KNOWING THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF DOGS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS WILL INSURE THAT YOU GET THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOUR FAMILY AND SITUATION

Today we’ll start with 10 traits of the Border Collie.  Known best for their herding abilities they may not be the best fit for you.

Modern Border Collies originated from one dog,  Old Hemp,  who was born in 1893 and sired over 200 offspring.  The name Border Collie actually comes right from their origins:  the border part comes from where they were initially bred in Northumberland,  on the border of Scotland and England;  the collie part comes from the Celtic word colley,  meaning useful or faithful.

The Romans originated the herding dog,  who then brought them to the British Isles,  but originally being from Northern Africa they couldn’t cope with the cold very well.  Eventually,  invading Vikings bred their dogs with the existing crosses between the larger Roman and smaller British dogs.  By the 16th century,  these crossbreedings had led to a variety of herding dogs,  such as the rough collie,  Shetland sheepdog,  and bearded collie.

They are unbelievably smart and are often considered the smartest breed of dog.  They can learn to understand a large number of words,  as well as hand gestures and whistles.  The main drawback of all these is that they can become easily bored or frustrated if they don’t receive proper mental stimulation.  More than other breed groups,  herding dogs need jobs in order to feel fulfilled,  which is why things like agility or herding training can be so useful for them.

Because of their skills at learning human words for objects quickly,  Border collies have been studied by linguists,  who have determined that they have communication skills that even our closes primate relatives don’t have.

And speaking of vocabulary,  the Border collie Chaser is said to have the largest vocabulary of any non-human animal,  at a 1,000 words.

Besides herding they can also excel at doing search and rescue work,  as therapy dogs,  and as “goose masters,”  trained to chase away geese such as at airports.

Border collies are known for the “crouch” and “stare” – their ability to move while staying low to the ground,  and the intense look they will give to the animals they’re herding in order to control them.

The breed has been popular with royalty and celebrities over the years.  James Dean’s Border collie Tuck was famous while the actor was living.  James Franco,  who once played James Dean in the eponymous 2001 TV movie,  is also a big fan of the breed.

Although they’ve experienced a slight uptick in popularity in recent years,  Border collies still rank only 38 on the most popular breeds list.  That could be because they require a lot of energy and activity on the part of their owners and,  while easy to train,  they can also quickly learn bad habits if not taught early.

I don’t know if this has actually taken place yet,  but although she disappeared decades ago,  the mystery of what happened to Amelia Earhart and her navigator Freed Noonan,  is if they survived and lived out their lives.  Based on a recently discovered photograph that may have shown them still living,  a quartet of Border collies –  Berkeley,  Piper,  Marcy,  and Kayle – were going to be sent to the island they are believed to have crashed on to try and locate the remains.  Known as “human remains detection dogs,”  they can sniff out bones buried up to nine feet down and up to 1,500 years ago.

AMERICAN TEMPERAMENT TEST SOCIETY,  INC

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