Origin
Affectionately called the "Beardie", the Bearded Collie has remained a popular choice of family pet all thanks to their kind and lovable natures. However, Bearded Collies were originally bred to be hardy, robust working dogs and over the years they were known by quite a few different names which includes the Highland Collie and Old Welsh Grey Sheepdog to name but two of them.
Happy dogs by nature, Beardies are just at home in a working environment as they are in the home. They are keen yet calm and like nothing better than to join in any activity whether at work or play and rarely do these dogs show any sort of aggressive behaviour. Beardies are also great around children and soon become valued members of a family.
There are Scottish records of dogs that resemble the Beardie dating back to the 16th Century. These dogs were highly prized both in Scotland and in the north of England for their herding skills. It is thought that dogs left behind by invading armies were bred to native herding dogs that were around in Scotland over 500 years ago and this produced a very similar looking dog to the Beardie Collie we know today.
However, the Beardies we see today were developed in the forties by G. Olive Willison who set about finding a mate for a female puppy before founding the Bothkennar kennels. It was only at the end of the 20th Century when a Beardie won Best in Show in 1989 at Crufts Dog Show that the breed hid the headlines and gained popularity with people both in the UK and elsewhere in the world. Today, these loyal and intelligent dogs are still among a firm favourite at dog shows, as working dogs and family pets the world over.
