Bearded Collies!

Devonshire dumpling

Devonshire dumpling

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Tell me everything you know, good or bad about bearded collies...

My terriers are now 16 and 13 and I will hate the day when I need to say goodbye, although that seems a long way off, not even on the horizon :D I do think about what my next dog will be.

As a vet nurse I understand I need a good eye/hip score... see very few beardies and have no real life experiences with them, other that I think they are gorgeous.

Have owned a Border Collie in the past and she had awful temper issues, although we loved her to bits and still miss her terribly , she was awful, turns out she had all sorts of hormonal issues. Anyhow I have since then owned a male horse, male guinea pigs, a male tortoise and 2 male dogs, but for some reason I feel drawn to having a female beardie when the time comes in the future.

Need someone with beardie experience to comment please xx ps i intend to buy from a reputable breeder with excellent references, that I will get advice on from here when the time comes, feel guilty thinking about it, but want to plan ahead.. plus its been 13 yrs since i bought a puppy!
 
I personally think its a very bad idea buying a breed of dog based on what it looks like.
You'd be better off looking at your daily rountine and seeing what breed fits in with your lifestyle.

Remember each breed has been breed for generations for a particular purpose, try finding one which fits you

Thats my advice anyway, good luck finding a pup :)
 
lol.. i have had all shapes and sizes of dogs all my life and am a trained dog behaviourist also, think your reply was rather unhelpful to be honest!

I am asking as I have little experience in beardies so seeking all the knowledge I can find prior to buying one, and I think we are all guilty of falling for looks! I also adore Siberians, but would never own one as I have done my research!
 
oh ok its just you said you had no experience of them and you were basing your choice on looks.

I have to agree they are beautiful!

My friends mum has one and he is lovely. Really good with kids as my friend has a 2year old. i think he;s quite old. he has the typical collie obsessive thing with throwing the ball.

There was another one that i used to walk with all the time, he was called george and was the same age as one of my lurchers. he was very stubborn and eventually the lady gave up letting him off the lead.

However as a trained behavourist this shouldnt be a problem! I know they breed them into lurchers a lot to bring in trainability. we have a quarter collie cross lurcher and she's very much a one man dog!
 
Amy.Nightingale said:
oh ok its just you said you had no experience of them and you were basing your choice on looks.

I have to agree they are beautiful!

My friends mum has one and he is lovely. Really good with kids as my friend has a 2year old. i think he;s quite old. he has the typical collie obsessive thing with throwing the ball.

There was another one that i used to walk with all the time, he was called george and was the same age as one of my lurchers. he was very stubborn and eventually the lady gave up letting him off the lead.

However as a trained behavourist this shouldnt be a problem! I know they breed them into lurchers a lot to bring in trainability. we have a quarter collie cross lurcher and she's very much a one man dog!
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Ah thanks, yes I have 2 girls and obviously they would come into play, but I am home all day, so have plenty of time to put to a dog, my terrier had the potential to be nasty, he snapped for my face at 8 weeks old, but he soon learnt boundaries. I think I meant the ones I have seen have been gorgeous as in behaviour and looks! But I have only seen a few in 20 years in practice, mad isnt it?? so really don't have alot of knowledge about them, I expect they get skin problems too if you don't keep that coat clean and dry? Thanks for your reply and sorry if I was a grump!! xx
 
A friend in the village used to have 2, brother & sister and they were lovely. They were well trained & very obedient but I always thought it strange she went for that breed as they are long coated and she was very house proud, in fact she was known as Betty Bleach such was her OCD behaviour in cleaning her house.:eek:
 
I have a beardie! He's 6 and we've had him since he was 12 weeks old. My husband had one as a child and always wanted another. Dougal is a show type and is beautiful, but be prepared for lots of hard work! I have to confess that we now take him to a groomer every 6 weeks, because however hard I try I just can't keep on top of his coat.

He is the nicest, most loving dog and I wouldn't change him for the world. He's brilliant with children (not that I have any of my own) and with other dogs. However, he is extremely noise sensitive (so bad that he won't even leave the house for a walk if they're shooting by us) and despite trying every trick / trainer / method in the book he's still really traumatised by loud noises. Apparently (we discovered after we had him) this is a fairly common trait in beardies so definitely something to keep in mind..

All in all, my experience of them is that they are wonderful, friendly, loyal dogs but you have to be dedicated to caring for their coats and if you're into muddy, wet walks - get rid of all your cream / light coloured furnishings and carpets! I understand from others that the working beardies also have great personalities (and have shorter, easier to look after coats!). This site is also worth a look www.beardedcollieclub.co.uk
 
I used to work for a beardie breeder and they were some of the nicest dogs I've ever come across. Mum also gets quite a few to her classes and I have not met a bad one yet - quite laid back (at least compared to border collies), very trainable, happy, friendly, gentle dogs. Very good with children - breeder had two young kids and beardies adored them. Coat can be high-maintenance but many of the beardies I knew were kept clipped.

I'd definitely get a beardie if our border collie wasn't such a basket case :rolleyes:
 
I haven't owned 1 myself, but have a few friends with them, 1 I was training at agility last year when his owner broke her ankle. They require grooming every day. They are the clowns of the dog world. The 1 that is in our flyball team is very fast, he's in the top team, but no-one like running him as he bites them, his owner has just got a Beardie/Border Collie x, I haven't met her yet, should do this weekend. My other 2 friends that have Beardie's, 1 has a bitch and dog, the bitch is nearly 13 and has addisons (apparentely quite common in Beardies) and had hip dysplasia from quite young, but she over walked her, the dog is nearly 9 years old, he's done a bit of agility, but he's not fast, he's had a bit of arthritis in his shoulder for the past year, the other friend has a bitch whose about 7 or 8, she does a bit of agility, but not competitively.
 
Wow thanks for all these replies! I am not overly worried about the dirtiness as I have leather sofas and laminate, so everything is wipe down, they sound like a lovely breed!!
 
beardies are brill we had one growing up we got him as a rescue at the age of 18months and he lived every day to the full up until he passed at the grand old age of 22yrs - fantastic with kids (Sherpa would be up for any game and as loyal as they came) never lost his cool even with my younger brother who could be quite rough with him at times when they were both small - my parents lost sherpa 6 yrs ago and are now looking to replace him with another as they couldn't see themselves with any other breed - coats are hard work though :)
 
horsies4coursies said:
beardies are brill we had one growing up we got him as a rescue at the age of 18months and he lived every day to the full up until he passed at the grand old age of 22yrs - fantastic with kids (Sherpa would be up for any game and as loyal as they came) never lost his cool even with my younger brother who could be quite rough with him at times when they were both small - my parents lost sherpa 6 yrs ago and are now looking to replace him with another as they couldn't see themselves with any other breed - coats are hard work though :)
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22 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow!! I have high hopes for my 16 yr old patterdale, hes got a heart mumour, but bless him he looks and acts about 5!! xx
 
I used to know someone who bred them they all had lovely temperments and were quite docile - but then again I've got springers so every dog seems docile to me:) I can't remember any of her dogs (she had about 6) ever snapping at another dog.

Hers were shown so she used to spend hours grooming them all and found it easier to clip the one out that wasn't shown.
 
Blimey they sound like the perfect breed! Other than the grooming, but I love grooming and mucking around with my 2 dogs, so that would be fun for me! Has anyone got anything negative to say?

so far I have 23490 fors and 3 against. against would be auto immune probs possibly and hips/eyes, although doing my research seems the eye probs are abroad and not been any here, but breeders check just in case!

Oh and the noise sensitivity, although we don't have too much trouble here with noise, our collie used to be scared of fireworks etc, and of course I advise ppl in the vets about noise, so think i am probably ok on that front!
 
I like them, all the ones I have met have been laid back to the point of horizontal, with females particularly biddable and they love people.
Don't be fooled by the hair and they can be clipped out, they are proper dogs.
 
CaveCanem said:
I like them, all the ones I have met have been laid back to the point of horizontal, with females particularly biddable and they love people.
Don't be fooled by the hair and they can be clipped out, they are proper dogs.
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Fantasic as a B.collie, patterdale and JRT owner, I know all about REAL dogs lol. i really don't see too many here, surprising by all your descriptions !x
 
Well I might ask you nearer the time and your friend might point me in the right direction to someone within a couple hours drive of devon, Scotland really is too far bless xx
 
I grew up with beardies and adore them. Intellegent, loyal, loving, great family dogs with a fair amount of energy but not too much! I can remember lying on the floor by the fire with my head on a beardie as a child, they are so soppy and affectionate. Interesting point about the loud noises, something I had forgotten but remember noise sensitivity being an issue as well, both were petrified on bonfire night. Great dogs though. I couldnt stand the grooming myself, pretty much the only reason I have not gone for one in adult life, if you dont mind that then go for it!
 
Vizzy, that's interesting - not that I agree with it at all, in fact I do often make snarky comments to the couple involved :p but I know a beardie that is brought to the local air show every year, while the Typhoon Eurofighter, Red Arrows etc, scream overhead.
Bitch does not bat an eyelid and enjoys all the fuss from passers-by.

DD do shoot me a PM nearer the time and I can ask R for recommendations.
 
LOL they must have some brave ones then! It's not something I had remembered until the other poster said about it, so cant have caused many issues day to day but I do remember them being wrecks on bonfire night. Perhaps coincidence, lots of dogs are scared on bonfire night. I have only owned 2 in my adult life out of many that reacted like the beardies but could be coincidence. Either way, its hardly what I would call a deal breaker in a breed that isnt a gundog! :D
 
Oh also DD, you could say this is a negative although I'm sure its more to do with my nutter of a grandad and the neighbours than the breed, but a funny coincidence. BOTH (neighbours had two and I spent alot of time with them and grandad had a beardie and a rough...odd in itself actually as they arent a common breed yet my childhood was riddled with them!) grandad and neighbours used to make me get up at 4am to walk them......I'm sure the dogs waking at 4am isnt a breed trait though! ;) LOL This thread has brought back some lovely memories for me, I think you should get one just so I can come and visit and relive my childhood!
 
Vizslak said:
Oh also DD, you could say this is a negative although I'm sure its more to do with my nutter of a grandad and the neighbours than the breed, but a funny coincidence. BOTH (neighbours had two and I spent alot of time with them and grandad had a beardie and a rough...odd in itself actually as they arent a common breed yet my childhood was riddled with them!) grandad and neighbours used to make me get up at 4am to walk them......I'm sure the dogs waking at 4am isnt a breed trait though! ;) LOL This thread has brought back some lovely memories for me, I think you should get one just so I can come and visit and relive my childhood!
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God not 4am!! It would soon get used to not being walked at 4am,even if it meant letting it sleep under my duvet lol!! course you can come visit it at about 4am XX
 
Lmao, I have never since got up with a dog (unless it was a very poorly dog or having puppies!) at 4am...nor do I intend to, can I visit at 4pm and walk it for you then!? :p :D
 
I've never had a Beardie, nor had anything to do with them, but last week I went to the Scottish Borders, on a sheep buying escapade.

The conversation got round to work dogs, and the highly experienced hill farmer told me that he would only ever keep The Bearded Collie. His argument was that they were sane, as opposed to the Border Collie, or so he said!! :eek:

Alec.
 
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