Ammy
Border Collie Breed Standard
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to courseness or weediness undesirable.
CHARACTERISTICS: Tenacious, hardworking sheepdog, of great tractability.
TEMPERAMENT: Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.
HEAD & SKULL Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle, tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In blues nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed.
EYES: Set wide apart, oval shaped, of moderate size, brown in colour except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.
EARS: Medium sized and texture, well set apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.
MOUTH: Teeth and jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK: Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders.
FOREQUARTERS: Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone strong, but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.
BODY: Athletic in apperance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.
HINDQUARTERS: Broad, muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong, well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear.
FEET: Oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.
TAIL: Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over back.
GAIT/MOVEMENT Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of feet, conveying impression of ability to move with great stealth and speed.
COAT: Two varieties: 1) Moderately long. 2) Smooth. In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance. In moderately long coated variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth.
COLOUR: Variety of colours permissable. White should never predominate.
SIZE: Ideal height: Dogs 53cms (21ins); Bitches slightly less.
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded be in exact proportion to its degree.
Characteristics and Temperament
The most outstanding characteristic of Border Collies is their desire to work above all other things. They herd with their heads lowered, eyeing the sheep with an intense stare. They notice every movement of the livestock, and they react by moving, at times almost imperceptibly, to take advantage of or counter it. Movement of both dog and stock should be calm and steady. These dogs are the world's premier sheep-working breed and are known for their athleticism, intelligence, and strong work ethic.
Border Collies are heading or gathering herders, as opposed to heelers: their instinct is to run wide around a herd or flock, gather the animals, and return them to the shepherd. Border Collies can be (and are) taught to drive stock away from the shepherd, but they do not usually do it by instinct.
Typical Border Collies are workaholics. They are happiest when they have a job to do, whether that job be herding, obedience, agility, or any of the other active occupations and dog sports at which they excel. They are extremely quick, high-energy, busy dogs, and they must have plenty of exercise. They are bred for endurance: a working Border Collie is able to run many miles a day over difficult terrain, then go out and do it again the next day; a one- or two-mile run is barely a warm-up this athletic breed. People without the time to give a dog plenty of good, vigorous exercise every day are usually happier with a calmer breed. A bored Border Collie can become neurotic, obsessive, and destructive.
Border Collies herd livestock, birds, other dogs, cats, children, squirrels, rabbits, deer, bugs, and often lawn mowers, vaccuum cleaners, brooms, rakes, and anything else that moves. Although Border Collies herd by "eye" rather than by nipping at the heels of livestock, many are still nippy and will nip at the heels and legs of people when they run. Young children are common targets of that behavior, because they don't know how to control it. In other words, if not handled properly the herding behavior can turn a Border Collie into a real pest. They also tend to be car-chasers, and many Border Collie lives have ended early under the wheels of a car.
Border Collies are always underfoot. These dogs watch you constantly (as if you are the stock), and rush in front of you if they think something is going to happen. They thrive on attention and are very affectionate and people-oriented. However, good early socialization is important for puppies: adults can be reserved with people they don't know, and aggressive with other dogs. Border Collies are highly intelligent and quick learners, but they are slow to mature - they are "puppies" until around 2 or 3 years (or older), and many 10- and 12-year-old dogs are still very lively and full of energy. Don't expect a Border Collie to start acting mature and dignified at 3 or 4 years of age!