Bearded Collie

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Familiarly known as the 'Beardie', the Bearded Collie virtually disappeared as a working dog, but was revived in 1944.

The Bearded Collie, or "Beardie" as he is known to his fanciers, is a medium-sized, agile, herding dog with a shaggy coat and an ever-wagging tail. He is an ancestor of the Old English Sheepdog, and the family resemblance is obvious.

The Beardie has a broad head, short muzzle and a shaggy coat all over his body, even under the chin (hence the name "Beardie"). Beneath the dense, weatherproof outer coat lies a thick, soft undercoat. Its head and teeth are large.

The eyes are wide set and harmonious in color with its coat, set high on its head and pendent. The ears lie close to the head and the tail is long and carried low unless the dog is excited.

The Beardie is robust, hardy and active, but not massive. The color of the coat changes several times over the life of the dog. Puppies are generally born black, brown, fawn or blue.

The puppy coat then fades to light gray or cream. As the dogs reach maturity, they darken again to their adult coat in any of the four colors, black, brown, blue, or fawn. The final coat color is somewhere between the puppy coat and the yearling coat.

Temperament: Lively, Alert, Self-confidence, Hardy, Active, Intelligent

Other names: Beardie

Health Problems: Prone to hip dysplasia. Their dense coat may conceal external parasite infestation.