If you are at home in Great Britain, Australia or New Zealand, this breed of dogs will be very familiar to you. Border collies are highly intelligent, loyal, faithful, hard-working dogs responding quickly and eagerly to training. They are the world's premiere and unsurpassed sheepdogs, very patient, agile and willing to please. They need quite a lot of mental as well as physical activity to remain well balanced. So if you are a couch potato, don t even think about owning one.

Border collies originate in Great Britain and have been bred for stamina and brains from the bearded collie and some other herding breeds. His name was derived from the border counties of England and Scotland. Most working collies are registered with the ISDS, the International Sheepdog Society. The Kennel Club did not start to register border collies until the 1960's.

Their bodies are well proportioned and of lean muscle. They can spend hours stalking sheep, ducks, goats, cattle, chicken or, if they don g get sufficient activity, herding people or children. A border collie has boundless energy and a great desire to work.

They come in a variety of colors, black-and-white predominating.

Breed standards tell you, the border collie should be displaying grace and agility in equal measure with substance and stamina. His hard, muscular body has a smooth outline which conveys the impression of effortless movement and endless endurance. But looks are not everything. A dog that does not meet all of the standards can still be registered with the ISDS, as long as he is working with sheep.

Although they are also very good in sports like obedience, agility or flyball, their skills as sheepdogs and cattle-herders are unsurpassed. Many people like watching them at work in sheepdog trials¹  They make very good watchdogs, but perform only poor as guard-dogs.

Border Collies need a lot of care. Brush them often ³, bath only when necessary and check coat and ears for ticks. But, most important: work with them! Idle border collies might become badly behaved and even agressive. When left alone, they get bored easily. The best way to keep a border collie is on a farm.

border collies are famous throughout the world for their tremendous intelligence, their desire to please and their quickness in learning new commands. Their way of facing sheep is unique. Sometimes they seem to keep the flock together by hypnotic or paranormal powers.

In britain, for some breeders there is still an unwritten rule they would never dare to break: No sheep - no collie! So, if you are living in the city, not owning any sheep and with no possibility to work with the dog properly, they won t sell you a border collie.⁴