Border Collie

The Border Collie is a medium-sized British herding dog of the collie type. It is kept mainly as a sheep-herding dog or as a companion, and it competes with success in sheepdog trials. Some people claim it is the most intelligent breed of dog.

Border Collies have a moderate amount of coat, often thick and prone to shedding. It is a double coat that ranges from smooth to rough and is occasionally curled. Black and white is the most common colouring, but almost any colour and pattern seen in dogs can appear, including tricolour, liver and white, blue, merle, brindle and red.

Males stand about 48 to 56 cm at the withers and females about 46 to 53 cm. Eye colour runs from brown to green, and odd-coloured eyes sometimes occur, usually in merles. Ears may be fully erect, fully dropped or semi-erect.

The Border Collie comes from the region of the Anglo-Scottish border and descends from the traditional sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles. The name comes from its probable place of origin. The word collie is older than the breed name and comes from the Scots language.

In 1915 James Reid, Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society, first used the term border collie to separate dogs registered with the society from the Kennel Club's collie. Those collies came from the same working stock but developed a different, standardised look after entering the show ring in 1860.

All purebred Border Collies alive today trace back to Old Hemp, a tricolour dog born in Northumberland in 1893. He was a quiet, powerful worker that sheep responded to easily, and he may have sired as many as 200 pups. His working style became the Border Collie style.

The first recorded sheepdog trials were held in Bala, North Wales, in 1873. Border Collies were later taken to New Zealand and Australia, and the New Zealand Heading Dog was developed from them.

Border Collies are known for energy, a strong herding instinct and high drive. Working dogs can take direction by voice and whistle at long distances.

Their intelligence and trainability are well known. Rico was studied for recognising up to 200 objects by name, Betsy was found to know over 300 words, and Chaser had a vocabulary of 1,022 words and could reason by exclusion.

They have a highly developed sense of smell and are easily motivated. They are one of the most popular breeds for agility, their speed, agility and stamina let them dominate flyball and disc dog, and they also do well in obedience and dog dancing. In Britain they are used as mountain rescue search dogs.

A 2022 English study of veterinary records found a life expectancy of 12.1 years, and a 2024 UK study found 13.1 years, compared with 12.7 for purebreds and 12 for crossbreeds overall. In a 2004 Kennel Club survey the leading causes of death were cancer, old age and cerebral vascular afflictions.

Known inherited conditions include collie eye anomaly, two kinds of hearing loss (one present in puppies, one gradually appearing between one and eight years of age), neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (limited to show dogs) and trapped neutrophil syndrome. DNA tests exist for the last two.

Less common problems include juvenile cataracts, osteochondritis, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus and carpal soft-tissue injury. Border Collie Collapse, an exercise-induced condition linked to intense, exciting activity, has also been described. A UK study found the breed had the highest prevalence of liver tumours, being 2.67 times more likely to develop them than other breeds. The breed is one of the more commonly affected by an MDR1 gene mutation, which has a frequency of 1 to 4.8% depending on the country and makes affected dogs more sensitive to some drugs.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

How long do Border Collies live?

UK studies have found life expectancies of about 12.1 years and 13.1 years. That is slightly higher than the figures for crossbreeds.

Are Border Collies the smartest dogs?

They are often claimed to be the most intelligent breed. Individual dogs have learned hundreds or even over a thousand words.

Do Border Collies shed?

Yes. They have a double coat that is often thick and prone to shedding. It can be smooth or rough.

What size is a Border Collie?

They are medium-sized. Males are about 48 to 56 cm tall at the shoulder and females about 46 to 53 cm.

What colours do Border Collies come in?

Black and white is the most common. Almost any colour or pattern seen in dogs can occur, including tricolour, merle, red and blue.

What are Border Collies used for?

They are used mainly for herding, but also for tracking, mountain rescue and dog sports. Many are companion dogs.

Wiston Cap, born in 1963, is the dog shown in the characteristic herding pose on the International Sheep Dog Society badge.

In England, agility competitions often include classes for ABC dogs, meaning Anything But Collies, because Border Collies perform so well.

Shep, a Border Collie, was the long-term companion of John Noakes on Blue Peter. Messi won the 2023 Palm Dog award at Cannes for starring in Anatomy of a Fall.

The handlers of working dogs sometimes avoid mostly white dogs because of an unfounded idea that sheep will not respect them.