border collie

A Border Collie is a hard-working breed of herding dog that originated in the border country of England and Scotland. They are regarded by many as the most intelligent dog breed (The Intelligence of Dogs). Like most working dogs, they have a tendency towards neurotic or destructive behavior if not given enough to do. They are still frequently used on farms all over the world for assisting with the handling of livestock. Though known to be reserved with strangers, these dogs can also be protective of a human family member and affectionate to those they know.

Appearance

Because Border Collies have historically been selected for working ability, and not looks, they vary widely in appearance.

In general, they are medium-sized dogs without extreme physical characteristics and a moderate amount of coat. Their double coats can be anywhere from slick to lush, and can come in many colors, although black and white is by far the most often seen at conformation shows and herding trials and therefore the most common in public perception; tricolor (black/tan/white) and red and white also occurs regularly, with other colors such as, blue and white, red merle, blue merle, or sable seen less frequently. Eye color varies from deep brown to amber or blue with occasionally one eye of each color. The ears of the Border Collie are also highly variable -- some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped and other are semi-erect (similar to that of the Rough Collie). Although working Border Collie handlers sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their dogs (many handlers do not prefer red dogs, or mostly white dogs), in general a dog's appearance is considered to be irrelevant. It is much more useful to identify a working Border Collie by its attitude and ability, not its looks.

Those dogs bred for the conformation ring are much more uniform in appearance than working Border Collies, since to be successful show dogs they must conform to kennel club standards that are specific on many points of the anatomy and furnishings. Kennel clubs specify that the Border Collie must have a keen and intelligent expression; the preferred eye colour is generally brown. In deference to the dog's working origin, scars and broken teeth received in the line of duty are not to be counted against a Border Collie in the show ring.

Temperament

Border Collies are an intelligent breed with an instinctive desire to work. They are also extremely energetic and require a lot of attention, but are very responsive to training. They are better off in a household that can provide them with plenty of exercise and a job to do. Like most herding breeds, they will attempt to herd family members, cats, squirrels, bicycles, cars, or anything else that moves in the absence of other charges. This might even include birds in mid-air.

Border Collies make bad pets for people who cannot provide a considerable amount of daily exercise, both physical and mental. Many Border Collies end up in shelters or rescue groups because families, attracted by their appearance, discover that they cannot provide the attention and effort required for this driven, active, easily bored breed—though this problem can be alleviated by giving the dog lots of mental and physical stimulation.

This can be done by taking them to training classes and for long, brisk walks. Participating in dog sports such as dog agility, flyball, sheepdog trials, tracking, dog dancing, Disc dog [1], dog sledding races and obedience are also popular with Border Collie owners for this reason. It may also help to have more than one dog. Although, in some cases having two dogs may increase your workload, as they may lay around waiting for you to be the one to direct them. They need a personal trainer.

Among some breeders of the breed in Britain, there is a common saying: "no sheep, no collie", referring to the dog's usual unsuitability to people who just want a "smart dog". Border Collies love to play and do not always know when to stop on their own; owners must ensure that they do not overexert themselves, especially in hot weather, which can be dangerous.

Health

Hip dysplasia is widespread among purebred Border Collies. Elbow dysplasia or Osteochondritis also occurs, along with epilepsy and hypothyroidism. Dogs homozygous for the merle gene are likely to have eye and/or hearing problems.

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a type of lysosomal storage disorder that results in accumulation of lysosomal storage bodies in the cells of many tissues of the affected animal. This leads to progressive neurodegeneration (degeneration of brain and eye cells) and results in severe neurological impairment and early death. The mutation causing the form of the disease found in Border Collies was identified [2] in the laboratory of Dr Alan Wilton of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Affected dogs appear normal at birth, but begin to exhibit symptoms early in life – around 1- 2 years of age. The age of onset and severity of the disease can vary greatly among individuals. The symptoms include progressive motor decline with seizures and loss of coordinated muscle movements, cognitive decline and abnormal behavior. Visual impairment may occur. Due to the severity of the disease, affected Border Collies rarely survive beyond 26-28 months. There is no treatment or cure at this time.

Collie eye anomaly (CEA) is a congenital, inherited eye disease affecting Border Collies and other breeds involving the retina, choroid, and sclera. It can be a mild disease or cause blindness.

Both Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and Collie eye anomaly (CEA) are caused by a simple autosomal recessive gene defect. The mutations, or changes to the structure of the genes, probably occurred spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from generation to generation like any other gene. The disorders show an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease. Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene - called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene on to their offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the remaining 50% will themselves be carriers

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and Collie eye anomaly (CEA) can now be tested for genetically. The DNA tests not only diagnoses dogs affected with this disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups. Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.

Once samples have been submitted for testing, breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three categories:

• CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop the disease, nor pass a copy of the mutant gene to any of its offspring.
• CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutant gene that causes the disease. It will not develop the disease, but will pass on the mutant gene gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring if bred to a clear dog.
• AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the mutant gene and will be affected with the disease.

Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affected pups produced from such a mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to determine whether they are clear or carrier.

History

Origins

The Border Collie is descended from British droving breeds originating on the Scottish and English border. Mention of the 'Collie' or 'Colley' type first appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century with the current Border Collie type emerging with dogs such as Old Hemp in 1893.

Breed standards

As is the case with many breeds of dogs that are still used for their original purposes, breed standards vary depending on whether the registry is more interested in a dog that performs its job superbly or a dog whose appearance meets an ideal standard. The Border Collie lines have developed recently under such standards.

There are two types of tests, or standards, to determine the breeding quality of a Border collie. The original test was the ISDS sheepdog trial, where a dog and handler collect groups of livestock and move them quietly around a course. The 'standard' comes from the fact that, the world over, there are certain standard elements to this test. Sheep must be gathered without being too much disturbed, from a distance farther than the typical small airport runway. They then must be directed through obstacles at varying distance from the handler, and then the dog must demonstrate the ability to do work close at hand by penning the sheep and sorting them out. It is these elements which have shaped the working abilities of the Border collie and defined the breed until very recently. These dogs are necessarily capable of incredible feats of athleticism, endurance, intense focus, and high levels of trainability.

In nearly every region of the world, the Border collie is now also a breed which is shown in ring or bench shows. For the people who participate in these events, the Border collie is defined by the breed standard, which is a description of how the dog should look. In New Zealand and Australia, where the breed has been shown the longest, the Border collie standards have produced a dog with a long double coat (smooth coats are not allowed), a soft dark eye, a body slightly longer than square, a well-defined stop, and a gentle and friendly expression. This style of Border collie has become quite popular in winning show kennels around the world, as well as among prestigious judges, so it is to be expected that this type will soon predominate even in countries like the US where the native lines are very different.

It is possible for a dog to do both, but a working dog's options for competition in conformation shows might be limited depending on its ancestry and on the opinions of the various kennel clubs or breed clubs involved, and most handlers of working Border Collies are uninterested in participating in dog shows. Conformation-bred dogs are less commonly seen on the sheepdog trial field. Dogs registered with conformation based registries are seen in other performance events such as agility, obedience or tracking, however these dogs do not necessarily conform to the breed standard of the registry as this is not a requirement in performance events.

In the UK, there are two separate registries for Border Collies. The International Sheep Dog Society [3] encourages breeding for herding ability, whereas the Kennel Club (UK) encourages breeding for a specific appearance. The ISDS registry is by far the older of the two, and ISDS dogs are eligible for registration as pedigree Border Collies with the Kennel Club (KC) - but not vice versa. The only way for a Border Collie without an ISDS pedigree to be added to the ISDS registry is by proving its worth as a herding dog so that it can be Registered on Merit (ROM).

In the United States, the vast majority of Border Collies are registered with the American Border Collie association, which is dedicated to the preservation of the working dog. However, the breed was also recognized in 1995 by the American Kennel Club, which promotes standards based on appearance and promotes registration of dogs whose parents were registered. The recognition was under protest[4] from the majority of Border Collie-affiliated groups, such as the United States Border Collie Club, that felt that emphasis on the breed's working skills would be lost under AKC recognition. AKC registrations have gradually increased since recognition and by the year 2004, there were 1,984 new AKC registrations of Border Collies, with a further 2,378 for the year 2005 [5].

In Australia, Border Collies are registered with an Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) affiliated state control body or with a working dog registry. Between 2,011 and 2,701 ANKC pedigreed Border Collies have been registered with the ANKC each year since 1986 [6]. Inclusion on the ANKC affiliate's main register allows Border Collies to compete in conformation, obedience, agility, tracking, herding and other ANKC sanctioned events held by an ANKC affiliated club, while inclusion on the limitted register prohibits entry in conformation events. The ANKC provides a breed standard, however this applies to conformation events only and has no influence on dogs entering in performance events. Non ANKC pedigreed dogs may also be eligible for inclusion on an ANKC associate or sporting register and be able to compete in ANKC performance or herding events. Agility organisations such as the Agility Dog Association of Australia (ADAA) have their own registry which allows the inclusion of any dog wishing to compete in their events.

Activities

Herding and other dog sports

These collies can take direction by voice and whistle at long distances when herding. Their great energy and herding instinct are still used to herd all kinds of animals, from the traditional sheep and cattle, free range poultry, and pigs, to deer and ostriches. They are also used to remove unwanted wild birds from airport runways, golf courses, and other public and private areas.

Border Collie competitions may involve actual herding or simulated tasks. Shepherds in Britain have taken the most critical elements of herding and designed a sheepdog competition. Originally farmers used such competitions to evaluate possible mates for their working dogs, but they have now developed into a true sport with many competitors from outside the farming community taking part. In the US, the national body for these competitions is the USBCHA[7]. In Britain it is the International Sheepdog Society, and in Canada the Canadian Border Collie Association (CBCA)[8].

Because of their working background, Border Collies excel at several dog sports. They dominate the higher jump heights at dog agility competitions, so much so that in England the Border Collies occasionally are given competitions separate from all other breeds.

A relatively new sport the border collie has dominated in, is the sport of flyball. The border collie speed and agility makes them a very popular dog for the sport of flyball.

Border Collies also have a highly developed sense of smell and with their high drive they make excellent and easily motivated tracking dogs for Tracking trials. These Tracking trials simulate the finding of a lost person in a controlled situation where the performance of the dog can be evaluated, with titles awarded for successful dogs. Because of this skill, Border Collies are used by many Search and Rescue Teams in both Lowland and Mountain areas.

Miscellaneous

Famous Border Collies

• Rico. Dog who was studied for recognizing dozens of objects by name.
• Shep. Long-term companion to John Noakes of the BBC's Blue Peter and also Meg, companion of Matt Baker, former presenter of Blue Peter.
• Fly and Rex from the movie Babe
• Bingo from the movie Bingo
• Nop's Trials by Donald McCaig. Book about a man's search for his Border Collie, Nop, with lots of herding stories.
• Dog in the cartoon strip Footrot Flats.
• Mike. Dog in the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
• Angelo, Rinoa's pet in the video game Final Fantasy VIII.
• Murray, played by a border collie mix named Maui, in the NBC sitcom Mad About You.
• The 1978 television incarnation of The Famous Five'sTimmy, played by Toddy Woodgate.
• A nameless dog which follows Haywire in "Buried (Prison Break episode)", an episode of the television series Prison Break.

Gallery

==References==

• Objects of the International Sheep Dog Society
• The Kennel Club (UK) Border collie breed standard
• American Kennel Club rules and regulations
• American Kennel Club Border collie breed standard
• American Kennel Club registration statistics
• Australian National Kennel Club mission statement and regulations
• Australian National Kennel Club Border collie breed standard
• Australian National Kennel Club registration statistics
• Canine Control Council (Queensland) Rules 2005
• Royal New South Wales Canine Council regulations
• AKC vs the Border collie (herding vs show debate)
• Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis press release

References

• Objects of the International Sheep Dog Society
• The Kennel Club (UK) Border collie breed standard
• American Kennel Club rules and regulations
• American Kennel Club Border collie breed standard
• American Kennel Club registration statistics
• Australian National Kennel Club mission statement and regulations
• Australian National Kennel Club Border collie breed standard
• Australian National Kennel Club registration statistics
• Canine Control Council (Queensland) Rules 2005
• Royal New South Wales Canine Council regulations
• AKC vs the Border collie (herding vs show debate)
• Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis press release