View source for Bearded Collie

{{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
{{Infobox dog breed
| name          = Bearded Collie
| image         = Bearded Collie 600.jpg
| image_alt     =
| image_caption =
| altname       = {{ubl|Highland Collie|Mountain Collie|Hairy Mou'ed Collie}}
| nickname      = Beardie
| country       = [[Scotland]]
| weight        = {{right|{{cvt|18|-|27|kg|lb}}}}
| maleweight    =
| femaleweight  =
| height        =
| maleheight    = {{right|{{cvt|53|-|56|cm|in}}}}
| femaleheight  = {{right|{{cvt|51|-|56|cm|in}}}}
| coat          = long double coat with furnishings
| colour        = black, blue, brown, or fawn with white or tan markings
| litter_size   = 4-12 pups
| kc_name       = [[The Kennel Club]]
| kc_std        = https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/breed-standards/pastoral/bearded-collie/
| fcistd        = http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/271g01-en.pdf
}}

The '''Bearded Collie''' or '''Beardie''' is a British [[list of dog breeds|breed]] of [[herding dog]] of [[collie]] type. It was formerly used primarily by [[Scotland|Scottish]] shepherds,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/completebeardedc0000coll|title=The complete bearded collie|last=Joyce.|first=Collis|date=1992|publisher=Howell Book House|others=Jones, Pat.|isbn=087605131X|location=New York|oclc=25245755|url-access=registration}}</ref> but now commonly kept as a [[companion dog|family companion]].

Weights are usually in the range {{cvt|18|-|27|kg|lb}}, while height at the [[withers]] varies from about {{cvt|51|to|56|cm|in}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animal.discovery.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds/herding/bearded-collie.html|title=Bearded Collie: Dog Breed Selector: Animal Planet|publisher=Animal Planet|access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Bearded Collie from 1915.JPG|thumb|Photograph from about 1915]]
The legend of the Bearded Collie's origin is that the ancestors of what is today the [[Polish Lowland Sheepdog]] were abandoned on the shores of Scotland, and these dogs then bred with native herding dogs.<ref>[http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/271g01-en.pdf FCI Breed Standard]</ref> A variant on this story is that Kazimierz Grabski, a Polish merchant, reportedly traded a shipment of grain for sheep in Scotland in 1514 and brought six [[Polish Lowland Sheepdog]]s to move them. A Scottish shepherd was so impressed with the herding ability of the dogs that he traded several sheep for several dogs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzkc.org.nz/breed_info/br514.html|title=NZKC - Breed Standard - Bearded Collie|publisher=New Zealand Kennel Club|access-date=3 November 2011|archive-date=6 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406192309/http://www.nzkc.org.nz/breed_info/br514.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Polish sheepdogs were bred with local Scottish dogs to produce the Bearded Collie.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Wilcox |first=Bonnie |url=http://archive.org/details/atlasofdogbreeds0000wilc |title=Atlas of dog breeds of the world |date=1989 |publisher=Neptune City, N.J. : T.F.H. Publications |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-86622-899-2}}</ref>

The first written reference to the Bearded Collie occurs in 1891,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2012-10-09 |title=History of the Bearded Collie |url=https://beardedcollieclub.us/about-beardies/history/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Bearded Collie Club of America |language=en-US}}</ref> when D.J. Thomson Gray describes them in his book ''The Dogs of Scotland'' as

{{Blockquote|text=A big, rough, ‘tousy’ looking tyke, with a coat not unlike a doormat, the texture of the hair hard and fibry, and the ears hanging close to the head.|author=|title=}}

It is generally agreed that Mrs. G. Olive Willison founded the modern show Bearded Collie in 1944 with her brown bitch, Jeannie of Bothkennar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spanglefish.com/brambledalebeardedcollies/index.asp?pageid=110877 |title=Brambledale Bearded Collies &#124; True Beardie Type?  |website=Spanglefish.com |access-date=2016-05-19}}</ref> Jeannie was supposedly a [[Shetland Sheepdog]], but Mrs. Willison received a Bearded Collie by accident. She was so fascinated by the dog that she wanted to begin breeding, so she began searching for a dog for Jeannie. While walking along the beach, Mrs. Willison met a man who was emigrating from Scotland; she became the owner of his grey dog, David, who became Bailie of Bothkennar.<ref name=":1" />

Bailie and Jeannie of Bothkennar are the founders of the modern show breed;<ref name=":0" /> there are only a few other registrable blood lines, preserved in large part by the perseverance of Mr. Nicolas Broadbridge (Sallen) and Mrs. Betty Foster (Bredon). These are based on Turnbull's Blue—a Bearded Collie from pure working stock, registered in ISDS when ISDS still registered non-Border Collies. He sired three litters of registerable Bearded Collies.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

While the registered breed lines can be traced to a limited number of bloodlines, there are still many unregistered Bearded Collies in Scotland, some still working as herding dogs.<ref name=":1" />

The breed became popular during the last half of the 20th century—propelled, in part, by Potterdale Classic at Moonhill, a Bearded Collie who won Best in Show at [[Crufts]] in 1989. The Bearded Collie Club celebrated its [[Golden Jubilee]] in 2005.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==As pets==
[[File:Bearded collie and a rope.jpg|thumb|With a toy rope]]
The Bearded Collie ranks 140 out of 202 breeds in popularity in the United States, according to the [[American Kennel Club]]'s yearly breed ranking.<ref name="AKC-reg">{{cite web |author=Haid |first=Melanie |date=20 March 2025 |title=The Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2024 |url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-2024/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251006053140/https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-2024/ |archive-date=6 October 2025 |access-date=27 October 2025 |website=akc.org}}</ref> A Bearded Collie is best obtained from a reputable breeder or a dog rescue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beardedcollieclub.us/about-beardies/breeders/ |title=Breeders &#124; Bearded Collie Club of America |website=Beardedcollieclub.us |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=2016-05-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/tips/finding_good_dog_breeder.html |title=How to Find a Good Dog Breeder : The Humane Society of the United States |access-date=January 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122155727/http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/tips/finding_good_dog_breeder.html |archive-date=November 22, 2009 }}</ref> There are Bearded Collie rescue associations, such as Bearded Collie Rescue<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beardedcollieclub.us/rescue/ |title=Rescue &#124; Bearded Collie Club of America |website=Beardedcollieclub.us |date=6 October 2012 |access-date=2016-05-19}}</ref> and "Rescue Me".

Bearded Collies make excellent pets for those willing to accommodate their high energy level - they are very enthusiastic and have a bouncy nature. They also require regular grooming; weekly brushing is mandatory for keeping their long hair mat-free. Some Bearded Collie owners opt to keep their pets in a "puppy cut" haircut, which reduces the need for brushing. Bearded Collies are an energetic breed, originally intended to work in the [[Scottish Highlands]] herding sheep; they also excel at [[treibball]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBJ9DVp9dyM |title=Treibball |publisher=YouTube |date=2007-08-28 |access-date=2016-05-19}}</ref> [[dog agility]] and [[Obedience trial]]s.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==Working life==
[[File:BoomtownDalwhinnie.jpg|thumb|Herding sheep]]
The Bearded Collie is used to herd both [[sheep]] and [[cattle]]. It is essentially a [[working dog]] — bred to be hardy and reliable, able to stand up to the harshest conditions and the toughest sheep. The working Bearded Collie has become less common in the last few decades and risked dying out.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Herding instincts and tractability can be assessed in noncompetitive herding tests. Bearded Collies exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.<ref name="Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor">{{cite book|first1 = Jeanne Joy | last1 = Hartnagle-Taylor | first2 = Ty | last2 = Taylor |year = 2010|title=Stockdog Savvy|publisher=Alpine Publications|isbn=978-1-57779-106-5}}</ref>

==Health==
[[File:BeardedCollie.jpg|thumb|A three-year-old dog]]
The size of an average litter is seven pups.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Mortality===
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.9 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for [[Mongrel|crossbreeds]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1=McMillan | first1=Kirsten M. | last2=Bielby | first2=Jon | last3=Williams | first3=Carys L. | last4=Upjohn | first4=Melissa M. | last5=Casey | first5=Rachel A. | last6=Christley | first6=Robert M. | title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=14 | issue=1 | date=2024-02-01 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w | page=531| pmid=38302530 | pmc=10834484 | bibcode=2024NatSR..14..531M }}</ref>

Leading causes of death amongst Bearded Collies in a 2004 Kennel Club survey were old age (26%), cancer (19%), cerebrovascular disease (9%), and [[chronic kidney failure]] (8%).<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Adams | first1=V. J. | last2=Evans | first2=K. M. | last3=Sampson | first3=J. | last4=Wood | first4=J. L. N. | title=Methods and mortality results of a health survey of purebred dogs in the UK | journal=Journal of Small Animal Practice | volume=51 | issue=10 | date=2010-10-01 | doi=10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.00974.x | pages=512–524| pmid=21029096 }}</ref>

===Morbidity===
Further existing breed dispositions of the Bearded Collie include: Dermatological conditions, such as [[Pemphigus foliaceus|pemphigus foliaceous]] and [[Alopecia|black skin disease]], [[Canine follicular dysplasia|follicular dysplasia]], musculoskeletal conditions such as congenital [[Joint dislocation|elbow luxation]], ocular conditions, such as [[corneal dystrophy]], [[cataract]] and generalized progressive [[retinal atrophy]] (GPRA).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Breed predispositions to disease in dogs and cats|last=Gough, Thomas|date=2008|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-1405107488|location=Oxford, UK|pages=23|oclc=53231203}}</ref>

===Hypoadrenocorticism===
{{main|Hypoadrenocorticism in dogs}}
Hypoadrenocorticism (also known as Addison's disease) is an inherited disease in Bearded Collies, although the mechanism of inheritance is not known.<ref name="Scott-M 2014">{{cite book|last1=Scott-Moncrieff|first1=JC|editor1-last=Feldman|editor1-first=EC|editor2-last=Nelson|editor2-first=RW|editor3-last=Reusch|editor3-first=CE|editor4-last=Scott-Moncrieff|editor4-first=JCR|title=Canine and feline endocrinology|date=2014|publisher=Saunders Elsevier|isbn=978-1-4557-4456-5|pages=485–520|edition=4th|chapter=Chapter 12: Hypoadrenocorticism}}</ref> It occurs when the adrenal cortex produces insufficient [[glucocorticoid]] and/or [[mineralocorticoid]] hormones. It affects approximately 2–3.4% of Bearded Collies in the USA/Canada,<ref name="Beardie Club">{{cite web|url=http://www.beaconforhealth.org/HealthSurveys.htm |title=1996 Bearded Collie Health Survey. Presented as part of the BCCA Health Committee Annual Report for 1997–1998. (But report suggests survey was not sponsored by BCCA. Not clear exactly who to cite.). Although called a 1996 health survey, the data apparently come from surveys submitted in 1997 and 1998 |website=Beaconforhealth.org |access-date=July 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813043739/http://www.beaconforhealth.org/HealthSurveys.htm |archive-date=August 13, 2007 }}</ref> and causes the death of at least 1% of Bearded Collies in the UK.<ref name="KC Survey">{{cite web |url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570 |title=Purebred Breed Health Survey 2004 • The Kennel Club |website=Thekennelclub.org.uk |access-date=2016-05-19 |archive-date=2013-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813043548/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These are much higher percentages than for the general dog population (0.1%), and hypoadrenocorticism causes a disproportionate number of deaths among young dogs.<ref name="Beardie Club"/>

==References==
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{{Pastoral dogs}}
{{Scottish dogs}}
{{Scottish animal breeds}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:FCI breeds]]
[[Category:Herding dogs]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Scotland]]