Border Collie: breed description and cultivation

Anyone who was lucky to be the owner of a Border Collie breed dog would be called a remarkable mind and intellect as its main virtue. Coupled with charm, such qualities make it a real "pearl" among dogs.

The most popular version of the appearance of this breed is the interbreeding of reindeer (dogs chasing deer) on the border of England and Scotland with herding dogs of various stripes living in that area. Thus, the ancestors of the modern representatives of the breed appeared. There were no special requirements for herding breeds; they simply had to be able to distill cattle. Medium sized and medium build dogs dealt with this best of all. It is these dogs that best showed such qualities as reliability and tirelessness.

Only dogs that showed excellent qualities participated in the breeding. The desired type of breed was an individual with medium size, strong, agile, energetic. This breed was mixed with the blood of such breeds as the bearded collie, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Greyhound. For the first time, the ancestors of the modern border collie are mentioned at the end of the 16th century.

The year 1894 is a significant one for the breed, after all without being recognized by the world community, Border Collie outperformed competitors in the competition, receiving the title of "The Best Cattle Dog of Great Britain". However, this did not lead the breed to the top, leaving it in the shadows. Official recognition in the world of the border collie received only in 1976. As soon as the breed was recognized, its representatives became real stars - they began to be loved, started in many families. Efficiency, intelligence, charm and dedication - these are the characteristics that made these dogs so popular and loved by breeders around the world.

The Scots love of the breed was so great that on the Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, the sculptor Innes Elliott erected a monument to this dog. This happened in 1968 in memory of the help that animals provided to the migrated Scottish shepherds in their sheep-grazing activities.

In Scotland there is also a similar monument, it was installed in 1896. This is a monument to Flora MacDonald, who saved Prince Charles from the pursuit of enemies. The flora is shown accompanied by a representative of the Border Collie breed.

Breed standard adopted June 24, 1987. The description of the breed necessarily includes the mention of expressive and intelligent look.

Representatives of the border collie reach 54 cm in height, and in weight - 20-21 kg. Dogs have a lifespan of about 16 years. They are very elegant and proportionally folded with a relatively small height.

The breed properties are:

• head having an elongated shape;
• the nose is colored black, gray or brown, depending on the color of the dog;
• the eyes are small, oval-shaped, with a brown iris, marble border collie have a light color of the iris;
• the ears are a triangle, their size is small, wide apart, in a standing position;
• maw with a scissor bite and small, clean white teeth;
• black pigment of the lips, they fit snugly to the jaw;
• medium neck length with good muscle development;
• feet long and slender;
• the body is muscular, elongated with a broad sternum, bulging barrel-shaped ribs;
• saber tail, it has thick and long hair, twists when moving, hangs in a stand.

Movement Border Collies are light and graceful. During a quick run, it seems that her paws do not touch the ground, but she hovers.

The breed has two varieties - long-haired and short-haired, which is sometimes called smooth-haired. The two-layer wool is wool and undercoat. The coat is thick and somewhat stiff, and the undercoat is soft and silky. In long-haired dogs, the coat is furry and the tail resembles a fox.

The colors of the representatives of the breed standard are allowed different. One rule is constantly - white shade should not be dominant. There are several color options:

• the black;
• black and tan;
• brown;
• brown with tan (red);
• marble (the only color in which tricolor is possible) - there may be inclusions of blue, the eyes of the marble border collie come in different colors or blue.

The muzzle may be completely white; spots may also be located in the area of ​​the collar or sternum, paws or tail. There are dark blotches on white spots.

Border Collies have a rather complex character. They are not dirty tricks and not brutish, but because of their high intellectual abilities, they are unusually tricky. This can greatly complicate the educational process. These dogs have the ability to scan the owner, seek out weaknesses in him and use them to not do what they do not want. If the owner does not succumb to the provocation of his dog, then after some time he will cease to provoke him, because by virtue of his intelligence, he will understand that such tricks do not work.

The rest of the nature of the border collie is wonderful. They are very inquisitive, so they love to accompany the owner anywhere. Together with curiosity, they are unobtrusive, trying to keep a distance from the host, if he is not in the spirit. The dog will always wait for the owner to call him himself to chat. Sticky can not call them.

While being at home among the members of the host family, the dog watches each of them. Observation in their blood - because for centuries they have been outstanding shepherds. In some cases, representatives of the breed may attempt to organize or rein in the "young" in the family or other pets, but do not show aggression. With children, they are kind, playful.

On a walk, these dogs behave in an exemplary manner - they do not stick to other dogs, they do not fight, they do not bark. They love to play and run, they need long everyday walks. If they didn’t “run out” on the street and don’t look tired, they would play and run at home, and that could lead to confusion.

Like any other breed, a Border Collie has advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages include:

• high intelligence - except for the mind, they are developed intuition, capturing the nuances of the mood of the owner;
• excellent learning ability - the Border Collie remembers teams often the first time, easily understands not only them, but also the intonation of the conversation;
• sharp mind;
• unobtrusive;
• the breed is not loud, does not have the habit of barking for no reason, while it is sociable and very social - it wants to communicate with people and with other dogs;
• hard work;
• docile nature, which makes the training quick and makes it possible to prepare a pet to participate in exhibitions and competitions.

Of the minuses or, rather, difficulties with the breed, the following can be noted:

• the pet will need at least 4 hours each day for intensive walks with games and teams;
• this is a very smart and active dog;
• not suitable for slow and calm people, as it needs constant interaction with the owner;
• not a perfect companion;
• she has no guard qualities;
• the puppy learns to go to the toilet outside the house for a long time and, in principle, matures for a long time, remaining in the shower as a baby;
• the need for constant care of the dog;
• genetic predisposition to epilepsy, deafness, anomalies of vision and eyes, hip dysplasia.

Border Collies are a little like their pedigree tribesmen, which is why their acquisition should be carried out only in nurseries with a good reputation. If you do not take into account the standard of the breed or do not know about its requirements, you can buy a dog with a marriage or defect, and in the worst case - outbred. No one argues that the mongrel is worse than purebred, but to buy it for the cost of purebred is completely undesirable.

The breeder must provide the new owner all the documents on the puppy. - genealogy, information about the absence of genetic diseases; upon request - data about parents, including their health. If vaccinations were given to the puppy, this information must also be provided.

Since the socialization of puppies begins before they reach 8 weeks, by this age they should not be shy people, not be aggressive. The socialized puppy should not whimper or growl if taken on its grips.

Nurseries in Russia are few in number, so it may not be possible to buy a border collie puppy in a small town. The price for them is very high, few can afford to buy it without serious consequences for the family budget. This is because the border collie is considered the smartest dog in the world.

Buying a puppy from a private seller can cost 20-25 thousand rubles. Buying in the nursery will cost much more - from 45 thousand rubles. A puppy, which in the future will be able to participate in the breeding, is in the range of 60-70 thousand rubles, and a potential champion with an excellent pedigree - about 100 thousand.

Having settled in the house of a border collie puppy, you should take care of its safety. There should be nothing within the dog’s reach that can spoil it and nothing that could harm it. These include wires, small items, household chemicals, a loosely closed waste bin, cosmetics, and a host of other things. If the house is two-storied, the puppy should not climb the stairs on its own, as this may damage its skeleton. Chocolate and sweets should also not be available, as they are toxic to the puppy products.

If the house has a balcony, the puppy (and adult dog) should be prevented from entering it. The temperament of a representative of the breed is such that he can, following a subject of interest like a bird or an unknown sound, simply fall out of the window or from the side of the loggia.

Of course, the pet must have its own place to rest and sleep, its own food bowl and water cup.

Buying a puppy of this breed should take into account the fact that he will live in a house or apartment. In the conditions of the street, he cannot live all the time, only in the daytime in a spacious aviary in the fenced territory of a country house. No more whims in everyday life in dogs.

Representatives of the long-haired variety need to have their luxurious wool combed out every day using a special brush. Otherwise, the look of the border collie would be unpresentable. If you are the owner of a show-class pet who regularly participates in exhibitions and competitions, daily combing is necessary.

Of course, vaccinations in accordance with the schedule are necessary, as well as timely treatment of ticks and other parasites. This is a list of standard events that a representative of any breed needs. Clipping claws made special rounded scissors - simple manicure for this procedure will not work. After walking, the feet should be wiped with a damp, clean cloth, and also inspected if they are scratched, splintered or cut. In winter, paws need to be washed and cleaned with particular diligence, without leaving any traces of poisonous reagents on them.

You can feed the dogs with both natural and ready-made food, but without mixing one with the other. Ready feeds should be either premium or super premium.

If you choose natural food, then the dog will definitely need useful additives - calcium, fish oil, probiotic, linseed oil and olive oil. They will perfectly maintain the dog’s tone and good mood.

The basis of the dog's diet should be meat, which serves as a source of protein. It will receive the required amount of carbohydrates from vegetables and cereals, and dairy products will be a source of calcium.

Feeding should be on schedule. It must be strictly followed. Border Collie is one of those breeds that never refuse to eat, but they are not always hungry.

Nutrition puppies are made 3-4 times a day, adult dogs enough for two meals per day. Puppies are transferred to two meals a day after they have reached half a year. Puppies need more energy for growth and development, and therefore more calories. The maximum calories that are required for adult dogs - 1400 kcalbut at the same time they must be very active, engage in constant physical work.

If a dry food is selected for the dog, its dosage should be observed on the package, but should be rechecked independently. Manufacturers do not always indicate the required amount of feed on the packaging, sometimes it is too high. This is done because every manufacturer is interested in buying their products in larger quantities.

If the owner chooses natural food for his pet, then meat and offal can be given both in boiled form, and in raw, but pre-subjected them to deep freeze, as well as select all the bones. This applies to both meat and fish - bones should not be ingested by a dog, it can both choke and disrupt the digestive process. Vegetables are given raw, but they should be grated on the grate or cut into pieces suitable for feeding.

From delicacies to encourage the most the dog will be delighted with a dried liver. For growing individuals, the bones are good “with taste”, they will help in the correct formation of bite, and prevent the appearance of tartar and gum disease.

When encouraging a dog, you should not get involved in refreshments, you need to choose the dish that contains a small amount of fat. Sweet dog can not be given.

When transferring a puppy to an adult diet, it is important to gradually reduce the amount of protein in the diet, otherwise the muscular frame will form too quickly, like bone tissue. This provokes an incorrect formation of the skeleton.Phosphorus, calcium and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are mandatory supplements that should be in the diet, but it is important to strictly follow the dosage. Their excessive presence in the daily menu is just as dangerous as the lack.

It would be a mistake to assume that such an intelligent and intelligent animal does not need to be educated and trained. It is necessary, otherwise the coexistence of the owner and the dog will not be equally comfortable for both.

Training representatives of the breed can bring such a problem: they pretend to be silly and do not understand what the owner wants from them. In fact, this means that the pet is lazy or bored to carry out the owner’s commands. He can yawn, scratch, look away, "go into himself," and the most cunning can portray a disease like lameness or weakness. Also, the animal may try to escape from the class. Such actions the owner should immediately stop, otherwise the dog will turn it into custom.

Education begins with the appearance of a puppy in the family. Since the puppies of this breed are terribly curious, they will crawl everywhere, nibbling things, including the master. You should immediately make it clear to him that this is wrong, that this is not possible. But the puppy should have its own toys - rodents, tweeters, other things with which it can play. No need to buy the first available or the cheapest items - you should take time to choose, because not only the development of the dog depends on it, but also the formation of its gums, jaws and bones. There should be quite a lot of toys so that the pet does not miss.

Each owner of a representative of this breed notes the amazing intelligence, ingenuity and excellent learning ability of their pet. Also the dog is called friendly. By virtue of the centuries-old activity in guarding the herd, the Border Collie attempts to gather a company that is resting in nature, biting gently those who are far away for their heels.

As already noted, the walk should be intense, and this is not just running around here and there until exhaustion, but games with meaning - with a frisbee-plate, with the execution of commands. Daily stress must be both mental and physical. Otherwise, the border collie is able to harm the apartment or house in which he lives.

All about the breed of dog border collie, see the following video.