The
Bearded Collie or Beardie is a herding breed
of dog, once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly
a popular family companion, bred almost exclusively for dog
shows. An average Bearded Collie weighs 40-60lbs and is 20-22
inches tall. Average litter size: 7
Bearded Collies as Pets
The Bearded Collie ranks 104 out of 155 breeds in popularity
in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club's
yearly publishing of breed rankings. A Bearded Collie is best
obtained from a reputable dog breeder or a dog rescue, not from
a pet store situation where dogs are bred specifically for profit.
Bearded Collies make excellent pets for those who are willing
to accommodate their high energy level and grooming requirements.
Weekly brushing is mandatory for keeping their long hair mat-free.
Some Bearded Collie owners opt to keep their pets in a "puppy
cut" haircut, which does reduce the need for brushing,
but does not eliminate it. Bearded Collies are a very high energy
breed, originally bred to work in the Scottish Highlands herding
sheep. Beardies also excel at dog agility trials. They also
prefer to be kept indoors with their families.
Working Life
The Bearded Collie was used to herd both sheep and cattle. As
such it is essentially a working dog, at one time bred to be
hardy and reliable, able to stand up to the harshest conditions,
and the toughest sheep. The "working bearded collie"
became less common in the last few decades and might have died
out, but thanks to the efforts of relatively few shepherds such
as Tom Muirhead and Peter Wood and breeders like Brian Plummer
the "working beardie" has survived and is becoming
more popular. It has been exported to Australia and the United
States, and finds favour among those looking for an independent
and intelligent sheep dog. The purpose of the Working Bearded
Collie Society is to preserve the working abilities of the non-registered
working dogs from 'bearded' ancestors. The web site Shepherds
with beardies contains a lot a valuable information on the few
remaining working beardies.
The KC registered bearded collie has fallen into disrepute
with the shepherds of Wales and Scotland (and elsewhere), because
of the show breeding communitys lack of attention to 'hardy
and reliable', and because of the tendency of show bred lines
to develop excessive coats. However, in some countries, notably
Sweden and the United States, herding programmes have been developed
for the breed. The breed clubs in those countries are these
days actively encouraging breeders to pay close attention to
non-exterior qualities.
It's possible the beardie gained its epithet of the 'bouncing
beardie' because dogs would work in thick undergrowth on the
hill, and would bounce to catch sight of the sheep, or because
of the characteristic way the beardie faces a stubborn ewe,
barking and bouncing on the forelegs. However that may be, the
typical bearded collie is an enthusiastic herding dog that needs
structure and fostering, and that moves stock using both body,
bark and bounce, should that be required. Very few beardies
show "eye" when working, most are quite upright.
Mortality
Median longevity of Bearded Collies from recent UK and USA/Canada
surveys (weighted average of all surveys) was 12.8 years, but
Bearded Collies in the UK surveys lived longer (median ~13.4
years) than their USA/Canada counterparts (median 12.0 years).
Most purebred dog breeds have median longevities between 10
and 13 years and most breeds similar in size to Bearded Collies
have median longevities between 11 and 13 years, so the lifespan
of Bearded Collies appears to be on the high end compared to
other breeds, at least in the UK.
The median lifespan is the age at which half of the population
has died and half is still alive. Individual dogs may die much
sooner or much later than the median. In the 1996 USA/Canada
survey, 32% of dogs (including accidental deaths) died before
9 years, but 12% lived longer than 14 years. The oldest of the
278 deceased dogs in the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey died at
19.5 years. The age of the oldest dog in the USA/Canada survey
was not reported.
Leading causes of death among Beardies in the UK were old age
(26%), cancer (19%), cerebral vascular (9%), and chronic kidney
failure (8%). Leading causes of death among Beardies in the
USA/Canada were old age (18%), cancer (17%), kidney disease
(8%), cerebral vascular (4%) and Addison's disease (4%).
Morbidity
Bearded Collie owners in the UK reported that the most common
health issues among living dogs were musculoskeletal (mostly
arthritis and CLR), gastrointestinal (mostly colitis and diarrhea)
and urologic. Beardie owners in the USA/Canada reported that
the most common health problems were hypothyroidism, cancer,
Addison's disease, arthritis and skin problems. Morbidity in
the two studies is not easily compared, however, because the
UK report grouped conditions while the USA/Canada report ranked
more specific conditions.
Addison's Disease
Beardie owners should take special note of the frequency of
Addison's disease in this breed. Addison's disease is characterized
by insufficient production of gluticocorticoid and/or mineralocortoid
in the adrenal cortex. It occurs in at least 2%-3.4% of Beardies
in the USA/Canada survey and is the cause of death in at least
1% of Beardies in the UK survey.[5] Although these numbers seem
low compared to other health conditions, the percentages are
much higher than for the general dog population (0.1%), and
Addison's is responsible for a disproportionate number of deaths
among young dogs. Addison's is often undiagnosed because early
symptoms are vague and easily mistaken for other conditions.
Bearded Collies with unexplained lethargy, frequent gastric
disturbances, or an inability to tolerate stress should be tested
for Addison's. Addison's can cause fatal sodium/potassium imbalances,
but, if caught early and treated with lifelong medication, most
dogs can live a relatively normal life.
