Around the time Bearded Collies were called Old Welsh Sheepdogs, Mountain Scotch Collies, Loch Collies, Highland Collies or Hairy Moued Collies, there were two types of the dog that developed along the border of Scotland and England: The long, coarse, slate colored dog was known as the “border” type, while the smaller type with shorter, wavy brown hair was known as the “highland” type. The two blended over time to give us today’s Beardie, but today’s dog is no less able to turn a stubborn ewe, gather an errant lamb, or bark loud enough to make one’s ears ring. The breed still relies on a huntaway style of herding to cast out in vast areas, flush sheep, and gather them into the flock. Herding Beardies still use their voice as a tool to move the stock, and to let handlers know where they are, and how the work is coming along.

Those of us who attend dog shows are accustomed to seeing these gorgeous dogs dripping in coat, but these dogs are not just pretty faces. We came across this video on You Tube and thought you might like to see a Beardie in action. This dog is “Vallarens Ulla Bella,” winner of a Herding Trial Class 1 in Austria:

“Bearded Collie” by L.A.Shephard
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