Eriphos Farm

"Where E/very Animal Is Special"

About Border Collies

This is an information page compiled to provide a quick introduction to the Border Collie. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, and please do plenty of research before adopting or buying any dog.

The Border Collie originated around the border between Scotland and England in the 1700s, thus the name. The dogs selected to make this breed had no particular characteristics other than a strong herding drive, a love for their master, and a white tipped tail. As the breed progressed, more and more of the dogs were found to have the now-characteristic markings. These markings are white blaze, feet, chest, belly, and tipped tail. While this is the traditional look, and what comes to most peoples' minds at the words "Border Collie", not all Border Collies look like this. Splash coats (mostly white with some color) Split faces (one side of the face is white), and many other patterns are seen.  Some dogs may be traditionally marked but have much white, while other may have little. All Border Collies are different.

An interesting fact about the Border Collie is the white tipped tail. This was used as a "flag" for the shepherds to see their dog.

Border Collies are known for their "eye", which has been developed over the years to stop and hold livestock.

Border Collies also come in many colors. Black and white is the most common, but many other colors can be found. Red, Sable, Merle (red and blue), Saddleback Sables, Lilacs, and Blues are just a few of the colors recognized. Most of these colors can have tan markings, in which case "tri" is added to their color (ex. "red tri").

Border Collies can be rough (long), medium, or smooth (short) haired. Some have long hair without much under coat, some have short hair with lots of under coat. Any hair type is acceptable.

The ears of the Border Collie can be quite interesting. They can be floppy like a Labrador Retriever, Semi-prick, prick, or any combination.

 A Border Collie's eye color is usually various shades of brown, but  one or both eyes being blue is not uncommon. Sometimes the eye can be marbled, blue and brown. Reds and Chocolates can have yellow eyes, Blues usually have gray eyes, the color of their coat.  In Scotland, a Border Collie with a blue eye is said to have been "kissed by angel".

Border Collie can be heavy boned, light boned, heavy built, light built, etc. There are many different sizes and shapes out there.

The American Border Collie Association (the ABC or ABCA) is one of the oldest registries for this breed. They are dedicated to preserving the working Border Collie. The International Stock Dog Registry registers any breed of dog that has a herding drive. Many Border Collies are also registered with the ISDR. 

Border Collies are a relatively new breed in the AKC, having been accepted only since 1996. While none of the other registries put a breed standard on the dog, AKC did. The other registries concentrated on having a good working dog; AKC is trying to make a conformation breed.

Border Collies are very active dogs and need something to keep them busy. This attitude has made them well-known in agility, flyball, Frisbee, obedience, and herding rings. They love to please and are easy to train. Border Collies are not dogs that you can take home and leave in the house all day; they will find something to keep them busy, be it chewing the couch, "counter-surfing", or barking at the neighbors' cats. Border Collies are very creative and smart; countless ones have chased cars, but only while the owners are gone. The owners never knew their "perfect" Border Collie did such an awful thing until they come home to a dog that had been hit. A fenced yard is a must for a Border Collie home.

All Border Collies need some type of training. Without structure, they will quickly become wild, frenzied, un-handleable dogs. Basic obedience training is needed for all types of activities. Sit, Stay, Come, Down, and Heel are just some of the things the Border Collie should know.