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"
|