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The Border Collie

I.S.D.S.registered?

Kennel Club registered?

or unregistered?

Information to help you decide.

The International Sheep Dog Society (I.S.D.S.) was formed in 1906 and is the primary controlling body for the Border Collie. The Border Collie can also be registered with The Kennel Club (K.C.). A dog registered with the I.S.D.S. can then be dual registered with the K.C., but a dog which is registered only with the K.C. cannot and will not be accepted by the I.S.D.S. unless it passes a working test (herding sheep) and eye tests of both itself and both its parents. The reason for this is that the I.S.D.S. Border Collies are bred first and foremost for their working ability and the looks usually follow closely.

Border Collies do have a hereditary eye condition CEA which can be tested for at six to twelve weeks of age, I.S.D.S. registered litters will be from eye tested parents. Hip Dysplasia does occur sporadically, but most I.S.D.S. registered dogs will still be hard at work on farms at ten years (plus) of age with no sign of lameness. There are some bloodlines which suffer from Epilepsy. Deafness has been known to occur especially in all white puppies, Border Collies are usually very biddable and if this is not the case then hearing should be the first thing to rule out before condemning the dog and handler.

Do not buy an unregistered pup as you may be buying trouble and encouraging irresponsible management of bitches.

If you are thinking about a Border Collie as a Pet. Please think carefully and be honest about your lifestyle. These dogs do not go well with couch potatoes or owners who are never at home. The Border Collie has been bred for hundreds of years to work stock , think problems out for themselves and run twenty miles or more a day.

What to look for in the Border Collie.

Temperament is very important and should be put before looks. Well reared Border Collies will be outward going and friendly but very sensitive to new things. Some can be very submissive (which can be mistaken for nervousness) and these tend to make the best pets, obedience or agility dogs as they will usually be very biddable. The bold, aggressive and hyperactive pups generally do not make goods pets etc. as they will usually continue in this way and will always be trying to out think their owners. Most Border Collies are very good with children but it must be remembered that their herding instinct may surface when confronted with running children. If the dog cannot “herd” the children where it wants them it may resort to biting. Border Collies can be excellent watch dogs but can tend to be sneaky with strangers by coming out of nowhere to nip at their ankles. Most Border Collies require careful and methodical socialisation from an early age to enable them to accept all environments, they can appear nervous of strange situations and can be noise sensitive especially of frequencies we humans are unable to detect, many Border Collies do not like Hot Air Balloons, Thunderstorms and Fireworks.

Border Collies come in various colours, coat lengths and sizes as follows.

Black and white, Red and white, Blue (slate grey) and white (quite rare), Sable (very rare). Blue merle, Red merle and a tricolour variation of all the above with the inclusion of Tan above and below the eyes and on the legs. Mottling of the white -"mottled"- (black or red spots on the white markings)can occur with any colour and are usually appealing on older dogs.

Coat Length : - rough, medium and smooth. If you do not like brushing dogs then go for the smooth as they only require brushing twice yearly, not to mention a tonne less dirt in the house and car.

Ear shape can be very difficult to breed for and impossible to predict. One or both ears can be fully erect, tipped at the top or flopped like a labrador (though this is getting rare).

The Border Collie requires basic obedience from puppy hood and will benefit from some sort of regular energetic exercise such as Agility, Fly ball, Frisbee if you are unable to train and work the pup on stock which is the most preferable pastime for any Border Collie. They are brilliant retrievers and usually love swimming. They have good scenting abilities and can be taught to track people etc. The Border Collie is the perfect all-round friend, partner and bed warmer.

But a word of warning:

The Border Collie can be very noisy if left alone for long periods.

The Border Collie can be very destructive of property if left alone for long periods.

The Border Collie can be very dangerous to road users because he can become obsessed with anything which moves.

The Border Collie is also the worlds best stock killer, especially if he teams up with another dog, irrespective of the breed.

(for more info please contact us Astra Sheepdog Training Centre )

Advice on Border Collies and Sheep Dog Trials can be obtained from the

International Sheep Dog Society
Clifton House
4A Goldington Road
Bedford
MK40 3YP
Tel: 01234 352672

Astra Sheepdog Breeding and Training Centre
Dunnichen Home Farm
By Forfar
Scotland
DD8 2NX
Tel: 01307 818028

Oh dear! Would it not be justice indeed, if this were actually to happen? After all we humans are supposed to be the superior intelligence.
Please forward me anything you wish to put forward to promote the better management and developement of the shepherds dog.

This was definitely true thirty years ago, but man is yet again in the throes of developing a new breed within a species.
Already there are two distinctly different types of Border Collie in Australia and New Zealand. In the UK we unfortunately are now seeing the Border Collie becoming two different types, or perhaps, two different breeds of dogs!
"The original and forever the only Border Collie" the working Border Collie which is always registered with the International Sheepdog Society (I.S.D.S.) and a completely different type in temperament and ability; the Show border collie which is registered only with the UK Kennel Club.

If you want a work dog please be aware that some dual registered Border Collies may be more closely influenced by the Show bred Border Collie and therefore less likely to make adequate work dogs let alone an intricate hill or trials dog.

With the growing loss of stock farms and herding opportunities, it is my sincere hope that those involved in Agility and Flyball and of course Sheepdog trialists will help ensure the survival of the true Working Border Collie by holding onto the Shepherds ideals shown above, after all, the standards used by the shepherds of old have made the Border Collie one of the most popular multi purpose canine breeds today, lets hope we don't mess up their legacy.

Please forward me anything you wish to put forward to promote the better management and developement of the shepherds dog.

The next is from a member of the Working Sheepdog News Smartgroups list.
Hi, I have been lurking on this list for several months, just trying to reap some knowledge. I decided to post to this question because I am finally qualified to answer something. I live in a house in the suburbs in Florida. I have four BCs. The first one is now five years old. I got him as an abused pup with dreams of doing all of the activities you mentioned, Valerie. He was neurotic, had severe HD that required surgery, and was fearful of everyone and everything. He was sweet and loving when I was home with him and turned into the tazmanian devil when I left him alone. So I gave up on my dreams of the perfect sport BC and decided just to love him. He was the perfect housepet. He housebroke himself. Loves to sit quietly and look out the window. Loves to cuddle and be petted and brushed. Sleeps through the night, etc. He has some of the typical BC obsessions, but overall he is just a really neat dog.

I got my second BC as a puppy. I brought home a puppy that I found in the classified ads of the newpaper. I was determined that this pup would have everything the first one never got as a young pup. I immediately enrolled him in puppy obedience classes. He was so smart that he was put into the adult class and we breezed through that and our Canine Good Citizen classes without breaking a sweat. He was extremely calm and smart and easy to train. He was also very big. He took to everything I introduced him to. He had a wonderful toy drive and loved to do agility. He also had a fabulous off switch so when I said that'll do, he became just a goofy pup that wanted to play with his housemate and the poor cat. This pup didn't housebreak himself, but it was easy to do. I started to wonder what all of the fuss was about. This was the easiest time I had ever had raising a puppy. I took him to a local BC herding clinic, just to see what he would do. It was run by an old Irish farmer who raises strictly working dogs. He took one look at sheep and he turned into the dogs I remember from my childhood in England. He worked the sheep naturally and rather aggressively, but definitely enthusiastically. The old farmer said that now that he had turned on, he wouldn't be able to live in the house. However, I had done so much socialization and obedience work with this pup that when we got home he became the same ol dog. Since I don't have sheep I have to drive two hours South to get to some and it became very hard to incorporate this into our full schedule of dog activities, but we got down there as much as possible. He is now 2 1/2 years old and we are going to enter our first novice/novice trial in May.

These two BCs are the perfect pets. They are good housepets. They have energy and they are intense and outgoing, but they both have an "off switch" that they both had naturally. They will work for me, play with me, and then they will lie on the couch with me getting a good scratch. I kept telling people that it was all hype. BCs are easy to make housepets, you just have to do things with them and give them jobs.

Then I got my two latest pups. These pups are now 11 mos and 8mos. I started them out carefully. Keeping them crated and working on the obedience basics with them. They housebroke easily. Crate trained easily. Learned new things easily. HOWEVER, I now know that the first two dogs were a fluke. Both of these pups are from strictly working bloodlines, just like my second dog. However, NOW I know what people mean when they talk about the Border Collie. Both of these pups are good dogs. Thank God I got them early on. I was able to teach them an "off switch", they didn't naturally have one like the second one did. They picked it up eventually. The male learned it much more easily than the female and at 8 mos I think that she is just fooling me. Hers is maybe just a "dimmer" switch. When there is activity, she doesn't stop. Even when she is sleeping her ears are constantly working. The slightest sound and she is up and ready to go.

These two new pups are tolerable house pets. IF you spend at least part of the day training them or "working" them in frisbee and agility for lack of anything better. However, there is no way they would ever make it in a home like the one I brought my first BC into, or even my second.

Do collies make good pets? They can. With proper socialization. Nonstop training. And a purpose in life. They can be taught to be wonderful pets. Mine never snarl or snap at new people, even from inside their crates. They will lie quietly at trials and competitions without barking, even the little female. They ride in the car and go everywhere with us. However, they couldn't have done any of this if we hadn't put so much time and effort into them all. I am constantly learning new things about this breed and revising my ideas and training practices.

However, I would never suggest a BC as a pet to the average person that comes up and asks me about my dogs. Most people would have tossed the first one to the pound the first time they came home to a living room that looked like a tornado had gone through it.

I have learned though that these dogs are much happier when they are working sheep or cattle. They will do the other "jobs" I give them because I don't have any livestock of my own yet. However, they blossom and become exceptional on livestock. There is a sense of joy in them as they move the sheep about and bring them to me. So my husband and I are currently looking for a small farm in Florida where we can work together with our dogs every day. They will still be housedogs at night. They will just be a little smellier.

Shelley Blom
(who will now fade back into lurkdom and continue learning valuable herding lessons)

I was born today. one of 10. my daddy was very famous.
I have lots of half brothers and sisters. my mother is very famous.
since she got famous she has only had puppies.
no more loving hands, no more fun trips...just puppies
she is always sad when they leave her.

I left home today. I didn't want to go.
so I hid behind my mama and 3 litter mates that were left
I didn't like you
but one day they said I would be famous
I wonder, is famous the same as fun and good times?
so you picked me up and carried me away
even though you were concerned about me hiding from you
I don't think you liked me

my new home is far away. I am scared and afraid.
my heart says "be brave". my ancestors were.
did they go to good homes like mine?
I am hungry because I cant eat too much, because it
will be too bad for my bones. I cant bite or snap when
the children are mean to me. I just run, play and pretend
I am in a big green field with butterflies and frogs

I cant understand why they kick me. I am quiet, but the man hits
me and says loud things. the lady doesn't feed me good things like I had with
my mother. she just throws dry food on the ground, then walks away before I
can get too close for touching and petting. sometimes my food smells but I eat it

today I had 10 puppies. they are wonderful and warm.
am I famous now?
I wish I could play with them, but they are so tiny.
I am so young and playful, that it is so hard to lay in this hole,
under the house nursing my puppies. they are crying now.
I am so hungry. I am also very thirsty.
I now have eight.
they got cold during the night and I could not make them warm again
they are gone. we are all very weak. maybe if I take them out onto
the porch we might get some food.

today they took us away. it was too much trouble to feed us and someone
came and took us away. someone grabbed my puppies. they were crying
and whimpering. so we were put in a truck with boxes in it.

are my babies famous now?
I hope so, because I miss them. they are gone.
this place smells like urine, fear and sickness.
why was I here. I was beautiful like my ancestors
now I am hungry, dirty, in pain and unwanted
maybe the worse is unwanted, though I tried to be good.

today someone came. they put a rope on my neck and led me
to a room that was very clean and had a shiny table.
they put me on the table.
someone held me and hugged me. it felt so good!!
then I felt tired and looked over to the last one who cared as I laid down.
I am famous now. today someone cared

Please forward me anything you wish to put forward to promote the better management and developement of the shepherds dog.

This piece is taken from an old Scottish Sheepdog Handler magazine 1977, and
is written by Angus McI (Tony Illey)
I thought it might be of interest.

In the good dog man there are combined many qualities.
He must be patient,understanding,keen, waterproof etc.
The quality which stands out above all others is that of authority.
It is also the most misunderstood. It is usually replaced in the misguided
by volume and in the untalented by stick.
If we think back to our school days, we remember that the loudest teachers
had the least control. The teachers with real authority hardly ever raised
their voices. So how do we cultivate authority in ourselves? Obviously, even
a handler with the quality of authority will have no authority over a half
broken dog if it is a mile away on a hillside. He must use the quality of
understanding and keep it within the radius of control.
This is where most of us fall into the trap of eternal optimists. We hope
that the dog will respond at a distance, before it responds perfectly at
hand. Then we resort to hair tearing, volume and blue smoke. Apart from the
adverse affect that this has on ourselves it points out to the dog that we
are not in control of it........and this is the worst thing that can happen.
If a young dog is handled with care and knowledge it may never find out that
we are not in full control. This is where patience comes in. Let us not run
until we have mastered the art of walking.
A shepherd in a hurry is a menace to himself, his dog and his sheep.

This poem below shows there is a dog for every person and a person for every dog.

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He
painted a sign advertising the pups and set about
nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he
was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a
tug
on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a
little boy.
Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your
puppies."
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off
the back of his neck, "these puppies come from fine
parents and cost a good deal of money." The boy
dropped his
head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his
pocket,
he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to
the farmer.

"I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take
a
look?"
"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out a
whistle,"Here,Dolly!" he called.
Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly
followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain
link
fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs
made
their way to the fence, the little boy noticed
something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly
another little ball appeared; this one noticeably
smaller. Down the ramp it slid.
Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup
began
hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch
up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to
the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side
and
said, "Son, you don't want that puppy.
He will never be able to run and play with you like
these other dogs would."With that the little boy
stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began
rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he
revealed a steel brace running down both sides of
his
leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see
sir,
I don't run too well myself, and he will need
someone
who understands."

For all you dog lovers out there....Enjoy! The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of
his tongue. - Anonymous
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they
went. - Will Rogers
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are
wonderful. - Ann Landers
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. - Ben
Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than they love
themselves. - Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. - Andy Rooney
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare, and love we can spare.
And in return, dogs give us their all.
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult?
- Rita Rudner
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never bathed a dog. -
Franklin P. Jones
If your dog is fat, YOU aren't getting enough exercise! - Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can.
That's almost $21.00 in dog money! - Joe Weinstein
Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? We come back from a grocery
store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow. They must
think we're the greatest hunters on earth! - Anne Tyler
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look
that says, "My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!" - Dave
Barry
Dogs are not our whole life, but they do make our lives whole. - Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your
pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. - Phil Pastoret
My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.
- Unknown

The shepherd that says he does not have time or knowledge to train his own sheepdog is comparative to the fisherman who has no time or knowledge to mend his nets. Neither will make much of a living.