Old Hemp lived back in the 1890's; he was a herding dog and what made him special was the fact that he had a unique way of herding sheep...this style quickly got the interest of the local shepherds and they all wanted him as a stud for their female dogs...so started the Border collie breed.
There was one other dog that became very famous, his name was Winston Cap; he sired not only Supreme Champions and grand-sired three others but this is also the dog that the International Sheep Dog Society badges portrays in the Border collie herding pose.
The Border Collies were at one time only known as "collies" although several other names have been used to describe the dog, such as old-fashioned collie and farm collie. The term Border collie came from the fact that both the ISDS and the Kennel Club had dogs named collie that came from basically the same blood lines, the only difference was the fact that the Kennel Club's collie had started to take on different characteristics, especially the ones bred to be in the show ring.
The Border collie has been bred for their ability to get the job done not for their appearance, that is why there is a wide range in looks when it comes to this beautiful dog.
Border collies are medium dogs that have a good double coat on them, the double coat can be anything from slick to almost too thick...black and white are by far the favorite colors when it comes to this breed, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other colors...you can find Border collies that are red and white, black and tan and white, you can also get a blue merle...one of the most rare colors is the pure white Border collie; but you can find them.... sometimes.
Border collie ears can be all the way down or all the way up...they can have eyes that are the same color or they can have eyes that are different colors (one eye of each color). Because the dogs that are bred for the show ring have to conform to the breed standard, they will all look the same.
One thing to note: in the show ring, scars that have been "earned" in the line of duty are not to be counted against the animal.
Border collies were bred to do nothing more than herd sheep...at first. These dogs excelled at sheep herding, they could receive direction from their shepherd by voice or whistle...these day they are used to herd a lot more animals then just sheep; the Border Collie is used to herd ostriches, pigs, cattle and poultry, they are also used to keep pest off the public land.
Did you know that the Border collie could do the work that normally would take three men to do? People have also tried to replace the Border collie with mechanical herders but most shepherds have realized that the Border collie is the more reliable of the two.
Because of the agility of the Border collie, they have proven themselves to be champions not only in agility competitions but also in jumping competitions and dancing, they have even been used in search and rescue...truly a dog that can do a little bit of everything.
Hip dysplasia and epilepsy are considered to be the most common problems in these dogs, that is why if you are considering on getting a Border collie it would be a lot easier on you and on your pocketbook if you would find a breeder that has a good reputation...good breeders set up a good breeding program and they work towards eliminating health problems that are typical to the breed.
The Border collie is a dog that does best if he has something to do, something to keep him occupied, it is because of this that he does not make the best apartment dog.
Always think everything through before you make an investment in an animal that will be there depending on you for the next 10 to 15 years
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