How to choose a Border Collie? The purebred Border Collie has a relatively large bone structure, proportionate, male shoulder height in the range of 19 to 22 inches, female shoulder height in the range of 18 to 21 inches; the color of the Border Collie is most common in black and white, brown is also qualified; the eyes are moderate in size, eye spacing is open, ears are erect or semi-erect, and nostrils are well developed. Body size males range in shoulder height from 19 to 22 inches; females range in shoulder height from 18 to 21 inches. Body length (distance from the end of the scapula to the rump) is slightly greater than shoulder height. Bones are strong, but not exaggerated, and proportionate to overall size. Overall proportionality of height, length, weight, and bone mass is critical and much more important than a single feature. Excess weight should not be mistaken for muscle or bone mass. Any single trait that affects the overall balance will be considered a defect. Color The Border Collie comes in many colors, in a variety of styles and markings. The most common colors are black with (or without) white bands, white collar, white socks, and white tail tip with (or without) brown markings. All different colors of the body are allowed, with the exception of all white. Single, bi-color, tri-color and traditional colors should be treated equally in competition. Color and markings are secondary indicators in competition; body structure and gait are the primary indicators. The head expression is intelligent, alert, enthusiastic and curious. Eyes: Separate, medium sized, oval. Rim pigment and eye color are brown; if the primary body color is not black, the eye color will be significantly lighter. Lack of eye ring pigmentation is a defect. The presence of blue eyes in dogs of colors other than meteorite is a defect. Mountain bird colored dogs with one blue eye or two blue eyes; one partly blue eye or two partly blue eyes are allowed. The ears are medium sized, more widely separated, and erect or semi-erect (keeping 1/4 to 3/4 of the ears erect). The tips of the ears point to the front or to the sides. The head is broad and the posterior occipital bone does not protrude. The length of the head is equal to the length of the front face. The stop is moderate, but clear. Muzzle: Slightly short, firm, and blunt, with a slightly slender nasal mirror end. The lower jaw is strong and very well developed. The color of the nosepiece is proportionate to the main body color and the nostrils are well developed. The carapace, when viewed from the front, has well-developed forelimb bones that are parallel to each other. When viewed from the side, the ankles are slightly angled. The scapulae are properly angled to the upper arms. The elbows are neither bent inward nor turned outward. The wolf paws can be removed. The paws are compact, ovate, with deep and firm pads and moderately rounded and compact toes. The hindquarters are broad and muscular, with a gentle profile toward the tail. The thighs are long, wide, deep and well-muscled. The knee joints are properly angled and the fly joints are strong and low in position. The hindlimbs are well boned, straight, parallel to each other and have very slight bull limbs when viewed from behind. The wolf claws can be removed. The paws are compact, ovate, with deep and firm pads and moderately rounded and compact toes. The toenails are short and sturdy. The coat allows for two types: coarse and short hairs. Both types have a soft, dense, double coat that can withstand harsh weather. Puppies have a short, soft, dense and waterproof coat. It transforms into an undercoat as an adult. Rough coat type: The coat is medium in length, flat and slightly wavy in texture, with a short, smooth facial coat. The forelimbs have feathery trimmed hairs. The hair on the hind quarters can be clipped short. With age, the coat will gradually become very wavy, which is not a defect. Short-haired type: The hair all over the body is short, the forelimbs may have trimmed hairs, and the chest hair is abundant. [5] Gait The Border Collie is an agile dog, capable of sudden changes of speed and direction without losing balance and grace. Endurance is the signature of this breed. It trots with a sprawling, smooth, effortless gait. The paws are at the shortest distance from the ground and there is no change in the dorsal line when it glides easily (smooth dorsal line). When observed from the side, its stride length is very large while the pace frequency is very low, and the movement is rapid and accurate. There was no slack in the shoulders, elbows and ankles. The drive of the limbs is strong and elastic when observed from the rear. The fly joints are close together but not crossed. Deviation from the correct gait as described above is a defect. In the final evaluation, the gait is among the most important characteristics, and the body structure is judged to be sound and correct as such.
