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History of the
Bearded Collie
WHAT IS THE BEARDED COLLIE...
The Bearded Collie is a medium
sized herding dog with shaggy hair. An ancestor of the Old English
Sheepdog, he resembles him in many ways, particularly in the
friendly, loveable, puppy into old age character. However, his
tail is not docked and he is a much smaller size. In addition, the
breeders of the Beardie are trying very hard to keep them natural,
ie, in the showing they are not to be trimmed or backcombed but
are to be shown clean and well groomed but never sculptured. The
Beardie’s name comes from the Scottish word “colley”
which means worker, and the hair under the chin that blends into
the chest coat which forms the “beard”.
Physically, the Beardie is a hardy
and strong breed. Any creature which has mastered the wildness of
the Scottish Highlands and thrived in their severe winters just
has to be able to survive almost any condition. A long, lean,
well-muscled body is the inheritance of endless days of work. The
head is carried proudly erect. The back is fairly long and level.
The legs are covered with shaggy hair – the front straight and
well-boned, the rear very muscular with well-bent stifles and
hocks. The tail is set low, is moderately long and has abundant
hair.
Overall, the Beardie has an aura of
alertness and action – a sense of strength and endurance,
characteristics of a real working dog.
Males should be 21 to 22 inches
tall at the shoulder and weigh between 45 and 60 pounds while the
female should be 20 to 21 inches at the shoulder and weigh 40 to
50 pounds.
 The
Bearded Collie has a friendly, happy-go-lucky view of life. He can
be the enthusiastic, rough and tumble playmate, always ready for a
good time and at the same time can be quite sensible and devoted
to duty when it is time for work. They are very good and quite
patient with children, active and athletic, and usually get along
quite well with other pets. They do not qualify as an attack dog
but they are alert and quick to announce strangers. With his
medium length harsh outer coat and a soft, close under-coat the
Beardie is quite comfortable outside but they also need to feel a
part of your family. Given enough attention they can easily be
either a housepet or a kennel dog.
Male Beardies are apt to be larger,
have more hair and have a slightly more outgoing personality while
the female is smaller and sometimes have a little more tendency to
cuddle. However, the differences between the two sexes is
considerably less than it is in many breeds of dogs and
particularly when neutered the male makes as lovely a companion as
any female. Please note that these are generalities and the
Bearded Collie is nothing if not an individual. Your particular
Beardie is certain to have a personality all his own.
Beardies come in four colors,
black, brown, blue and fawn. However, these coat colors are
distinctive only at birth and the individual dog goes through many
coat changes while he is growing up. At maturity (2 to 3 years)
the individual colors are not as distinct and your particular dog
may be any of innumerable shades of the above colors. The white on
a Beardie should be limited to the feet, the tip of the tail, a
shawl which should not extend behind the shoulders at the skin
line and various blazes on the face which should not completely
surround the eye. For more information, please see the official
AKC standard for the breed.
From a Publication of the Bearded
Collie Club of America
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