TO THAT SO UNKNOWN IN SPAIN

"THE BORDER COLLIE"

The Border Collie, is not only a magnificent sheepdog, but also a great family  dog to live with, thanks to his incalculable intelligence which sometimes  looks almost human.

In Spain seems that Border Collies are only useful to work with sheep or to compete in Agility. People which want a dog only to work, they think all of them are the same. In any breed the dog’s structure is very important to move well. In our days there are many Border Collies in our country, but a big average are quite bad for this breed. People thinks that a beauty Border Collie, should only be used for Shows, but I must say that it only exists one standard for this breed (it does not exist a different standard for working dogs). Some people speculate with breeds, particularly when there are in a popular moment, and others they make a good selection.

People which only work with Borders they think that taking a Border to a Beauty Show is like cancelling its working instinct, but unfortunately there are people that for physical reasons they cannot make agility. I can tell you that exhibit a Border in a Show is even more difficult than doing agility, as a Border what mostly likes is moving and have fun, so keeping a Border stand still in a show, is a great work, therefore I consider that beauty does not goes against working. Furthermore, people that we look for beauty, we also improve his body in order that they get good and harmonic qualities in general, the elasticity of his body is as much important as its beauty and character, to get a good quality live in the future.

There is also another problem: people who thinks that Border Collies, due that there are excellent working dogs, in a short time they will do all what the want. Borders are very especial, as all the Collie family, one must give time to the Border, and it must exist a good communication between him and his owner, like if they were father and son. Once we get this communication with our Border, we’ll get excellent results in all aspects.

Borders are great family dogs, they love children. Although while they are young are like naughty boys because they are all the time active and do not want to be bored, once are not teenagers anymore we wouldn’t change them for anything else in the world.

If you have decided to buy a Border Collie, do not look only its price, take into account that it is not something to use and throw away. He will share many years with you. Allow that experts in this breed give you their opinion, people who take special care to his Borders when breeding them these first months of their lives, so important for a Border. If you can see the puppy’s parents, even better, as the temperament of the parents influences on their pups, it is a genetic transference. We must also see the reproduction of these parents, as sometimes there are beautiful dogs with a bad reproduction. That’s the genetic, so important when we decide what are we going to breed, although some people thinks that a dog’s pedigree is just a number, but it isn’t; it is his birth certificate where you can see the genealogy and therefore be able to choose the best dogs for future breeding. Unfortunately in Spain this concept seems that is not important for people who just wants to buy a dog, and this could make that in next years the quality of our dogs decreases in front of the rest of Europe.

Border Collies have a maximum size of 53 cm tall for males, and a bit less for bitches, There is a big colour varieties, although the most known is black & white, the other colours are: blue merle, blue colour with black spots, which can also have a bit of red in their face; blue & white, which is a grey-blue with the same definition as black & whites; we also have tricolour with black & white coat, with a bit of red in their face; then there are reds, a similar colour to clay, etc..

This explanation about Border Collie, is mi personal opinion as a Collie breeder who loves this breed and have been sharing my days with them since many years ago, and in fact it is a breed which surprise me every day.

If you’d like to live these experiences and if it is your breed, go on, enjoy it!

Juana Martínez "Mafalda´s"