SKELETAL ANATOMY OF THE BORDER COLLIE

Smooth outline, quality, perfect balance - Attributes of the Border Collie

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Standard - The general appearance shall be that of a well proportioned dog, the smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to ensure that it is capable of enduring long periods of active duty in its intended task as a working sheep dog. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness is undesirable.

Think about the words ‘smooth outline’, ‘gracefulness’, ‘quality’, ‘perfect balance’. If you find these attributes, you are well on the way to finding a good specimen of the breed.

The Border Collie obtains its grace, which should be apparent both when standing naturally and on the move. from the flowing line extending from the head, through the neck and shoulders, along the back, over the croup to the tip of the tail. To complete the picture of “perfect balance” the size of head must be in proportion with the body.

Coarseness and weediness do not necessarily relate to height. Fine dogs will have some or all of the following:- fine bone, narrow heads, narrowness across the body and hindquarters, lacking depth of chest and too cut up in the flanks. Coarse dogs will have some or all of the following:- heavy bone, blocky unrefined heads, thick & heavy set body, excessive depth of chest and overall, a larger or clumsier physique than is desirable.

In profile, the Border Collie should be slightly longer, measured from point of shoulder to rear of upper thigh, than in height from ground to withers, the ratio being approximately as 10 is to 9. This length of body must come from the length of ribcage, not the loins.