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The Versatile Border Collie has been the recommended book on the breed for over a decade. In this second edition Larson covers every area of performance and registry organization, presents new herding and training information, hundreds of new photos, and much, much more. Between these pages you’ll find everything a Border Collie owner or fancier wants to know.
PUBLISHER’S COMMENTS
A classic American volume on the breed that answers: Is the Border Collie’s unique personality suitable for you? Can a show standard and working characteristics co-exist? Should you buy a trained dog or pup for your first herding trial partner?
AUTHOR’S BIO
Larson owned, bred, trained and competed with Border Collies for over twenty years. She worked Border Collies in herding, obedience, schutzhund, and shown in conformation.
REVIEWS
“Having heard the original 1986 version referred to as “The Border Collie Bible, I was excited about the release of the new edition.” (Kimberley Anderson, Dogs in Canada)
“Anyone considering breeding or showing Border collies in any venue would want the book.” (Kathy Diamond Davis)
“This is a fabulous book…run right out and get a copy.” (Velma Daniels, Book Reviewer-Television)
“…sporting 100 pages more than the earlier version, a wonderful source of information for the Border Collie enthusiast.” (Borderlines)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Why A Border Collie
Chapter 2: Origin and History of the Breed
Chapter 3: The Breed Standards
Chapter 4: Choosing Your Border Collie
Chapter 5: General Care And Feeding
Chapter 6: Health Problems
Chapter 7: First Aid
Chapter 8: Basic Training
Chapter 9: Formal Obedience Training
Chapter 10: Training To Herd
Chapter 11: Herding Trials
Chapter 12: Obedience Trials
Chapter 13: Agility
Chapter 14: Schutzhund Trials
Chapter 15: Flyball
Chapter 16: Dog Shows
Chapter 17: Breeding Better Border Collies
Chapter 18: Hereditary Defects in The Border Collie
Chapter 19: The Brood Bitch and Stud Dog
Chapter 20: Whelping
Chapter 21: The Puppies
Glossary of Dog Terms
Resources
Suggested Reading
Bibliography
Index
EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1
WHY A BORDER COLLIE?
THE BORDER COLLIE’S UNIQUENESS
The Border Collie’s versatility, intelligence, and loyalty are now legendary worldwide. The breed’s popularity has snowballed in the past five years, and with it have come the associated problems of genetic defects, poor temperaments, and the growth of puppy mills. This book explains many of the problems associated with owning a Border Collie. This dog may be the most wonderful animal you have ever owned or the worst.
Most people who decide that they want to buy a Border Collie as a pet have heard that it is the smartest dog in the world, and this is why they choose a Border Collie. What these people really want is a “special relationship”—one that they have read so much about in children’s books or have seen in movies and on television. Many have owned dogs of other breeds that “didn’t work out” because the dog didn’t live up to the image of that wonderful childhood farm collie with mythical intelligence. Unfortunately, many Border Collies prove too energetic and difficult to handle. They often end up as juvenile delinquents in the animal shelter or in need of rescue at seven months to two years of age.
Special relationships—both between humans and between humans and animals—must be worked at. The incredible dog on the trial field, seemingly working by mental telepathy with his partner, and the silver-screen performer doing feats of remarkable intelligence, are the product of hundreds and even thousands of hours of hard work by both man and dog. Without spending lots of time together training and keeping each other company as friends, this special relationship will never develop. Unfortunately, many new Border Collie owners are highly disappointed. If you are willing and able to spend the time training, exercising, and being with your dog, that “mystical bonding experience” is possible. This book will help you reach that goal.
Buying a dog of any breed is not like buying a car. Every dog is a unique individual with his own personality. Intelligence, trainability, and instinct vary with each individual. Different pups within a given litter will also show a continuum of intelligence, instinct, and trainability. These traits are all heritable. This is why working ability must be selected for with every generation or it will be lost. A good breeder will observe and temperament test his pups to ensure that future owners are matched with a dog that suits their needs. The parents of a given litter will give you the best indicator of what the pups will end up like. If you don’t like the parents, don’t buy the pup.
Different bloodlines within the breed also exhibit different behavioral tendencies. Some of the bloodlines developed mainly for working cattle have a tendency to be dominant, tough, and less biddable, but they won’t let you down when the going gets rough. Some modern bloodlines developed for working sheep and competing in trials are more sensitive and responsive but have less power and may get backed down by stock in a difficult situation. The ideal working dog combines power and toughness with quiet control and a biddable nature. The obedience bloodlines tend to be very high-energy, “hyper,” and intense, and they are fanatical retrievers. On stock, many of these dogs never settle down to working in a quiet, controlled manner. The show bloodlines tend to be soft and make the best pets. Many of the show lines have very little prey drive remaining, which is a major component of working ability (although there certainly are exceptions).
INTELLIGENCE AND VERSATILITY
The Border Collie’s intelligence and versatility are exceptional. A 1972 test in England involving eighty different breeds rated the Border Collie the most intelligent, followed by the Poodle and the German Shepherd. The most intelligent dogs tested of these three breeds had the problem-solving and reasoning ability of a two- to four-year-old child. In 1994, the Border Collie was again ranked number one in intelligence, this time in a book titled The Intelligence of Dogs: Canine Consciousness and Capabilities by Stanley Coren. The rankings were determined by polling 199 American Kennel Club (AKC) and Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) obedience judges. The Border Collie was number one, followed by the Poodle, the German Shepherd, and the Golden Retriever.
Commodore, owned by a shepherd in Arizona, exemplifies this unique problem-solving capability. One day Commodore, after a long day of sheepherding, returned to the home corral carrying a felt hat in his mouth. After he had the sheep properly penned, Commodore pushed the gate shut with his paws and dropped the hat at the feet of the ranch foreman. The foreman recognized that both the hat and dog belonged to one of his herders, Leonti Soto. Commodore pulled and tugged at the foreman’s pant leg. The foreman obliged and followed Commodore to a distant pasture, where they found his owner, Soto, badly injured and trapped by a rockslide.
In a similar incident, a Welsh farmer rode a young Arabian stallion out to check his flocks on the Llangynidr Mountains on May 8, 1964. He had two Border Collies, Tim and Venny, with him. At the sight of the sheep, the stallion spooked and threw Watkins. Watkins broke his leg in the fall and could not get up. He called Tim, tied a note to his collar, and sent him home. Watkins’s wife thought it strange that the dog was back alone, but she did not notice the note for several hours. When she finally found the note while petting the persistent dog, she summoned help. Tim received an award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for his sagacity in delivering the message.
PROTECTIVENESS
The Border Collie’s intelligence is enhanced by his natural protectiveness and willingness to lay down his life if necessary. In such a case, Tipp, a fifty-pound, mostly white Border Collie, saved his mistress, Shelly Dyck of Canada, from an enraged 2,000-pound cow. In April 1989, Shelly went down to feed the two-year-old first calvers. As usual, Tipp accompanied her on her chores. As a working dog, he would move cattle from pasture to pasture, bring in the milk cows, and drive cattle into chutes for vaccinating, worming, dehorning, and other medical procedures. That morning, Shelly noticed that one of the heifers had recently calved. She started to come up with the others for grain, then stopped, looking confused. Heifers can either ignore their calves and even reject them or be natural and overprotective mothers. This one appeared to be thinking of abandoning her calf, so Shelly decided to bring the cow some grain.
As she walked toward the cow, it appeared calm and even walked up deliberately as if to eat. Shelly stopped to pour the grain on the ground, forty feet from the calf so as not to alarm the new mother. Suddenly the cow let out an awful bellow and hurtled her 2,000-pound bulk forward. In a split second she knocked Shelly flat on her back and started grinding her head into Shelly’s stomach. The next thing Shelly knew, Tipp appeared out of nowhere, a growling, biting, barking white tornado. The cow didn’t know what hit her when Tipp flew onto her face, biting and chewing anything he could find. He backed the cow off Shelly and kept working her over in a frenzy of biting rage until she turned and ran back to her calf. Shelly received only minor injuries and credits Tipp with saving her life.
In another heroic feat, a Border Collie named Sheila was awarded the Dicken Medal for Heroism in 1943. She was the only dog to win this award that was not either a military or civil-defense dog. In December 1943, an American 8th Army Flying Fortress crashed during a blizzard in the Cheviot Hills of northern England. Sheila and her master, local shepherd John Dagg, volunteered to help look for the downed aircraft. After they reached the crest of a steep hill, blinded by the blowing snow, Sheila indicated that something out of the ordinary lay ahead. She grabbed her master’s coat sleeve and insisted that he follow her. She then ran ahead into a wall of white. She soon started barking, and Dagg heard men shouting. Sheila ran back and led Dagg to a ravine, where the American airmen were sheltered. The medal was presented in July 1944 by Sir James Ross of the Air Council and fastened to Sheila’s collar by Lady Ross. In 1946 a puppy was sent to one of the surviving airmen in South Carolina.
LOYALTY
The Border Collie’s loyalty is unwavering. A talented sheepdog named Don, owned by Christopher Graham of Northumberland, England, was much admired by all who saw him. Graham loaned Don to his brother, Bill Graham, for breeding and help at lambing time. Bill Graham was a shepherd north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Don traveled by train some seventy miles north to Scotland. Bill Graham released Don upon arrival at his temporary new home, and Bill assumed that the dog would adjust quickly to life in the Scottish Highlands. Don had different ideas, however, and five days later he reappeared at his master’s Nab Hill Farm. No one knows to this day how Don crossed the icy waters and dangerous currents of the Firth, which literally divides Scotland.
Another case of incredible loyalty is the story of Tip. On December 12, 1953, Tip and her eighty-five-year-old master Joseph Tagg set out for a walk on the moors. Shortly after they left, a terrible blizzard struck. So much snow fell that it did not melt until well into the spring. Fifteen weeks after Tagg and his dog disappeared, a hiker found Tip, starved and weakened, still maintaining vigil over her master’s body. Tip lived until 1955, when a memorial was erected in her honor on the moors at the site where she held her vigil.
In 1936, the body of a sheepherder was brought into Berton, Montana, to be shipped East by train for burial. Following behind was the deceased man’s dog, Shep. From that day until his death in 1942, Shep met all incoming trains, hoping for his master’s return. Shep never accepted a new owner and lived semiwild on scraps left by the local townspeople. After he died, a monument to Shep was erected near the train station.
WORKING ABILITY AND INSTINCTS
“Apart from his work, there is not much to be said about the Border Collie,” says A. Croxton Smith, leading British canine authority. With that statement, Smith cleverly understates the skill in which the Border Collie so excels. In a style unique to the breed, the Border Collie’s working ability is foremost.
The Border Collie is the result of hundreds of years of selective breeding for working ability alone. Shepherds were not concerned about conformation, because soundness was proven by the ability to work ten to twelve hours a day. A working sheepdog averages ten miles for every mile the sheep are moved. In Europe, the average shepherd must move his flock six to ten miles a day to find suitable grazing, because pastures are rotated frequently to prevent overgrazing. This means that the average working dog puts in sixty to one hundred miles a day. The Scots have a saying, “Let the hill prove the dog.” This, along with the medical testing to screen a dog for hereditary defects, is still the best way to test a dog’s structure for soundness and working ability.
The modern working Border Collie is the culmination of selective breeding for sheepdog trial performance since the first trial was held in 1873 in Bala, Wales. The top winning trial dogs were widely sought after by farmers and shepherds. Linebreeding and inbreeding to top working sires led to dramatic improvements in working ability and standardization of the “classic” Border Collie working style. The Border Collie is one of the most closely inbred purebred breeds today. Show breeders, who developed the show collie, selected on the basis of physical appearance and “type,” while working Border Collie breeders selected for mental traits and classic working style.
All modern Border Collies trace back to Old Hemp, born in Northumberland, England, in 1893. Hemp was known for his natural wide outruns (running in a wide arc to the far side of the sheep to prepare to push them to the handler), fantastic speed, intense hypnotic “eye” (stare), and creeping style of approach to sheep. He was so far superior to his competition that he reigned undefeated for nearly ten years. He sired more than 200 sons and uncounted daughters, many of which were bought by shepherds as far away as Australia, the United States, and the Continent, where they influenced virtually every breed of European, Australian, and American sheepdog.
The working Border Collie is still bred today on the basis of the following prized working characteristics: “eye” of control, creeping or stalking approach to stock, natural wide outrun, trainability, willingness to listen yet disobey or use initiative while working, speed, and stamina. It is interesting to note that well-bred Border Collies work livestock with a “dead” tail; that is, a tail held tightly in a “J” almost between the legs. This appears to be tied to prey drive and hunting/herding instinct. Scottish shepherds detest a dog that works with a “cocky” tail, because it is usually accompanied by barking and play behavior.
Many of the top working dogs in Britain, Australia, and the United States vary considerably in physical type, but on the trial field they conform incredibly in working style. An old Scottish saying is, “No good working dog is a bad color.” Trial dogs vary in shoulder height from seventeen to twenty-six inches and have ears that range from drop to prick. In fact, trial dogs often have one of each. Coats vary from rough to smooth, and many individuals have wavy or even slightly curly coats. Breeders of show Border Collies often decry the breeding of “poorly conformed” working dogs that lack “correct breed type.” To the working dog person, “correct breed type” can only be determined on the trial field.
The trait that sets the Border Collie apart from most other breeds is his use of “eye.” A crouching, snakelike movement with an intense stare used to hypnotize livestock is what characterizes eye. Using eye is so instinctive in Border Collies that even eight-week-old puppies have tried to eye and herd small animals. Young pups can be seen eyeing cats, chipmunks, and even blowing leaves! The Border Collie also heads off, or circles around behind, his charges to the side opposite his handler. This process of circling around behind the herd is called the “outrun,” or “casting.” Ideally, the outrun path should be wide and pear-shaped to prevent disturbing the animals. The close-running dog that sporadically dashes toward his herd causes them to frighten and scatter.
The Border Collie, like all dogs, is descended from the wolf, which is directly responsible for many of the dog’s natural characteristics. For example, wolves hunt in highly organized packs. The faster, lighter individuals head off the prey and drive them back to the heavier wolves to be killed. These fast, lightly built wolves use a style very similar to that of the working Border Collie. The wolves circle widely around the prey so that it cannot escape. They then pause, consider the best angle of approach, and creep up to the animal with a fixed stare (eye), forcing the animal back into the jaws of the waiting, more aggressive pack members.
Border Collies, like wolves, communicate primarily by eye contact and tail and ear carriage. Young pups up to three or four months generally carry their tails above their backs unless they are shy. Adult Border Collies will often raise their tails over their backs while playing, especially with other dogs. Males are more likely to have a gay tail than females. In a social situation, a low tail may indicate a shy or soft temperament. Most obedience and agility dogs consider their work to be “play” and carry a gay tail like a proud banner. When a young Border Collie first sees sheep, he may have a gay tail and may attempt to solicit play from the sheep by barking and play bowing, or if he is insecure and afraid, he may hackle, bark, carry a high, stiff tail, and grip. Once the prey drive turns on, the tail drops, and the dog assumes a slinking manner of movement like a wolf stalking prey. This is how a trainer can tell if a young dog is ready for serious training. As long as the tail is high and the dog is bouncing around like a puppy or gripping in panic, you know that the dog isn’t ready to train. Some dogs need to be socialized with sheep, while other dogs need to watch experienced dogs work.
Direct eye contact in the Border Collie is an attempt to dominate prey or other dogs. Two dominant adults approaching with stiffly held, high tails, raised ears, and a direct stare will probably start a fight. If one lowers his ears and tail and looks away, he is submitting. Many dog bites occur because small children approach a dog with direct eye contact and forward movement. To a Border Collie or wolf, this can be taken as a threat, especially if the dog isn’t familiar with small children. Many Border Collies find tall men, especially with dark or reflecting sunglasses, threatening. A more dominant dog may attack if he feels his master or property is about to be assaulted. A submissive dog may cower and urinate, showing he means no harm. The very submissive dog may look like he has been beaten, even if he never has.
In Border Collies, the wild type or wolf temperament is common and seems to be genetically linked to the herding behavior. This means that many Border Collies make unstable pets, and some can be dangerous. Remember that these dogs were developed as sheep herders, and in the mountains and moors, they did not need to be sociable with strangers. As a result, shy and sharp temperaments are fairly common.
It is from the wolves’ expertise in capturing game that the herding dog was developed. Wolves live and hunt in a fixed territory that they fiercely protect from predators; hence the origin of the dogs’ instinct of protecting their master and property. Contrary to common belief, wolves are very social animals. Pack members obey a single pack leader, either a male or female, who has a dominant, aggressive personality. The remaining members of the pack have a social position as well that is determined by their age, usefulness, and personality.
Wolves are monogamous, with both the male and female caring for the cubs. If one partner dies, the surviving mate rarely takes another companion. Similarly, the frequency of Border Collies being selective about their mates is much higher than for many other breeds. One of my own dogs refused to mate with any bitch except his chosen partner. When he was used at stud, the outside females had to be artificially inseminated.
A Border Collie’s loyalty to his owner is descended from the wolf’s nature of faithfulness toward his mate and fellow pack members. Also, the dog’s trainability results from the fact that pack members obey and are disciplined by the pack leader. Likewise, the Border Collie will obey and follow his human master. Over the centuries, the breed has been selectively bred to enhance these follower and trainability traits. It therefore becomes important for you as the owner or trainer to establish your role as pack leader. Border Collies that do not have a clearly defined, dominant person to follow may become aggressive, neurotic, and ill-behaved.
BOREDOM AND THE NEED
FOR HUMAN COMPANIONSHIP
According to noted English dog trainer Jack Kenworthy, Border Collies are bored by inactivity. It is therefore critical that a trainer spend a good deal of time with his dog. To train a Border Collie properly, you should teach the basics in obedience, provide adequate exercise, and, most important, give the dog some work to do. Human companionship is very important to the Border Collie.
Border Collies are much happier with people than they are penned or tied up alone. Many Border Collies go insane if they are chained up or crated all day with nothing to do. Chaining makes a dog paranoid because he can’t escape tormentors, such as stray dogs, raccoons, and neighborhood children. Many dogs who become biters were chained most of their lives. Excessive crating can cause muscular atrophy in addition to a neurotic personality. Penning in a large four-by-ten-foot run is more humane, but the dog should have a dog house, shade, and some sort of visual barrier between himself and livestock or playing children to prevent frustration. In addition, all dogs need at least two hours of human companionship each day, including walks, training, and just hanging around in the house with people.
Kindness and firm, fair discipline will be rewarded with undying loyalty. Once a Border Collie has chosen a favorite person, he will follow him like a shadow, offering protection with his life if necessary. Many Border Collies are extremely sensitive and must be treated with respect. For this reason, they need plenty of praise, and corrections must be properly timed and suited to the individual dog’s nature. When a Border Collie is mistreated, he behaves adversely and never forgets. Border Collies respect only owners who display a sense of authority and guidance.
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