bearded collie

History of origin

Large, shaggy, muzzle-covering dogs, bearded collies, have accompanied Scottish shepherds for centuries. Today it is not even possible to say exactly when this breed appeared, it is only known that it was this representative of the large collie family that arose before anyone else.

There is a version that the ancestors of these dogs were two Polish lowland shepherd dogs, which the Scots exchanged with Polish merchants, giving a ram and a sheep. Later, Hungarian dogs also took part in the formation of the breed.

Bearded collies fell in love with shepherds, because they turned out to be very unpretentious, strong, and long shaggy hair protected them from bad weather and thorny bushes. By the way, the name of Scottish Cattle Dogs correctly sounds like “collie dog”, and collies are a breed of black-headed sheep that they herd.

Unfortunately, little was known about the Bearded Collie outside of Scotland, and by the middle of the XNUMXth century the breed was on the verge of extinction. Today, charming bearded men are slowly but surely gaining popularity, because these dogs have a funny appearance and a wonderful character. In our country, bearded collies are still little known.

Breed description

A rather large dog, which, due to its very long and thick coat, may seem massive, but it is not. If you remove the fur, it turns out that the Bearded Collie is built quite gracefully, it has a light skeleton, high paws and a rather long muzzle. The eyes are small, slightly slanted, the look (of course, it can be seen under the long hair falling on the muzzle) with an inquisitive and questioning expression – very characteristic of this particular breed. The ears are small, hanging, set low. Tail “fox” – covered with long dressing hair. In a calm state, the dog keeps it lowered down with a slightly curved tip, and if he is happy about something, he raises it, but never throws it on his back, like a husky.

Wool is the pride of the breed. It has a powerful undercoat and a long, silky, but fairly dense outer coat. The fur is always straight, only a slight waviness is allowed by the standard, it hangs down freely, moreover, it is equally long both on the body and on the head, therefore, eyes are often not visible under thick bangs, but this does not particularly interfere with the dog. Also, long hair forms a long mustache and beard on the muzzle.

Color: gray of varying intensity – from slate to ashy, brown, black, chocolate, sand, white spots on the chest, paws and muzzle.

Photos

Character

Thanks to its good nature, a bearded collie will suit even a novice dog breeder, because he will not have any difficulties with education, there will be no struggle for leadership and any grinding of characters, since a small puppy, once in the house, is already unconsciously in love with his new owner and all his family. There is so much warmth, adoration and tenderness in the heart of bearded collies that there is enough for everyone around – whether they are household members, other pets, guests, or even … robbers. It is for this reason that the watchman from this dog will not work. The maximum that he can do is to scare an uninvited visitor with his volume and pressure, with which the collie climbs to hug.

But there is no better nanny for children than these fluffy dogs. They will not only stoically endure all the pranks of the kids, but also vigilantly take care of them. By letting your child go for a walk with a Bearded Collie, you can be sure that your child will not fall or get lost.

But these dogs do not tolerate rough treatment – the words spoken in their hearts deeply hurt them and can plunge them into depression.

Care and maintenance

Bearded collies were bred to graze sheep in the rather harsh climate of the Scottish mountains, the dogs had to walk many kilometers a day with herds, vigilantly watching their wards. That is why the breed turned out to be very hardy and unpretentious. Collies are not afraid of frost or heat, thick long hair protects them (including eyes and nose) from thorny bushes, and a light skeleton allows you to tirelessly run long distances.

But what really needs to be paid attention to those who have decided to connect their lives with a bearded collie is the care of their luxurious coat. So that it does not get tangled in tangles and dreadlocks, it must be thoroughly combed every day, using both a furminator to remove dead undercoat and a brush or comb to give a neat appearance to the main coat. Before the exhibition, the dog will have to be washed with a special shampoo, but often this is still not worth doing.

And bearded collies are not very suitable for people who lead a not very active lifestyle. These dogs need physical activity, they need to run, play – in a word, move a lot.

Education and training

It is worth once to catch the eye of a bearded collie from under his shaggy bangs to understand how smart he is. It is easy for him to interpret absolutely any commands, the dog will grab everything on the fly and will gladly do everything that is required of him, because he is so happy to please his beloved master. However, make sure that your furry friend does not get bored during the training – the active nature of the bearded collie cannot stand routine and cramming, so if you notice that the dog has begun to get distracted and has stopped fulfilling even those commands that he already knows, urgently turn the study into a game.

The training itself must be started as early as possible, otherwise the collie’s cheerful disposition will make him uncontrollable.

Well, do not forget that no matter how cute the puppy is, you should not spoil him. Yes, sometimes it is difficult, but still it is worth making an effort on yourself.

Health and disease

The Bearded Collie is a generally healthy and unpretentious breed, this dog can live a fairly long life without getting sick, provided that the owner complies with all the rules of keeping: he does not overfeed and does not starve, walks a lot, does all the vaccinations and prophylaxis of endo- and ectoparasites.

The only breed feature of all collies is intolerance to certain medications, the list of which must be discussed with the veterinarian in advance so as not to inadvertently harm your bearded friend.

It is also worth finding out if the dog is allergic to any foods.

Word to the breeder

Pásztó Blanka, bearded collie breeder from Slovenia: “As a child I had a dog, a mixture of small breeds, but the “bearded man” became love at first sight. I will never forget my first encounter with this breed. The dog sat in the back seat of the car in sunglasses and ate the chips I bought at the gas station from my hands. At that moment I already understood that this is exactly the dog that I want.

I became a happy owner of a bitch named Molly in 2000, and from that moment the show cycle began. Molly is no longer with us, she left in 2010 and now looks at our world from the rainbow bridge. She was the champion of several countries and won many titles. After that, I had several more dogs that brought offspring that became champions. Now I often meet their new owners at exhibitions, but the most unique atmosphere is created when we spend time together in nature. It is especially great if you have the opportunity to swim with the dogs.

By the way, when they get together, the “bearded men” get along well with each other, although at exhibitions they usually experience excitement – everyone strives to win.

Popular questions and answers

We asked for answers to questions about keeping a Bearded Collie zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.