Scotland
Herding.
Pastoral
Bitch 51-53cm., Dog 53-56cm.
Both 18-27kg.
12-14 years
 The Bearded Collie is an active working dog that is known as being the “bouncing dog.” In the thick undergrowth of the Scottish hills the Beardie would control stubborn ewes by bouncing and barking in front of them. This boisterous dog needs plenty of daily exercise, most of which should be off lead. They love playing with a frisbee or football which gives them plenty of exercise and keeps them fit and healthy. They also do well at Dog Agility and Dog Obedience trials.
The Bearded Collie is a very messy eater due to the abundance of hair on the head and around the muzzle. Food debris accumulates in the hair and if left can stain the coat yellow and cause skin infections. After eating, the dog’s beard needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Many owners prefer to feed the dog dry kibble to avoid this problem but be sure that plenty of fresh clean water is available at all times. The Beardie has a moderate appetite but can turn its nose up at its regular dinner if fed too many treats and left-overs.
This dog has a strong robust constitution and there are no common health issues. Regular grooming is required often on a daily basis to keep the coat free from debris and matts which can become very painful if left. Check for parasites as the dense undercoat is a perfect environment for fleas.
The overall appearance of this dog is one of a steady, robust, intelligent working dog with an abundance of hair covering the whole body. The skull is large, flat and square with a strong muzzle. The eyes are large and wide set with a distinctive appealing expression. The ears droop and are heavily covered with hair. The Bearded Collie has strong jaws with a perfect scissor bite. The neck is slightly arched and muscular going down to a body that is longer than tall with a straight topline and well-sprung ribs. The shoulders are well sloped back and the legs are strong and muscular and are also covered with long hair. The tail is carried low with a slight upward curve at the end. It is covered with an abundance of hair. The coat is flat, shaggy, long and thick. The coat falls from the back forming a natural parting. The undercoat is made of soft, thick fur to enable the dog to withstand the harshest weather conditions. The coat colours are slate grey, dark grey, red, fawn, black, blue, brown, and all of these can have white markings on the muzzle, head, end of tail, chest and limbs. A unique feature of this breed is the coat which is a full rich colour at birth but over the next 12-18 months pales and darkens repeatedly. This indicative trait within the breed can be a drawback to breeders as the adult coat colour cannot be determined as a puppy. Whatever the colour, the Bearded Collie has a wonderfully abundant and richly coloured coat that is easily recognisable. All in all the Bearded Collie is a striking robust dog with a smooth free gait.
Bearded Collie Dog Breed Summary:
 The Bearded Collie is an intelligent, docile, gentle and affectionate dog. This dog has the capacity to be an extremely obedient dog or a complete tyrant!
They learn very quickly, so quickly that many owners wrongly assume that they need not continue training. This is a mistake. If the Beardie senses any weakening on the part of its owner it can quickly learn to dominate the household. Bearded Collie training needs to be consistent not only for the Bearie to become an obedient dog but also to stimulate its intelligent mind and keep it happy and fulfilled.
A Bearded Collie owner should take advantage of the dog's learning potential and extend the boundaries to teach more advanced obedience.
Never be harsh with this dog as they cannot understand anger and need their owner to be self-confident, calm and firm.
This dog adores children and makes the perfect playmate to not only the children of the family but to any of their friends. The Beardie loves to be sociable and gives a warm welcome to any visitors so does not make a good guard dog. They also tolerate other pets in the household.
This is a striking looking dog and when in public the owner must be prepared for people stopping and asking questions and petting the dog. This is all par for course for the Beardie who just loves all the attention.
The Bearded Collie puppy and the adult needs quite a lot of grooming. They have to be cleaned and groomed daily to keep their wonderful long coats healthy.
They are also heavy shedders and are very vocal, barking at the slightest noise. In general the Beardie does not do well in apartments and they hate city life. The Bearded Collie is more suited to an active family with a large house and garden but make sure the garden is well fenced as this dog is a notorious escape artist!
The Bearded Collie - Batteries Not Included, and Not Needed!!! |
