deafness, visual and eye abnormalities, hip dysplasia.

Border collies have little resemblance to their thoroughbred tribesmen, which is why their purchase should be carried out only in nurseries with a good reputation. If you do not take into account the breed standard or do not know about its requirements, you can buy a dog with a marriage or a defect, and in the worst case, a purebred one. Nobody claims that a mongrel is worse than a thoroughbred, but buying it for the cost of a thoroughbred is completely undesirable.

The breeder must provide the new owner with all the documents for the puppy - pedigree, information about the absence of genetic diseases, on request - data about parents, including their health. If the puppy has been vaccinated, this information should also be provided.

Since the socialization of puppies begins before they reach 8 weeks of age, they should not be wild at this age, nor be aggressive. A socialized puppy should not whimper or growl if picked up on its hands.

Nurseries in Russia are few in number, so acquiring a Border Collie puppy in a small town may not work. The price for them is very high, few can afford to buy it painlessly for the family budget. This is because border collies are considered the smartest dogs in the world.

Buying a puppy from a private seller can cost 20-25 thousand rubles. Buying in a nursery will cost much more - from 45 thousand rubles. A puppy, which in the future will be able to participate in breeding, costs between 60-70 thousand rubles, and a potential champion with an excellent pedigree - about 100 thousand.

Having settled in the house of a Border Collie puppy, you should take care of its safety.Within the reach of the dog, there should be nothing that he can ruin, and nothing that could harm him. These are wires, and small items, and household chemicals, and a loosely closed bin, and cosmetics, and a ton of other things. If the house is two-story, the puppy should not independently climb the stairs, because this can damage its skeleton. Chocolate and sweets should also not be available, as these are toxic products for the puppy.

If the house has a balcony, you should block the puppy (and adult dog) the possibility of access to it. The temperament of the representative of the breed is such that, following an object of interest to him, such as a bird or an unknown sound, he can simply fall out of the window or from the side of the loggia.

Of course, the pet should have its own place to rest and sleep, its own bowl for food and a cup for water.

The purchase of a puppy of this breed should take into account the fact that he will live in a house or apartment. In the conditions of the street he cannot live constantly, only in the daytime in a spacious aviary on the fenced territory of a country house. Dogs have no more whims in everyday life.

Representatives of the long-haired variety need their luxurious coat to be combed every day with a special brush. Otherwise, the Border Collie look will be unpresentable. If you are the owner of a show-class pet that regularly participates in exhibitions and competitions, daily combing is required.

Of course, vaccinations in accordance with the schedule are necessary, as well as timely treatment from ticks and other parasites. This is a list of standard events that a representative of any breed needs. Clippers are trimmed with special rounded scissors - simple manicure for this procedure will not work. After the walk, the legs should be wiped with a damp clean cloth, and also inspected for signs of scratches, splintering or cuts. In winter, paws should be washed and wiped with special zeal, leaving no traces of toxic reagents on them.

You can feed dogs both natural and ready-made food, but just not mixing one with the other. Ready-made feeds must be either premium or super-premium.

If you choose natural food, then the dog will definitely need healthy supplements - calcium, fish oil, probiotic, linseed and olive oil. They will ideally maintain the tone and good mood of the dog.

The basis of the dog’s diet should be meat, which serves as a source of protein. She will receive the necessary amount of carbohydrates from vegetables and cereals, and dairy products will become a source of calcium.

Feeding should be scheduled. It must be strictly observed. The Border Collie is one of those breeds that never refuse food, but do not always experience hunger.

Puppies are fed 3-4 times a day, two meals a day are enough for adult dogs. Puppies are transferred to two meals a day after they reach six months. Puppies need more energy for growth and development, which means more calories. The maximum calories required by adult dogs is 1400 kcal, but at the same time they must be very active, engage in constant physical work.

If a dry food is chosen for the dog, its dosage should be looked at on the package, however, check it yourself. Manufacturers do not always indicate on the packaging the really necessary amount of feed, sometimes it is overpriced. This is because each manufacturer is interested in having more products bought.

If the owner has chosen natural food for his pet, then meat and offal can be given both boiled and raw, but previously subjected to deep freezing, as well as select all the bones. This applies to both meat and fish - the bones should not enter the body of the dog, it can both choke and disrupt the digestive process. Vegetables are given in raw form, but first they should be grated or cut into pieces convenient for feeding.

Of the goodies to encourage, the dog will be most pleased with the dried liver. For growing individuals, “tasteful” bones are good, they will help in the correct formation of the bite, and prevent the appearance of tartar and gum disease.

Encouraging the dog, you should not get involved in treats, you need to choose the dish that contains a small amount of fat. You can’t give a sweet dog.

When transferring a puppy to adult nutrition, it is important to gradually reduce the amount of protein in the diet, otherwise the muscle frame will form too quickly, like the bone. This provokes the incorrect formation of the skeleton. Phosphorus, calcium and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are essential supplements that should be in the diet, however, it is important to strictly follow the dosage. Their excessive presence in the daily menu is as dangerous as the lack.

It will be a mistake to assume that such an intelligent and quick-witted animal does not need to be trained and trained. It is necessary, otherwise the joint existence of the owner and the dog will not be equally comfortable for both.

Training representatives of the breed can bring this problem: they pretend to be stupid and do not understand what the owner wants from them. In fact, this means that the pet is too lazy or bored to follow the owner’s commands. He can yawn, scratch himself, look to the side, "go inside," and the most cunning can portray a disease like lameness or weakness. Also, the animal may try to escape from the lesson. The owner should immediately stop such actions, otherwise the dog will turn it into a custom.

Education begins from the moment a puppy appears in the family. Since puppies of this breed are terribly curious, they will climb, gnaw things, including master's things. It should immediately be made clear to him that this is wrong, that this is impossible. But the puppy should have its own toys - rodents, tweeters, other things that he can play with. No need to buy the first available or the cheapest items - you should take the time to choose, because not only the development of the dog depends on this, but also the formation of its gums, jaws, bones. There should be quite a lot of toys so that the pet does not get bored.

Each owner of a representative of this breed notes amazing intelligence, quick wit and excellent learning ability of his pet. Also, the dog is called friendly. Due to the centuries-old activity in protecting the herd, the Border Collie is trying to gather a company that has a rest in nature, together, gently biting those who go far behind their heels.

As already noted, the walk should be intense, and this is not just running back and forth to exhaustion, but games with meaning - with a frisbee plate, with the execution of commands. The daily load should be both mental and physical. Otherwise, a border collie can harm the apartment or house in which it lives.

All about the Border Collie dog breed in the next video.