GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 46-53cm (18”-21”).
Colour: Black/white, blue/white, chocolate/white or tricolour.
Coat: Outercoat long and dense. Undercoat short and thick.
Gait: Fore and hindlegs move straight and effortlessly with strong hind propulsion.
Smaller than the Collie, the Border Collie has a shorter head and a broader flat skull with the oval eyes set midway in the head. The ears are set well apart and are ‘V’ shaped with the tips dropping forward. The strong neck runs into a moderately long back with broad loins and deep flanks. Fore and hindquarters are well angulated with front pasterns slightly sloping in profile. The low set tail can have an upward swirl but must never be carried over the back.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE 
While not aggressive, Border Collies make alert watchdogs. Being most amenable to training, they excel in obedience and sheepdog tria-ls. Due to their friendly disposition, they make first class companions and family friends. Coats are easy to maintain, but regular brushing is required to remove dead hair.
HISTORY
Around the border counties of England, Scotland and Wales, from about the 16th century, farmers concentrated in developing a top class sheep worker with a natural instinct for keeping their charges together. To this end, they succeeded in producing an all round dog excelling in stamina, brains and sensitive to every gesture made by their master. Once known as the English Shepherd, Border Collies were evolved from smooth coated collies, a longer coated black/white collie and the Bearded Collie. The word Collie is believed to be a corruption of the words ‘colley’ or ‘coalie’ meaning a black faced sheep.