Bearded Collie

Bearded Collies are intelligent, active, playful and generally friendly, they have a unique ability to bounce and leap straight up off the floor as part of greeting behaviour or when extremely excited. These traits along with their endurance has made the Bearded Collie excellent herding dogs but as with other herding breeds, the energy level of the pet Bearded Collie means it must be physically and mentally stimulated in the family environment. Because of their endurance, Bearded Collies can be fabulous jogging companions as well as good swimmers. They can also bond with people as animal-assisted therapy dogs.

Bearded Collie History:

The Bearded Collie dates back to eighteenth century Scotland. The term “Collie” refers to all Scottish sheepdogs and the Bearded Collie inherits ancestral origins such as the Old English Sheepdog, the Komondor, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog and a variety of Sheepdogs native to Scotland. One of these variations was an older, smaller Collie used in the Highlands of Scotland and the other was a larger Collie that was used in the Lowlands. In 1898, the modern standard for the Bearded Collie was developed, one year after the breed was first shown competitively in Edinburgh. However, the breed almost became extinct in the early 1900s but was then re-established in 1944. In 1955, the British Bearded Collie Club was formed and importation of the breed into the United States began in the late 1950s, where it received recognition from the American Kennel Club in 1976.