Border Collie
Appearance
In general, Border Collies are medium-sized dogs without extreme physical characteristics and a moderate amount of coat, which means not much hair will be shed. Their double coats can be anywhere from slick to lush, and can come in many colours, although black and white is by far the most common. Black tricolour (black/tan/white or sable and white), red (chocolate) and white, and red tricolour (red/tan/white) also occur regularly, with other colours such as blue, lilac, red merle, blue merle, brindle and “Australian red”/gold seen less frequently. Border Collies may also have single-colour coats.
Height at withers: Males from 19 to 22 in (48 to 56 cm), females from 18 to 21 in (46 to 53 cm). (See various breed standards for details.)
Temperament
Border Collies are an intelligent breed. Intelligence according to research seems to be in areas of memory and learning but less in terms of problem solving abilities. The breed has an instinctive desire to work closely and intensely with a human handler. Although the primary role of the Border Collie is that of the working stock dog, dogs of this breed are becoming increasingly popular as pets.
True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very demanding, energetic pets that are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of play and exercise with humans or other dogs. Border collies are happiest with a job to do. However, a job to a border collie isn’t necessarily working livestock. An activity such as Frisbee, chasing and retrieving a ball, or just simply playing chase will suffice. As long as the border collie is in the herding/working position (crouched down, tail tucked between legs, eyes firmly fixed on the matter in hand) it considers it work. Border Collies are now also being used in showing, especially agility, where their speed and agility comes to good use.
Though they can be a wonderful choice for some households, Border Collies are not perfect pets for all people. For example, as with many working breeds, Border Collies can be motion-sensitive and may attempt to control the movements of family members, cats, bicycles, cars or anything else that moves if not given enough mental and physical stimulation. These dogs are also generally not suitable for households with small children. Many Border Collies that end up in shelters or rescue groups are there because owners, who may have been attracted by their appearance and intelligence, were not prepared to meet their dog’s daily activity needs.
For more information please click on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie
Other interesting sites include: http://www.bordercollietrustgb.org.uk/