Breed Information

Have you fallen in love with Border Collies? It’s easy to do!

Our first Border Collie, Cobber, arrived Easter 2010 and melted our hearts. So in love were we with the breed, that he was followed by Girlie in December 2010. Fast forward to August 2014, and we were joined by Tilly. As well as being a loved pet, she has gone on to become the first dog in our EYLESVIEW breeding program.  Tilly had a beautiful singleton on her second birthday in 2016, and it was decided that Mac was too gorgeous to go anywhere, and so she stayed on as part of the family.

While loved by Aussies all over, historically Border Collies weren’t an Australian dog. The breed originated from the far north of England, on the border of Scotland in the late 1800s, although they weren’t officially known as Border Collies until 1915. In 1901, the Border Collie made its way to Australia for the first time.

They were originally used as a working dog, and continue to carry those traits that were bred into them. In Australia, they have traditionally been used as a sheep dog, although their versatility has meant that they are as happy in the back yard as they are on the farm. It does however mean that the desire to work will always be present in your dog. The term “work” for a Border Collie simply means ‘having a job to do’. This ‘job’ could be working on a farm every day or it could be participating in dog sports such as agility, Frisbee or Rally-O. In fact, it could simply be carrying the paper back from the shop every morning.

It is this intelligence and their ingrained desire to learn and work for their owners that make Border Collies such great family members. Given time, love and training, they will respect you as ‘boss’ and will love being with you, hearing your voice and working hard to please you. They are also pretty good at giving the odd cuddle and kiss!!

Border Collies are great as indoor or outdoor dogs. They are sturdy, with a weather-resistant double coat which makes them highly suitable for outside. Their medium stature (approximately 50cm in height and 15-17kg) and love of lying quietly, observing their master make them perfect inside as well.

There are two different types of coat on a Border Collie – smooth and rough. A smooth coat is quite sleek and is approximately 2.5cm in length, whereas a rough coat can be up to 8cm long. Border Collies come in many colours, however the ANKC Breed Standard only recognises black and white, red and white, tri-colour (black/tan/white), chocolate and white, blue and white, and blue merle. Border Collies are known for their striking white collars (around the neck) and blaze (around the muzzle, between the eyes and up to the forehead).

A Border Collie is a wonderful investment in companionship and joy that will last ten to fourteen years.