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Breed Information - Bearded Collies
An intelligent, alert and adaptable breed which
likes human company. They are not known to show any aggression and
are well suited to a young family - although they can at times be
too boisterous for very young children.
Description & History
The ancestry of the Bearded Collie or Beard - also
known as the Highlands Collie or Mountain Collie - is possibly shared
with other breeds which are shaggy in appearance. Sheepdogs from
the Border counties and from Wales, also ancient breeds from continental
Europe such as the Briard and the smallest of the French sheepdogs,
the Pyrenean Shepherd Dog, could all be the breed's forebears. In
the past, Bearded Collies were used by drovers and by flockmasters
and farmers for working with sheep and herding cattle. The word
Collie which forms part of the breed's name indicated this. The
Collie's job is to work with any type of stock, whereas the sheepdog
is used solely for working with sheep. The Beardie, which was often
used to locate and bring the flock down from mountainous regions
to the lowland or moorland areas, was also a first rate cattle dog.
At the beginning of the twentieth century the Bearded
Collie began to lose its popularity in favour of the Border Collie,
and by the end of the Second World War was almost extinct. The breed's
revival was due to Mrs Willison who in 1944 acquired a bitch from
Scotland and later a dog from Devon; these two animals enabled her
to re-establish the breed. Luckily, the breed has not lost its working
ability, and still works on farms and smallholdings in different
parts of the British Isles. It is also a popular pet and very successful
show dog. The Kennel Club granted the breed championship status
in 1959. The Beardie should preferably live in the country. It has
boundless energy and stamina, and should be allowed plenty of free
exercise everyday.
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