Border Collie - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin

Border Collie breed originated in lowlands on the border of Scotland and England back in the 1700s. The ancestors of the Border Collie are other types of Collies like Scotch and Bearded Collie. Some people believe, that they also have some Spaniels in their ancestry.

2) Herders

This is a herding champion. Border Collies were originally bred to herd sheep and they are still excellent at it. They have everything – speed, intelligence, strength and they just love to herd. But if you can not let your Border Collie to herd sheep, they will love any other work. You can try dog sports like agility or obedience trials.

3) Intelligence

Border Collie can be described as an intelligent workaholic. Most of the dog trainers or behaviourist put them into TOP 3 smartest dogs in the world. They were many times marked as the smartest dog of all. They are capable of learning all the commands and you could saw them many times on TV talent shows.

4) World Records

Border Collies hold a lot of different, sometimes weird, world records. The Border Collie Chaser is known as the smartest dog ever, since she knowns names of more than 1,000 objects. Other records are more fun, for example a Guinness World Record for dog skateboarding, a record for rolling down a car window or a world record for dog balancing, when a border collie balanced a can on her head and walked 100 meters.

5) The Eye

Border Collies are famous for using the eye. It is a typical herding technique for this breed. They are staring intensely at members of the flock to intimidate them. This gives them authority and respect.

6) Crouching

Another favourite herding technique of Border Collie is crouching. They move swiftly in a catlike, crouched position. This lets them to slither by while staying low to the ground. Thanks to this they can herd the sheeps with amazing precision.

7) Energy level

Border Collies have tons of energy, which means you must provide them with plenty of vigorous exercise. They also need to have their mind stimulated. Some kind of a work or dog sport is the best for them. If you are not exhausting their energy, they might become unhappy, depressed and destructive.

8) Size

Border Collies are medium sized dogs. The male should be between 19-22 inches tall which is 48-56 cm and they should weigh between 30-45 pounds which is 14-20 kg. The females are little bit smaller with height between 18-21 inches and weight between 27-42 pounds.

9) Royalty

Queen Victoria was a big dog lover and she owned a lot of different breeds. In the 1860s, she became a Border Collie lover as well. It was a time when Border Collies starting to separate from the modern Collie.

10) Celebrities

Queen Victoria was not the only famous person who owned a Border Collie. Many people fall in love with this amazing breed, so its no wonder they are the number one choice for many celebrities. The list includes James Dean, Bon Jovi, Tiger Woods and James Franco.