The Bearded Collie is a very old sheep herding breed originating in Scotland. Few records were kept in the early days, however, so its exact history and development is not known. The term 'collie' is generally thought to refer to sheep or denote a sheep herding dog, much like the term 'terrier' refers to the go-to-ground job those breeds were bred for, rather than indicating any genetic relationship among the various Collie breeds. Nearly dying out in the early half of the 1900s, the breed was saved from extinction and resurrected from just a handful of dogs. Beardies were officially recognized as a breed in Canada and allowed to compete in the show ring in 1970, and in the U.S. in 1977.

Beardies are happy-go-lucky characters - friendly exuberant and fun loving, silly and sweet, but with the intelligence and determination of a serious working dog. They are always thinking, often trying to manipulate situations to their own benefit, and can at times be very sensitive too. Visit the Temperament page for more about Beardie personality. 

Beardies are a breed of moderation rather than extremes. There are no dramatic distinguishing features as you might find in other breeds such as pushed in faces, extreme height or weight, very short legs, droopy eyes, etc., which often predispose those breeds to certain health problems. Although modern grooming techniques and breeding for longer, more profuse coats have changed the look of the breed somewhat, the basis is still a medium-sized, natural, shaggy dog. Tails are never docked (this is one way to tell them apart from the tailless Old English Sheepdog, which Beardies are often mistaken for by the general public) and ears are never cropped. Viewed from the side Beardies are rectangular in shape - longer than they are tall by a 5:4 ratio. One notable distinguishing feature of a Beardie is the sweet, bright, enquiring expression - hard to describe but when one is familiar with it it's unmistakable!

The coat is long and hangs down flat to the body. It takes several years to go from the short, soft, fluffy puppy coat to the typical adult coat. In between comes the adolescent 'uglies' when puppy coat is shed and the adult coat still has to grow. 'Scraggly' is probably the most descriptive term for the coat at this stage! As with any long-coated breed they require regular grooming to keep them mat-free. For more information visit the Grooming page.

For additional information on Beardies, visit the following links:

	Bearded Collie Club of Canada
	Bearded Collie Club of America
	The Bearded Collie Club (UK)
	What is a Bearded Collie by Chris Walkowicz
	The Bearded Collie FAQ (frequently asked questions) Click on Breeds, then Beardies