57 Fun Facts About Border Collie

The Border Collie takes its name from the frontier between which two countries?

The breed is named for the border between England and Scotland, where hill-farm shepherds in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders shaped the modern working type from older landrace sheepdogs.

Border Collies are kept predominantly for what job?

Border Collies are kept above all for herding sheep; the breed's crouching, staring 'eye' lets one dog move a flock, and sheepdog trials grew up as the sport of that work.

The word 'collie' is thought to come from an old Celtic word meaning what?

A popular etymology derives 'collie' from an old Celtic word for 'useful'; the word was used in Scots for working sheepdogs long before 'Border Collie' became a breed name.

Who first used the term 'border collie' to separate working dogs from show collies?

James Reid of the International Sheep Dog Society coined 'border collie' in 1915 to set working dogs apart from show collies, which had diverged from the same stock after entering the show ring in 1860.

Which dog, born in Northumberland in 1893, is regarded as the founding sire of the Border Collie breed?

Old Hemp, born in Northumberland in September 1893, is regarded as the breed's founding sire; virtually every registered Border Collie traces a line back to him.

Who bred and owned Old Hemp?

Adam Telfer, a shepherd at West Woodburn in Northumberland, bred and owned Old Hemp, who was whelped there in September 1893.

What made Old Hemp's herding style so different from other sheepdogs of his era?

Within a few generations his quiet, intense style had become the Border Collie style.

Roughly how many pups is Old Hemp believed to have sired?

Old Hemp is believed to have sired around 200 pups before his death in 1901, as shepherds sought out his quiet, intense working style.

Which dog is portrayed on the International Sheep Dog Society badge in the classic herding pose?

Born in 1963, he sired three Supreme Champions and his blood runs through most modern lines.

Hindhope Jed, a Scottish bitch exported in the 1890s, became a trials champion in which two countries?

Hindhope Jed, exported from Scotland already in pup and called the 'best to cross the equator', won trial championships first in New Zealand and then in Australia after being sold on.

Which breed was developed from Border Collies?

The New Zealand Heading Dog was developed from Border Collies imported to New Zealand; the country's other sheepdog, the Huntaway, was bred to bark and drive rather than to 'eye' the flock.

What is the most common colouring of a Border Collie?

Black and white is by far the most common Border Collie colouring, though the breed turns up in almost every colour and pattern known in dogs, including lilac and 'Australian red'.

Border Collies with two different-coloured eyes have a trait known as what?

Two different-coloured eyes is heterochromia, which in Border Collies is seen most often in merle-patterned dogs, where the merle gene dilutes pigment in one iris.

Some working handlers avoid dogs with mostly pale coats because of what unfounded belief?

Some handlers hold the unfounded belief that sheep will not respect a white dog; the American Border Collie Association judges a working dog by attitude and ability, not colour.

Which of these are not counted against a Border Collie in the show ring, in deference to its working roots?

Show standards say honourable scars and teeth broken in the line of duty are not to be faulted, a nod to the breed's working roots; they do demand a keen, intelligent expression.

The height at the withers for a male Border Collie runs roughly from what to what?

Male Border Collies stand roughly 19 to 22 inches at the withers under the AKC standard; females are a little lower, at 18 to 21 inches.

A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the Border Collie?

The 2024 UK study put Border Collie life expectancy at 13.1 years, beating both the purebred average of 12.7 and the crossbreed average of 12.

What was the leading cause of death in Border Collies in a 2004 Kennel Club survey?

Cancer accounted for 23.6 per cent of deaths, ahead of old age at 17.9 per cent.

Collie eye anomaly, which affects Border Collies, is caused by a mutation in which gene?

Collie eye anomaly is linked to a deletion in the NHEJ1 gene; it is autosomal recessive, so a dog needs two copies of the mutation to be affected.

The MDR1 mutation in some Border Collies makes them dangerously sensitive to which parasite drug?

The MDR1 mutation lets ivermectin cross into the brain, so doses safe for other dogs can cause neurotoxicity in affected Border Collies; the mutation is far commoner in Rough Collies than in Border Collies.

A UK study found Border Collies had which condition at 2.67 times the rate of other breeds?

The formal term is hepatic neoplasia.

The final day of an International sheepdog trial is run over a course of what length?

The qualifying rounds and national trials use a 400-yard course.

In the International 'double fetch', how many of the 20 sheep wear collars?

The 15 uncollared sheep are driven away and the five collared ones are kept in the ring and then penned.

The first recorded sheepdog trials were held in 1873 in which Welsh town?

The first recorded sheepdog trial was held at Bala, Merionethshire, in October 1873; James Thomson, a Scottish handler, took first prize with his dog Tweed.

At the 1883 Hawick trials, William Wallace of Otterburn first controlled his dog with what?

At Hawick in 1883 William Wallace of Otterburn worked his dog with a hiss and a low whistle, where handling had previously meant a great deal of waving, shouting and barking.

In which year did the American Kennel Club grant the Border Collie full recognition?

The AKC fully recognised the Border Collie in 1995, moving it out of the Miscellaneous Class; most Border Collie groups protested, fearing show breeding would erode working ability.

In 2003 the American Border Collie Association voted to delist any dog that did what?

In 2003 the American Border Collie Association voted to delist any dog that won a conformation championship, a deliberate stand for breeding to a working standard rather than to looks.

In the mid-2000s, how many Border Collies a year did the American Border Collie Association register?

In the mid-2000s the American Border Collie Association registered about 20,000 dogs a year, dwarfing the AKC's 2,378 Border Collie registrations in 2005.

Besides sheep and cattle, Border Collies are used to clear unwanted wild birds from which places?

Border Collies are used to chase geese and gulls off airport runways and golf courses, where their stalking style moves birds without harming them; they have also herded free-range poultry, pigs and even ostriches.

What does ABC stand for in the 'ABC' classes at English dog agility competitions?

ABC stands for Anything But Collies: Border Collies so dominate open agility classes in England that separate classes exist to give other breeds a chance.

Which mountaineer believed dark-coated Border Collies are less prone to snow blindness?

Hamish MacInnes, who led the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, believed dark-coated Border Collies were less prone to snow blindness; the dogs are valued for sweeping hillsides and avalanche debris.

Georgia Tech's FIDO project fitted a Border Collie named Sky with a sensor that let her do what?

The idea was to let service dogs warn of danger or summon help if their handler collapsed.

Chaser was trained by which retired psychology professor at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina?

John W. Pilley, a retired Wofford College psychology professor, trained Chaser at his Spartanburg home; his wife gave him the puppy in 2004, when he was 76.

In 2021 Chaser was named the first-ever official mascot of which institution?

Spartanburg Community College made Chaser its first official mascot in 2021, two years after she died at 15 in July 2019.

Chaser's word learning was reported in a 2011 paper in which journal?

John Pilley and Alliston Reid published Chaser's results in Behavioural Processes in 2011, under the title 'Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents'.

Rico, the Border Collie studied by the Max Planck Institute, reportedly understood how many words?

Rico knew the names of over 200 items, the 2004 Science paper reported; in tests he fetched 37 of 40 requested items and recalled newly learned names four weeks later.

Rico learned words from one exposure using a canine form of which human learning mechanism?

Rico showed fast mapping, the one-exposure word learning seen in toddlers: placed among seven familiar toys, he fetched the unfamiliar one on hearing an unfamiliar name.

Which breed came second to the Border Collie in Stanley Coren's intelligence ranking?

The Poodle placed second in Stanley Coren's 1994 ranking of working and obedience intelligence, behind the Border Collie; the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Dobermann completed the top five.

In the film Babe, the piglet is taken in by a Border Collie mother named what?

Fly, the Border Collie bitch, mothers Babe after her own pups are sold; her irascible mate is Rex. The 1995 film earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

Who voiced Fly, the Border Collie, in the 1995 film Babe?

Miriam Margolyes voiced Fly, the Border Collie who mothers Babe; Hugo Weaving voiced her mate Rex and Christine Cavanaugh voiced Babe himself.

Which Border Collie won the Palm Dog award at Cannes in 2023 for playing Snoop in Anatomy of a Fall?

Messi, the Border Collie who played the guide dog Snoop, won the 2023 Palm Dog at Cannes; he later attended the Oscars with his own seat and 'clapped' during Jimmy Kimmel's monologue.

At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the Border Collie actor Messi was hired to do what?

France Télévisions hired Messi as a red-carpet 'reporter' interviewing celebrities at Cannes 2024, with the comedian Raphaël Mezrahi supplying his voice.

Which BBC sheepdog-trials series, first aired in 1976, drew audiences of over eight million at its peak?

One Man and His Dog began on BBC2 in 1976 with Phil Drabble presenting and Eric Halsall commentating, and peaked at over eight million viewers; from 2013 it became an annual segment within Countryfile.

The Border Collie Shep was the long-time companion of which Blue Peter presenter?

Shep belonged to John Noakes, whose cry of 'Get down, Shep!' became a Blue Peter catchphrase; a later presenter, Matt Baker, had a Border Collie called Meg on the same show.

Jean, the 'Vitagraph Dog' regarded as the first canine movie star, was owned and trained by whom?

Trimble later took Jean to England to work with Florence Turner's independent film company.

In sheepdog trials, what is the dog's first phase of work called?

The outrun is the dog's opening pear-shaped run to get behind the sheep; it is followed by the lift, the fetch toward the handler, the drive, shedding and penning.

Pavol Vakonič won 2015 agility world gold and silver with two Border Collies named what?

It was the first double victory by one handler in the championship's history.

Working Border Collies take direction at long range by voice and by what?

A distinct set of whistles for 'come by', 'away' and 'lie down' can carry across a whole hillside.

The Border Collie's coat is described as double and often what?

It ranges from smooth to rough and is occasionally curled.

The Border Collie is a British herding dog of what size?

The Border Collie is a medium-sized dog: males stand about 19 to 22 inches at the shoulder and weigh roughly 30 to 55 pounds.

Which registry recognises the Border Collie as the 'prime sheepdog' from its base in Piccadilly, London?

The UK's working registry, the International Sheep Dog Society, registers only dogs with proven herding ability.

What were the names of Old Hemp's parents?

Roy was black and tan, Meg a black-coated, strong-eyed bitch; every purebred Border Collie alive today traces a line back to their son.

Which Christchurch man imported Hindhope Jed and other British working dogs in the 1890s?

James Lilico of Christchurch imported Hindhope Jed and other British working dogs in the late 1890s; collies had been listed as imports to New Zealand as early as 1858, but of unspecified type.

Where was the mutation behind neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in show Border Collies identified?

Scott Melville identified the mutation in Alan Wilton's laboratory at the University of New South Wales in 2005; there is no cure, but a DNA test lets breeders avoid producing affected pups.

In the inherited Border Collie disorder TNS, what does the bone marrow fail to do?

In Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome the bone marrow makes white cells but fails to release them into the bloodstream, so affected puppies cannot fight infections; the mutation turns up in working and show lines alike.

How long did the Border Collie Shep wait at a station in the 1930s for his dead master?

Shep met every train at Fort Benton, Montana, for five and a half years after watching his master's coffin leave in August 1936; he was killed by a train in January 1942.

Which command sends a Border Collie clockwise around the sheep?

'Come by' sends the dog clockwise around the flock; 'away to me' sends it anticlockwise, 'walk up' moves it straight at the sheep, and 'that'll do' calls it off.