Bearded Collie

Origin

The Bearded Collie is an ancient breed, with Scottish records dating back to the sixteenth century. The 'Beardie' as he is lovingly known, may have descended from the Komondor of central Europe or three Polish Lowland dogs that arrived in Scotland from Gdansk, Poland in 1514. While the true origins of the breed may be a bit blurred, we do know that it was G. Olive Willison and her Bothkennar kennels which honed the breed into the Bearded Collie we know and love today. The Bearded Collie was already popular in parts of Scotland when the Romans invaded, but it was in the 1940's that Olive came into possession of Jeannie, a Beardie pup, and after searching tirelessly she found a suitable mate, Bailey, and began her journey in shaping the breed into the modern Beardie.

Character:

A delightful, intelligent, keen and curious dog, who's frequently known for his "What shall we do now?" expression, he would suit an active family that can occupy his alert and self confident nature. With bags of energy and a lively outlook there's no wonder he's a favoured herding dog - with his thick double coat and ability to work in all weathers, and for long hours. Some adults never outgrow their puppy-like playfulness or typical humorous outlook, rewarding you with a beautiful hard-working and joyful companion or worker. He's also got the nickname 'Bouncing Beardie' given to him when as would often jump on his forelegs and bark while working in thick underbush. As such, being a herder he may be inclined to herd other animals or even children in this manner!

Exercise:

The Bearded Collie requires at least an hours worth of exercise a day and a large garden or yard where it can run around as and when he desires. Games that require both mental and physical stimulation are recommended for this happy go lucky dog. Ideally suited to a home in the country where there's plenty to occupy his mind and physical needs - these dogs have big personalities and need relatively large homes with owners with big hearts, and he'll certainly endeavour to reward you in kind.

Training:

The Bearded Collie is an intelligent breed that will require a long term training plan, from an energetic and persistent trainer who will ideally inject some humour and fun into training. Great fans of food they are generally very amenable to training methods which use positive reinforcement. Being an agile and energetic dog training to walk on a lead without pulling is important and jumping up on people should be discouraged from a young age. As with any breed, correct and extensive socialization is required from the outset.