Border Collie

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The Border Collie is a herding dog that originated in the "border" country of England and Scotland. Englishman Adam Telfer is credited with breeding the first Border Collie in 1893. He mixed a quiet, tri-colored male with a strong, energetic female. The result was powerful dog that responded well and worked great with the sheep.

They are very intelligent and highly energetic, which is why their behavior can be destructive if you don't give them enough to do

The Border Collie is a medium sized dog. Black and white is their most common color. Black, tan and white and red, tan and white are also common.

The Border Collie's eyes are a deep brown or amber, even blue at times. Once in a while you will see one with two different colored eyes.

Their ears differ from dog to dog. Some have erect ears, some hanging down and others somewhere in between.

Border Collies are a very smart breed and have an instinctive desire to work with humans. They make great pets if you take the time to give them plenty of work and exercise. In fact they are so motion sensitive that they will chase just about anything that moves.

Hip dysplasia, Collie eye anomaly along with arthritis, can be common with Border Collies.

Grooming: Unless your Border Collie is a "show" dog, grooming is more a matter of health than appearance.

Border Collies should be groomed regularly. Of course those with a longer, thicker coat will need more attention. Grooming gives you a chance to spend quality time with your Border Collie. It also gives you a chance to check for parasites, ticks, sores, and other abnormalities.

This is a great time to check him for possible infections. Check his feet, mouth and ears.

If you are going to bathe your Border Collie, groom him first. If you don't, the water will create tangles and the dead hair will lead to matts.

Get everything ready before you start the grooming process. Spread out a big area on the floor and have everything in reach.

Most Border Collies loved to be groomed. Brush out the dead hair with a long toothed comb. The hair will come out easily. If it doesn't it's not dead. Don't tug or pull the hair.

Comb his back, sides and belly. Be gentle not rough. If there are matts of hair that you just can't comb through, carefully trim them out with a sharp scissors. Don't forget his tail.

Check your Border Collie's nails. At the proper length, they should "just" touch the ground when standing. Any longer will force his toes upward and any shorter will affect his grip. Trim just the tip of the nail. Most dogs don't like this so be careful. Take a little at a time and then not much.

Check his eyes for soreness. The Border Collie's ears should be free of dirt and wax. They should smell clean. When cleaning his ears, do not insert a swap or anything other instrument down into his ear canal. If this needs to be done, let a Vet do it.

Stand you dog up and give him one last trip through his coat. Tell him what a good boy (or girl) he was and
give him a treat. He'll remember it next time.