The Bearded Collie Dog Breed (Beardie)

The Bearded Collie dog breed has roots going back to Scotland as early as the sixteenth century. They are known to have herded cattle in the Scottish Highlands. For this reason they have also been called a Highland Collie, a Scottish Bearded, or just Beardie for short.

What ever you want to call this breed of dog, they are definitely a herding dog through and through. They are quite energetic and love to play. The instinct to herd will show any time they are in an open space where there is a lot of people (hint: you may want to keep your Beardie on a leash when you walk through the park – especially if there is a soccer game on (err – football for our friends from the UK!))

Size and Appearance

This breed stands 20-22 inches tall and weighs 45-55 pounds. So they are a medium sized dog with an athletic build (beneath a wonderful coat). They are most recognizable for their coats which are usually a shade of grey or chocolate and are long and flat. They can easily have a shaggy look to them because of their long coats and their beard. They need regular brushing to keep the coat from tangling, matting and getting an odour. This collie tends to carry its tail quite low and it gets lost in all the fur (making it appear not to have a tail at times!)

Attitude and Temperament

I think the description above gives you a good idea, but I will elaborate some. They are very friendly dogs that are highly intelligent, playful, affectionate, social and not terribly difficult to train. They can be a bit stubborn so training does need to be consistent

Like many herding dogs they are a bit reserved with strangers at first. Once they see you accept the stranger they will warm up nicely. Good socialization helps with this a lot too.

If you have time to spend with a dog and you are active then this may be a great dog for you.

With good care this breed will likely have a lifespan of 12-14 years

The Bearded Collie is a Herding Dog – click here for others.

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