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Pedigree Dogs > Border Collie
Breed Information
The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in
the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock,
especially sheep.
Typically extremely energetic, acrobatic, and athletic,
they frequently compete with great success in dog
sports, in addition to their success in sheepdog trials,
and are often cited as the most intelligent of all dogs.
In January 2011, a Border Collie was reported to have
learned 1,022 words, and acts consequently to human
citation of those words.
In general, Border Collies are medium-sized dogs without
extreme physical characteristics and with a moderate
amount of coat, which is often thick and frequently
sheds. Their double coats vary from slick to lush, and
come in many colours, although black and white is the
most common. Black tricolour (black/tan/white or sable
and white), red (chocolate) and white, and red tricolour
(red/tan/white) also occur regularly, with other colours
such as blue, lilac, red merle, blue merle, brindle, and
"Australian red"/gold seen less frequently. Border
Collies may also have single-colour coats.
Height at withers: Males from 19 to 22 in (48 to 56 cm),
females from 18 to 21 in (46 to 53 cm).
Border Collies require considerable daily physical
exercise and mental stimulation. If an individual is
unable to provide his or her dog with plenty of exercise
and mental stimulation, the border collie is not the dog
to choose.
True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very
demanding, energetic pets that are better off in
households that can provide them with plenty of play and
exercise with humans or other dogs. Due to their
demanding personalities and need for mental stimulation
and exercise, many border collies develop neurotic
behaviors in households that are not able to provide for
their needs. They are infamous for chewing holes in
walls, biting and chewing on furniture such as chairs
and table legs and digging holes out of boredom. As a
result, an alarming number of border collies end up in
shelters and rescues every year. One of the prime
reasons for getting rid of a border collie is their
unsuitability for families with small children, cats,
and other dogs, due to their intense desire to herd;
this was bred into them for hundreds of years and still
one of their chief uses outside the household.
The natural life span of the Border Collie is between 10
and 17 years, with an average lifespan of twelve years.
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