And we wonder how it is that Border Collies are so stinking smart.

One need only look into the breed ancestry. Celtic clans created farms and an agrarian way of life all the way back in the 7th century, and that included rearing sheep. Different dogs developed to work flocks in various areas of Britain, and that gave rise to the Bearded Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Old English Sheepdog, Black and Tan, Welsh Hillman, Scotch Collie and others. It was these dogs – each wicked smart in its own right – that were the foundation of the dog that developed along the Scottish and English Border, the Border Collie.

The breed didn’t “formally” develop until the 19th century, and in particular, a dog known as Old Hemp who sired over 200 males alone. He was a quiet, powerful dog that sheep responded to, and his great genetic make up lead many shepherds used him as a stud for their females. Old Hemp’s working style became the Border Collie style, and it’s said that every current Border Collie traces back him.

Border Collie by Sarah Batalka as a pillow, print, poster and more here