Short History of the Breed

The Border Collie is one of the most versatile of the dog breeds.
Originally called 'working collies' the word "Border" was gradually introduced to reflect its use on the sheep country along the border of Scotland and England.

The exact origin of the Border Collie is not known; most contend that it was a mixture of various sheepdogs, including the Scotch Collie, the Bobtail Sheepdog, the Bearded Collie and the Harlequin Collie. There is even some suggestion that various setters may have been involved or the Springer Spaniel. The outstanding herding ability of this breed of dog was soon recognised and lead to its spread throughout the pastoral regions of England. In fact it was in Northumberland which later produced the strain now famous throughout the whole world. In 1893, Adam Telfer, a farmer living in Otterburn, bred a dog called Old Hemp, which might be regarded as the foundation sire of the breed as it is now. Indeed, Hemp was early recognised as the very quintessence of the working sheepdog., and his services were in great demand. Not only did he produce some two hundred puppies before he died in 1901, but he seems to have been capable of transmitting his own prepotency to his offspring; with the result that Border Collie pedigrees are about as clearly defined as any in the livestock world. And today practically every sheepdog pedigree of note, not only in Britain but in all other parts of the word, had its beginnings in either Isaac Herdsman's "Tommy" or Thomas Armstrong's "Sweep", both early descendants of Hemp and both, like their noted forebear, bred in Otterburn.

The next important step was the formation in 1906 of the International Sheepdog Society, which rapidly was to become the leading organisation of its kind in the world. Mr James Reid was the secretary of the ISDS between 1915 -1947 and instituted the first Stud Book in 1955 by tracing back to the earliest pedigrees. The first entry in Reid's Stud Book was Old Maid, whilst entry no. 6 was Old Hemp.

Each year the Society is responsible for the promotion of the International Sheepdog Championships -held in England, Scotland and Wales in turn - and which attract attention throughout the world. It also keeps an accurate register of all Border Collies bred on orthodox lines, and its recent series of stud books traces the pedigrees right back to the early days of Hemp and his contemporaries.

Most of the greatest trial dogs were descended from him and through Moss who was exported to Australia and continued the same bloodlines here.

The earliest record of sheepdog trials was in 1873, where the black and white sheepdog began to be noticed. Although not at this time known as Border Collies, it seems the names "Border Dogs" and "Working Collies" were frequently used, gradually changing to Border Collies over the years. The pedigrees of the dogs in Mr. Reid's Stud Book, instituted in 1955, did not contain the word "Border", but he added "Border" in brackets on application forms for registration with the Sheepdog Society. However, they must have been known as Border Collies prior to this, as they were being registered and shown in Australia as this breed in the late 1940's.

One of the first exhibitors was Mrs Molly Cleary from Unanderra. She was also among the group of people who formulated the first Standard for the breed in N.S.W.

In 1963 the Australian National Kennel Control approved and adopted a Standard for the breed although, prior to this, individual States and their own Standards and were issuing Challenge Certificates.

The breed was also established in New Zealand and the USA but it was not until 1976 that the Border Collies was recognised as a breed for show purposes in the UK.

However, they are now firmly established as a most versatile and adaptable breed and are being show in ever-increasing numbers, whilst their numbers are increasing in the Obedience field - where they show a natural ability for this type of work, several of them having spectacular wins to their credit.

Physical Description & Size:

Border Collies have no standard in the herding world. They are generally a medium sized dog (25 to 50 pounds), with a short to long coat (smooth, medium, or rough), and a bright, lively appearance. Border Collies come in a variety of colors, with the classic being a black dog with a white blaze, collar, and feet. The Border Collie is an athletic dog, built for sustained hill work.

Temperament:

In human terms, the Border Collie is an "A-type" personality; a dog who needs a job in order to be happy. A well bred Border Collie should have a stable temperament, when exercised and trained properly, will be a good canine companion.

Dog Care (exercise, grooming, diet):

Border Collies need an immense amount of exercise, both mental and physical. Daily walking (a few miles each day),
running, ball playing, disc play, agility, flyball, or herding can exercise the body; trick training, obedience, and therapy work can exercise the mind. Be creative, a job can be almost anything you ask him to do!
Border Collie coats do not need specialized grooming; simply a good brushing once a week or so, and a bath when needed. No special trimming or shaping of the coat is called for, in fact, shaving the coat can cause the coat to never grow in properly thereafter.
A proper diet of a high quality kibble will help to keep a Border Collie happy and healthy.