What Is A Border Collie?
A Border Collie is a type of herding dog developed by
shepherds and sheep farmers during the last hundred
years or so in the border country between England
and Scotland. It is characterized by its ability to move
large or small numbers of sheep in a silent, controlled
manner in complete co-operation with its master. The
open, hilly countryside in this area has always had a
huge population of sheep, and until recent years, a
great number of shepherds to care for them. Now,
with modem handling equipment, vaccines and drugs,
one shepherd is expected to do the work formerly
undertaken by five shepherds. Without his sheepdogs
this would be quite impossible, indeed without dogs it
would never have been possible to herd and control
sheep in this type of countryside with its vast hilly
headlands intersected by valleys and streams.
The shepherds would obviously breed from the most
efficient dogs, those who collected and moved the
sheep with the least stress and damage to the flocks,
yet who would stand up to obstinate and difficult
stock, and who were trainable and ready to obey
commands. A most useful asset possessed by many
of these border working collies was the power of “the
eye”, the ability to control the sheep by staring at
them in a fixed and steady manner. Dogs with the
right amount of “eye” can keep their sheep bunched
together well when driving them and thus avoid a
great deal of “flanking,” or running from one side to
the other. This in turn keeps the sheep calmer and so
they are less fatigued.
Typical Border Country. Photo: Frank Moyes.
The black rough coated dog with white collar, white
chest and white tail-tip was known at least 200 years
ago and was described by the famous Northumbrian
naturalist and wood-engraver, Thomas Bewick, in his
book “Natural History” printed in 1790; and the dog
was featured in many of the small wood-engravings
used in his books. North of the border, the poet
Robert Burns also described a black sheepdog with a
white collar in one of his poems, so it is evident that
this type of dog has been in the border area for many
years. It was generally known as the “Working Collie”
to distinguish it from the developing show (Lassie)
type collie which started to flourish from 1860 when
the first dog show to include farm collies took place in
Newcastle. There were only five entrants, four
“English Sheepdogs” and one pure Scottish bitch who
took the first prize.
The Working Collie was bred for one purpose only in
those days - for work. There was probably occasional
cross-breeding with other good working farm dogs
such as the Beardies, drover dogs, Pointers and
Gordon Setters. In the days when rabbits were
plentiful, many a sheepdog proved to be readily
trainable as a successful gun-dog, and photographs
taken in the early part of this century often show
sheepdogs with very large ears set out the head and
shaped more like a setter’s. Crossing with efficient
Beardies was more usual in those days; and up to the
1960 - 1970’s, it was not uncommon to have the odd
puppy in a litter of Border Collies throw back to the
Beardie type. Some smaller sharp-faced collies are
so fox-like in their looks and behavior I often wonder if
there has been some fox blood introduced at some
time in the past, but perhaps this is just a type that
throws back to its jackal ancestors.
It is not surprising that there are several different
types of present day working Border Collie with such
a mixed ancestry in their background; and that in a
litter of pure-bred puppies, not one may be alike.
Even the introduction of the International Sheep Dog
Society’s Stud Books, which has registered dogs from
1908 onwards has not standardised the working
Border Collie either in appearance or temperament.
An attempt was made in the 1930’s to standardise
them, and prizes were given at shows held after
sheepdog trials for dogs or bitches of the best type.
The late J.A. Reid who was secretary of the I.S.D.S.
from 1915-- 1948 worked hard to promote the
Working Collie and it was largely through his efforts
that it became generally known as the “Border Collie”
after the Second World War.
In tracing the history and breeding of the key dogs
back to the first dogs recorded in the ISDS Stud
Books, it became apparent that there were at least
four main types of Border Collie. All were highly
successful in their work, all originating from the
border country, and therefore all were true “Border
Collies”. There is no way of proving which of these
was the “original” type, and for the working collie, it
really does not matter. On the contrary the variation in
types will help to keep vigour in the breed and slow
down the narrowing of breeding lines.
“The Shepherds Dog” by Thomas Bewick, circa
1785.
In appearance there is a great deal of variation in the
Border Collie. They can be rough-coated or smoothcoated, and many have a silky textured coat half way
between the rough and smooth types, usually termed
“semi-rough” or “medium” coated. The colour can be
black and white, black, white and tan, all black, all
white; and now seen in increasing numbers, brown
and white. The all-black dog is said to make the
sheep nervous because he flits about near them like
a shadow, and- the all white dog is not so popular
because the sheep do not have much respect for it.
Most of the coloured dogs have the typical white
collar, a white breast, a white tip to the tail, a white
blaze on the face and white feet. The dark colour with
the white markings show up the dog well when it is
working at a distance on the hill.
Old Hemp, the progenitor of the present day
registered Border Collies, was sired by very different
types of parent; and their characteristics have
persisted in the breed to the present day. The dam
was very black, “strong-eyed” and reticent, the sire
was black, white and tan with very little “eye” and
good natured. Old Hemp was a most powerful, keen
worker with sheep and fascinating to watch working
sheep. He sired over 200 puppies.
To help describe the-main types of Border Collies I
have named them: ‘The Northumbrian type”,
the.‘Wiston Cap type”, the “Nap Type” and the
“Herdman’s Tommy type”. Of course there are many
who do not fit into any, particular type, and there are
the black-and-tan collies such as Bagshot’s’ Lad and
W. Hardisty’s Jim, but they are not very, common
nowadays.
Old Hemp is of the Northumbrian type and so are
Armstrong’s Sweep, W.J, Hislop’s Sweep, R.S.
Fraser’s Mindrum Nell, G. Rogeron’s Nell, Tot
Longton’s Rob, Tony Iley’s Jace and E. Griffith’s
Craig.
The Wiston Cap type developed from J.M. Wilson’s
wartime Cap and his offspring, concentrated through
the most popular stud dog, Wiston Cap. These dogs
have a great deal more white on their chest and
forelegs and most have a tremendous natural outrun
and a biddable nature.
The “Nap” type is smooth coated, very fast and with
abounding energy and power. I thought it started from
Whitehope Nap, but found that J. Purdie had an
identical type dog called WuIl which he exported to
America, and W. Telfer had an outstanding bitch
called
Queen,
twice
Supreme
International
Champion; though very black coated it was a similar
type. I would think it is most probable that the
Australian Kelpie has descended from this type.
The Herdmán’s Tommy type, black, white and tan,
very good natured, must have come from Old Hemp’s
sire, Tommy’s great grandsire. It includes such dogs
as Dick Hughes’ famous driving dog Jaff, W.J. Evans’
Roy, Alan Jones’ Roy; H.J. Worthington’s Hemp and
Mrs. E.B. Carpenter’s Brocken Robbie.
J. Gilchrist’s Spot II was a very handsome longcoated, dog with a great deal -of white on his body;
but his offspring are so often crossbred with the
Wiston Cap-line’ it’s not easy to distinguish the two by
looks, though some will argue that the temperament
of the Gilchrist Spot offspring was more reliable.