Bearded Collie

About the breed

Origins & History

Originally known by such names as the Highland Collie and Mountain Collie, Bearded Collies for centuries earned their feed on the Scottish Highlands as rugged herding and droving dogs prized by shepherds for the ability to do a hard day’s work amid Scotland’s raw climate and hilly terrain. Beardies were expected to help control cattle at pasture and drive the herd to market.Origin stories vary. It was once believed that the Beardie is an ancient breed, predating the Roman conquest of Britain in the first century b.c. These days, the prevailing theory is that Beardies are descended from Central European stock, notably ​Polish Lowland Sheepdogs and Komondorok, brought to Scotland in the 1500s. As with most breeds utilized mostly by peasants and shepherds of the distant past, no definitive records of the Beardie’s creation have come down to us.We do catch glimpses of the breed in paintings of the 1700s, a golden age of British portraiture. Such masters as Reynolds and Gainsborough included dogs recognizable as Beardies in portraits of well-heeled Scottish clients. This indicates that somewhere along the way the humble shepherd’s dog became a fashionable ornament of high society.By the early 1800s the look and demeanor of the breed as we know it was set. In Victorian times they were popular on the Scottish show circuit, but the disruptions of World War I decimated the population of Beardies and other popular breeds. But you can’t keep a good breed down. Britain’s devoted breeders rebuilt the Beardie population in the years between the two world wars.

Personality & Temperament

Bred to be independent, the shaggy coated Bearded Collie can be willful but are always friendly. They have a characteristic expression: a dreamy, faraway gaze. These rambunctious comics can be a handful but mostly, Beardies are full of heart, energy, and laughter. Well-socialized Beardies will get on nicely with other animals and kids. They bore easily, and training must be kept interesting.

Exercise

The Bearded Collie is an energetic, boisterous breed that requires a fair amount of outdoor exercise. Unlike many of their owners, Beardies are happy to run and play outside no matter what the weather. They need some sort of activity every day, whether playing ball; a long walk, run, or hike; or just playing in a large, fenced-in yard or other area with a companion, human or canine. And, of course, being bred to herd sheep, Beardies love to participate in athletic events such as herding, rally, agility, and obedience competitions. A busy Beardie is a happy Beardie.

Pemontell Blue Tanzanite

Grooming

The Beardie grooming regimen consists of two parts. The first is a daily brushing to remove tangles and foreign matter, which shouldn't take more than five or ten minutes, assuming the dog hasn't gotten into something messy. The second part is a weekly session with a pin rake, brush, comb, and possibly anti-tangle spray to remove dead hair and return the coat to pristine condition. This generally takes a half-hour to an hour.

Appearance

Height 20-22 “Weight 18-27kg

Health of the Bearded collie

Beardies are a relatively healthy breed. Most live to around 13 - 14 years of age, although some live considerably longer. At present, there is no evidence in the UK to suggest that Beardies are particularly prone to specific health problems but there are inevitably some health problems that occur within the breed.The following health information is for guidance.

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Hip Dyspasia

Responsible breeders ensure that both parents of prospective puppies have been hip-scored before breeding from them. A hip score is a measure of evidence of hip dysplasia (abnormal development) and dogs with hip dysplasia can go on to develop arthritis and other problems with their hind legs at a young age.

Elbow Dysplasia

An increasing number of breeders are starting to score for elbow dysplasia. This is currently not a required test for the Bearded Collie before breeding as case numbers have been low. However, the disease has been seen in the breed. Elbow dysplasia is an abnormal development of the elbow joint and dogs with elbow dysplasia can go on to develop arthritis.

Eye Testing

Unlike some of the other Collie breeds, Bearded Collies in the UK are not generally affected by inherited eye disease. Nonetheless, many breeders choose to eye-test their dogs as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, the genetic defect which causes the condition appears to be rare, and efforts are being made to eradicate it from the breed.However, there is no room for complacency - other inherited eye conditions can occur, and more Bearded Collies are being imported from abroad where occasional eye problems have arisen. A simple eye test can pick these up before they become endemic in the breed. It is therefore recommended that breeders eye-test their dogs before they breed from them, and ideally again when the dog is older, to detect any inherited eye conditions with a late age of onset.

Auto Immune Diseases

Auto-immune diseases such as Addison’s disease, haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopaenia can occur in Bearded Collies as in many other breeds. Such conditions can be serious and life-threatening and usually present in young to middle-aged dogs. It is difficult to say whether Beardies have a higher than average incidence of such auto-immune conditions as comparative statistics are scanty. These diseases are complex and it is thought that several genes, together with environmental influences, may determine whether or not a dog is affected by an auto-immune condition. As yet there are no genetic tests available to determine susceptibility to these conditions and it is unlikely that a simple genetic test will ever be able to tell us unequivocally whether or not a dog will be affected. That said, breeders are trying to learn more about these diseases and are supporting research into identifying the genes concerned.

Colmarwyn Sweet Whisper at Pemontell

Breed average coi is 14.8%