Border Collie

photo by: C.-MacMillan

FCI-Standard N° 297 / 08. 09. 1988

ORIGIN : Great-Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 08.09.1988.
UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.

CLASSIFICATION FCI :
Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).

Section 1 Sheepdogs.

With working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :
Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.

CHARACTERISTICS :
Tenatious, hardworking sheepdog, of great tractability.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT :
Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.

HEAD & SKULL :
Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In blues, nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed.

MOUTH :
Teeth and jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaw.

EYES :
Set wide apart, oval shaped of moderate size, Brown in colour except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.

EARS :
Medium size and texture, set well apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.

NECK :
Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders.

BODY :
Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.

TAIL :
Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing the graceful contour and balance of dog. The tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over the back.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :
Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone strong but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.

HINDQUARTERS :
Broad, muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear.

FEET :
Oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched close together. Nails short and strong.

GAIT/MOVEMENT :
Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of the feet, conveying the impression of the ability to move with great stealth and speed.

BODY :
Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.

COAT :

Two varieties : 1) Moderately long; 2) Smooth.

In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense, giving good weather resistance. In moderate long coat variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, the hair is short and smooth.

COLOUR :
Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.

SIZE :

Dogs: 53 cm (21 ins); bitches: slightly less.

FAULTS :
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportions to its degree.

NOTE : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.