posted by Savanah on Aug 11
When I was staying in a Borders Hotel in England, I learned that Border Collies originated in the border areas of England and Scotland. I never thought about that that’s how those dogs got there name. I was in a pub listening to all the locals go on and on about their favorite work dog. This brought back forgotten memories of the Border Collie my parents had when I was born until he died when I turned 6 years of age.
This premiere sheepherding dog is renown for their ability to move sheep in silence and in a very controlled manner, but all at the orders of their master. How the collie heard is with their eyes. They control the livestock by staring at them in a fixed and steady manner. Theory has it that the Border Collie breed was developed from a cross between the progenitor of the Finnish Spitz and the Roman Drover. Later on, were crossed with Setters, Beardies, Pointers and sight Hounds.
Traditionally, Border Collies have been bred solely for working. Due to the different terrains between the England lowlands and the Scottish highlands, stock farmers will raise different breeds of sheep based on the locality. The topography led to the varied physical attributes which are required for the collie to be an efficient worker. An example is in order to survive in the rugged hills and rocky crags of the highlands, the sheep had to be light and fast, so a good working dog in the highlands tended to have longer legs and leaner bodies than the slower, heavier lowland dogs which speed and agility was not required.
I learned a lot that night Border Collies that night in the Border pub. I remember, even at age 4, my Border Collie named Fasty, she would always sleep at the foot of my bed. Not on the bed, but on the floor. Come to think of it, when I would wake up in the morning, I remember her waiting for me to step out of bed, and then once I did, she would herd me. Ha! She always made sure I had the same routine, go to the bathroom then head for the kitchen table. If I strayed from this, like head for the kitchen first, she would run all around me, literally making me head for the bathroom first. Didn’t know humans were considered stock, but, after all, a Border Collie is a Border Collie.
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