The Bearded Collie
Vital Stats of Bearded Collies:
Vital stats of this breed include the following:
- Dog breed group: Herding
- Height: 20 to 22 inches at the shoulder
- Weight: 45 to 55 pounds
- Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
Physical Characteristics of Bearded Collies
Also known as the Beardie, this breed has a sturdy medium-sized body. The long, lean body provides him both power and agility, essential qualities in a sheep herding dog. The Bearded Collie has the ability to make smooth, quick movements.
Bearded Collies have a double coat, which is soft and furry underneath with a straight, flat and coarse outer coat. This outer coat comes in either black, blue, brown or fawn, with or without white markings. The facial expression of this breed is both bright and keen.
Care for Bearded Collies
While the Beardie can live outside in cool climates, he prefers to remain indoors with his family. Walking and playing sessions are necessary to keep this dog in optimum form, and herding is his favorite activity.
This breed requires regular combing and brushing to keep its coat lustrous and tangle free.
Health of Bearded Collies
Similar to any other breed, the Bearded Collie is prone to specific health problems. They include the following:
- hip dysplasia
- elbow dysplasia
- eye diseases
- autoimmune thyroiditis
- a skin disease called pemphigus foliaceous
- Addison’s disease
History of Bearded Collies
This Scottish breed descends from Highland Collies and the Polish Owczarek Nizinny. As the story goes, a Polish ship picking up a cargo of sheep in Scotland in 1514 traded three PONs for a ram and a ewe. The Polish dogs were crossed with the local Collies, and the result was a Bearded Collie. A description of the breed was later published in an 1818 edition of Livestock Journal.
The dog proved to be an excellent sheep and cattle herder, both in the rough terrain of England and in Scotland. It was only afterwards, during the Victorian era, that this breed came to be regarded as a popular show dog. This happened when the two breeds of the Highland strain with gray and white coats, and the brown and white way coat Border strains were crossbred to form a single breed.
In the late 1950s, the Bearded Collie was introduced to the United States. The Bearded Collie Club of America was founded by July 1969. The breed was eligible to be shown in the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Miscellaneous Class in 1977. He was given full status as part of the AKC’s Herding Group in 1983.
For more information on the Bearded Collie or other dog breeds, don’t hesitate to contact us here at All Pets Veterinary Medical Center with the link below!
