Bearded Collie

A Bearded Collie is a working type of a dog originating from Scotland. It is a medium sized dog and is now primarily used as a pet. There are few places where these dogs are still kept as working dogs. Originally they were developed to be herding dogs and they would mostly watch for sheep or cattle.


Fawn Bearded Collie

They are very loveable in nature and make for excellent pets. Their high energy which they have inherited from sheep herding is not easily matched, but if you are willing to do so a Bearded Collie will be an excellent pet for you. Also, another name given to a Bearded Collie is the Beardie.

Bearded Collie History & Origins

The origin of the Bearded Collie breed is a combination of fact and fiction. The fictional part starts way back in 1514 when a Polish merchant named Kazimierz Grabski traded as shipment of grain for sheep in Scotland. To help him move the good he brought six Polish Lowland Sheepdogs with him. The Scottish traded was so impressed with the ability that these dogs portrayed that he immediately traded a bunch of sheep for these dogs. From there on, these dogs were mixed with some local Scottish sheep dog which eventually produced a Bearded Collie.


Blue Bearded Collie

But a more grounded origin story supported by historical facts is related to Mrs. G. Olive Willison, who is considered as the founded of the modern Bearded Collie. Mrs. Willison was supposed to get a Shetland Sheepdog, but by mistake ended up getting a Bearded Collie named Jeanine. But Mrs. Willison was so fascinated with the ability that the dog displayed that she immediately decided to breed them. She found a suitable partner in called David. The male dog was later renamed as Baillie.  As history sees it now, Bailie and Jeannie of Bothkennar are the modern founders of the Bearded Collie breed.

Characteristics & Temperament

A Bearded Collie is in so many ways a good pet. This dog is courageous, resourceful, confident and smart. But they are also filled with energy and like jumping around and generally having fun. They run around and like playing, which also makes them really good with children. As long as they have somebody to play, a Beardie will be happy. But one bad characteristic is that they are independent thinkers which makes them hard to train. This does not make it impossible though, but you do need to choose a good method in order to train them well.


Bearded Collie Running

Puppy Bearded Collies are really curios and their temperament may depend on various factors. In order to train them well you should provide them with lots of new experiences and allow them early socialization. Due to their high energy, they also need lots of exercises. Sometimes a walk would suffice, but they prefer running around more. Playing with them on a daily basis is also a good choice for them.

Bearded Collie Appearance, Colors, Size

When it comes to size, a Bearded Collie is a medium to small kind of a dog. The most that they can grow to amounts to between 1 foot 8 inches and 1 foot 10 inches. The weight of these dogs also is around 45 to 55 pounds.


Black Bearded Collie

The coat of a Beardie is usually harsh, flat and strong. Their outer coats are also pretty shaggy and this is what actually characterizes these dogs. The undercoat is soft and fury. The Beardie also has long hair on the cheeks, lower lip and under the chin, which accounts for its name. There are several color variations that you can count on having and they include black, brown, blue and fawn and they all come without any markings.


The medium lifespan of a Bearded Collie is calculated to be about 12 years. But some organizations put it at 14 as the maximum amount of years that a Beardie can incur. These dogs are also considered as pretty healthy as the usual cause of death for these dogs is mostly old age. After that comes cancer, cerebrovascular disease and chronic kidney failure. Another big problem for Beardies is hypoadrenocorticism which also has to be considered. But the best way to avoid any problems with your dog is to give it all the necessary vaccines and take it to the vet regularly.

Bearded Collie Grooming & Shedding

The shaggy look of a Bearded Collie immediately explains what type of a dog you are looking at. It does shed and the shedding only gets highest during transitional periods. They shed pretty heavily once a year and during that period you have to make sure to brush them much more often. When it comes to regular maintenance, brushing your dog a few times a week is necessary. They takes care of their coat and keeps it neat. You will untangle the hair and remove the dead ones that way. But luckily, bathing your Beardie is not really necessary. You can do it annually or when needed.

Price and Breeders

A Bearded Collie is a pretty useful type of a breed. Since then make great working dogs and also very valuable pets, their price is pretty high. These dogs are also very useful for a whole bunch of circumstances so price that spans between 1,500 and 2,500 USD is pretty normal.


Bearded Collie Puppies

Bearded Collie Rescue

Sine Bearded Collies are not so cheap to get, there are other, cheaper ways to obtain one. This allows you to adopt a dog which is a quality one and which will offer everything that a dog that you buy would. The most popular and the most reliable associations to contact in this case include Bearded Collie Rescue and “Rescue Me.” They will provide you with everything you need when rescuing a Bearded Collie.

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