History of the Border Collies can be traced back to last three centuries.These remarkable dogs have always been loyal to their owners and their line of work.
They are also the most intelligent dog breed in the dog kingdom.Let us dive into more interesting Border Collie facts and its history lineage.
Border Collies are super smart, energetic dogs. They’re medium-sized dogs with a strong, athletic build and a soft coat.
Most of them are black and white, but they can also be other colors.
They were originally bred for herding live stocks, especially sheep, and they still have strong instincts for that today.
Their agility, focus, and quick learning abilities make them excel in various dog sports and activities, form agility trials to obedience competitors.
Their eyes are another hallmark, and they often have one blue and one brown eye, or both eyes might be different shades of brown.
Border Collies thrive on mental and physical stimulations. Without enough activity, they can become bored and may display unwanted behaviors like excessive barking or digging.
Also, they require a lot of training and early socialization. Let’s get some more information on the History of the Border Collie.
Contents
Origin of the Border Collie
Before looking into the history of the border collie, first, take a look at the origin of this magnificent breed. Many dog lovers are unaware of the origin of the border collie breed.Through our extensive research, we have tried to give you accurate information.
The origin of the modern border collie is linked to Old Hemp.
Who was Old Hemp ?
Old Hemp was a stud dog. He was born on 1st September 1893 in West Woodburn in Northumberland.
His owner was Adam Telfer. Old Hemp was mostly engaged in herding sheep. Also, both parents of Old Hemp were sheepdogs.
Old Hemp’s herding style impressed many, including his owner., which was stealthy herding of sheep that were too well-mannered. It is said that he had never undergone any training for herding sheep.
This style of Old Hemp came to be recognized as ‘Border Collie Style.’
Hemp is widely considered the Father of the Border Collies breed. In his lifetime, he sired as many as 200 pups. Old Hemp passed away in May 1901.
History of the Border Collie dog
The history of the Border Collie can be traced back to Roman times. At that time, there was no proper Border Collie dog breed. Border Collie ancestors were brought to Britain by the Roman army and later by Vikings when they invaded England at different times.
First, Romans invaded England in 43 A.D., and along with them, they brought big, powerful, energetic herding dogs to herd their vast cattle. Eventually, the big dogs acclimatize to the new environment.
Romans invading England
Later, the Vikings in 793 A.D brought along their own herding dogs, which were small in size, just in the shape of a spitz dog.
Vikings invading England
Both these large dogs and small dogs were interbred, and the result was a medium-sized dog, which we know today as Border Collie.
So the Border Collie history starts in England or British breed of herding dogs. A proper origin comes from the Anglo-Scottish Border.
How did the Border Collie get its Name ?
As the name suggests, sure, it is related to some border thing. Border Collie’s name is a mixup of terms of place and language. ‘Border’ name comes from a place of origin along the Anglo-Scottish border, and the word ‘Collie’ comes from Scott’s language.
However, James Reid, Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS), was the first to coin the term ‘Border Collie‘ in 1915 to distinguish the Border Collie breed from Rough Collie and Smooth Collie.
Border Collie’s original purpose
The original purpose of Border Collie was to herd sheep. They are mainly sheepdogs, so herding and guiding cattle is their basic instinct.
A Border Collie in action.
Their style of herding cattle, taking commands from their owners through hand signals and whistles, their restlessness, working non-stop, their intelligence, etc all these qualities made them a HERDING dog.
Today, we can see Border Collies in different prospects. Today, Border Collie is seen working alongside Police Forces to sniff out drugs and bomb detection. They are also used for rescue missions as well.
They are very good Guide dogs, too, for blind individuals.
History of the Border Collie Timeline
Timeline of the Border Collie dates back to the 1700s. Since then, they have been primarily occupied with cattle herding and guiding.
They have been a formidable help for farmers and shepherds who used to have vast stretches of land. And from the 1800s, they came to be recognized for their intelligence, agility, endurance, and working ability.
Fun Facts about Border Collies
Are you giving a thought to owning a Border Collie? Well, they are very intelligent and smart. They are known as ‘Einstein of the Canine World, how about that.
Due to their high intelligence, they require mental stimulation very much as well.
They are very famous and loved in the UK, New Zealand, and the United States as well. They are like toddlers, ready to learn everything around them. Also, they are always ready to please their owners.
They come in different colors, too. Sometimes, also in three color patterns like tan, white, and black
Colors are black and white, which are common. Other colors are white, blue, red merle, blue merle, brindle, lilac, chocolate, sable merle, black, blue tri-color, red, gold, lilac merle, seal, slate merle, etc.
They also have an odd eye combination, which is called Heterochromia.
Their lifespan is 10 to 12 years. With good care, they also live up to 18 years of age.
Border Collie is a highly vocal dog. And due to their intelligence, they can remember a high number of vocabulary words taught to them. They learn new commands and tricks very fast.
If you don’t train them mentally as well as physically, they can be pretty destructive as well. Daily, they require approximately 2 hours of running or any workout.
Border Collies are very good with children with proper training and handling. In fact, they have the brain of a toddler level. They were even loved by Queen Victoria.
Border Collies are excellent watchdogs. They also have great agility and high energy, due to which they are starting to appear on agility shows.
FAQ
When did the Border Collie Originate ?
Border Collies originated back during the 1700s on the borders of England and Scotland.
Where does the Border Collie Originate from ?
Border Collies were originated from Anglo-Scottish borders.
How did the Border Collie get its Name
The word Border comes from anglo-scottish border, while the word Collie from the old Celtic word Useful
When was the Border Collie first Bred
Border Collies have been bred for centuries, so they have improved a lot. They have been around since the1700s.
What breeds did the Border Collie come From
The roots of the border collies can be traced back to dogs, which were brought by Romans and the Vikings to England.
Conclusion
In the above article, we have tried our best to deliver you the correct information on the history of the border collie and hope we have answered the questions for you.
We would like to hear you out if you have any additional information that you can share with us, we would really appreciate it. This was an article on the history of the border collie and we have covered other related aspects as well.
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