Where the Border Collie came from
The Border Collie comes from the hills along the border of Scotland and England. Shepherds there wanted a dog that could gather sheep over rough ground with quiet skill, not noise.
Most Border Collies today trace back to a dog named Old Hemp, born in 1893 in Northumberland, England. Old Hemp worked sheep with a calm, intense stare, and that style spread through the breed. The first recorded sheepdog trials were held in Bala, Wales, in 1873, and the International Sheep Dog Society formed in 1906.
The breed still works farms around the world, and also excels in sports like agility and obedience. The AKC recognized the breed in 1995. Many pet homes struggle with how much brain and energy these dogs have.
- 1873 The first recorded sheepdog trials are held in Bala, Wales
- 1893 Old Hemp, the founding sire of the modern working type, is born in Northumberland
- 1906 The International Sheep Dog Society is founded
- 1995 AKC recognizes the Border Collie
The job a Border Collie was bred for
A herding dog spent long days far from the shepherd, reading the sheep and moving them with eye contact and quiet runs. That is why many Border Collies stare, stalk, crouch and try to herd kids, cars and other pets. They also need a job, or they invent one.
Sports that fit a Border Collie
- Herding. The breed was built for it and still leads in trials
- Agility. Fast, eager to work with a handler, and very trainable
- Scent work. Gives a busy mind a calm, focused job
- Obedience. Quick learners who love precise tasks
- Treibball. Lets a herding dog push big balls instead of people
Training tips for a Border Collie
- Give a daily job and brain games so the mind is tired, not only the body.
- Reward calm moments, since this breed can get stuck on staring and chasing.
- Teach a settle on a mat early, and pay for it often.
- Practice around movement like bikes and cars, rewarding eye contact with you instead of the moving thing.
Body and health
Very athletic, but hard running and constant ball chasing can wear out joints and build obsession. Mix in rest days and mental work.
Fun fact. In Stanley Coren's book on dog intelligence, which ranks breeds by how well they learn and obey commands, the Border Collie came in first.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Border Collie is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.