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Border Collies

Border Collie
Border Collie 600.jpg
Other names Scottish Sheepdog
(sometimes confused with the related Welsh Sheepdog)
Origin United Kingdom
English-Scottish border.
Traits
Weight Male 14–20 kg (31–44 lb)
Female 12–19 kg (26–42 lb)
Height Male 48–56 cm (19–22 in)
Female 46–53 cm (18–21 in)
Coat smooth or rough double coat
Colour solid coloured, bicoloured or tricoloured on blue merle, red merle, chocolate merle, liver, lilac merle, chocolate, lilac, blue, sable merle, sable, shaded sable, chocolate sable, black, white, red, or brindle.
Litter size max. 10
Life span 10-14 years, average of 12 years
Classification / standards
FCI Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #297 standard
AKC Herding standard
ANKC Group 5 (Working Dogs) standard
CKC Group 7 (Herding) standard
KC (UK) Pastoral standard
NZKC Working standard
UKC Herding Dog standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Traits
Weight Male 14–20 kg (31–44 lb)
Female 12–19 kg (26–42 lb)
Height Male 48–56 cm (19–22 in)
Female 46–53 cm (18–21 in)
Coat smooth or rough double coat
Colour solid coloured, bicoloured or tricoloured on blue merle, red merle, chocolate merle, liver, lilac merle, chocolate, lilac, blue, sable merle, sable, shaded sable, chocolate sable, black, white, red, or brindle.
Litter size max. 10
Life span 10-14 years, average of 12 years
Classification / standards
FCI Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #297 standard
AKC Herding standard
ANKC Group 5 (Working Dogs) standard
CKC Group 7 (Herding) standard
KC (UK) Pastoral standard
NZKC Working standard
UKC Herding Dog standard

The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding , especially sheep. It was specifically bred for intelligence and obedience.

Considered highly intelligent, extremely energetic, acrobatic and athletic, they frequently compete with great success in sheepdog trials and dog sports. They are often cited as the most intelligent of all domestic dogs. Border Collies continue to be employed in their traditional work of herding livestock throughout the world.

In general, Border Collies are medium-sized dogs with a moderate amount of coat, which is most often thick and sheds often. They have a double coat which varies from smooth to rough, and is occasionally curled. Whilst black and white is most commonly seen colour pattern of the Border Collie, the breed appears in just about any colour and pattern known to occur in dogs. Some of these include black tricolour (black/tan/white), liver and white, and red tricolour (red/tan/white) have also been seen regularly, with other colours such as blue, lilac, red merle, blue merle, brindle, and Australian red (also known as ee red, blonde, recessive red, or gold) which is seen less frequently. Some Border Collies may also have single-colour coats.

Eye colour varies from brown to blue, and occasionally eyes of differing colour occur; this is usually seen with merles. The ears of the Border Collie are also variable — some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped ears, and others semi-erect ears (similar to those of the rough Collie). Although working Border Collie handlers sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their dogs (handlers may avoid mostly white dogs due to the unfounded idea that sheep will not respect a white or almost all white dog), in general a dog's appearance is considered by the American Border Collie Association to be irrelevant. It is considered much more useful to identify a working Border Collie by its attitude and ability than by its looks.


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Wikipedia

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