Click on the images for more information and how to purchase prints of my bearded collie art. Hover over the images with your mouse to view titles.
Characteristics
The Bearded Collie is hardy and active, with an aura of strength and agility
characteristic of a real working dog. Bred for centuries as a companion and
servant of man, the Bearded Collie is a devoted and intelligent member of the
family. He is stable and self-confident, showing no signs of shyness or
aggression. This is a natural and unspoiled breed.
General Appearance
The Bearded Collie is a medium sized dog with a medium length coat that follows
the natural lines of the body and allows plenty of daylight under the body. The
body is long and lean, and, though strongly made, does not appear heavy. A
bright inquiring expression is a distinctive feature of the breed. The Bearded
Collie should be shown in a natural stance.
Head
The head is in proportion to the size of the dog. The skull is broad and flat;
the stop is moderate; the cheeks are well filled beneath the eyes; the muzzle is
strong and full; the foreface is equal in length to the distance between the
stop and occiput. The nose is large and squarish. A snipy muzzle is to be
penalized. (See Color section for pigmentation.) Eyes: The eyes are
large, expressive, soft and affectionate, but not round nor protruding, and are
set widely apart. The eyebrows are arched to the sides to frame the eyes and are
long enough to blend smoothly into the coat on the sides of the head. (See Color
section for eye color.) Ears: The ears are medium sized, hanging and
covered with long hair. They are set level with the eyes. When the dog is alert,
the ears have a slight lift at the base. Teeth: The teeth are strong
and white, meeting in a scissors bite. Full dentition is desirable.
Forequarters
The shoulders are well laid back at an angle of approximately 45º; a line drawn
from the highest point of the shoulder blade to the forward point of
articulation approximates a right angle with a line from the forward point of
articulation to the point of the elbow. The tops of the shoulder blades lie in
against the withers, but they slope outwards from there sufficiently to
accommodate the desired spring of ribs. The legs are straight and vertical, with
substantial, but not heavy, bone and are covered with shaggy hair all around.
The pasterns are flexible without weakness.
Body
The body is longer than it is high in an approximate ratio of five to four,
length measured from point of chest to point of buttocks, height measured at the
highest point of the withers. The length of the back comes from the length of
the ribcage and not that of the loin. The back is level. The ribs are well
sprung from the spine but are flat at the sides. The chest is deep, reaching at
least to the elbows. The loins are strong. The level back line blends smoothly
into the curve of the rump. A flat croup or a steep croup is to be severely
penalized.
Hindquarters
The hind legs are powerful and muscular at the thighs with well bent stifles.
The hocks are low. In normal stance, the bones below the hocks are perpendicular
to the ground and parallel to each other when viewed from the rear; the hind
feet fall just behind a perpendicular line from the point of buttocks when
viewed from the side. The legs are covered with shaggy hair all around. Tail:
The tail is set low and is long enough for the end of the bone to reach at
least the point of the hocks. It is normally carried low with an upward swirl at
the tip while the dog is standing. When the dog is excited or in motion, the
curve is accentuated and the tail may be raised but is never carried beyond a
vertical line. The tail is covered with abundant hair.
Feet
The feet are oval in shape with the soles well padded. The toes are arched and
close together, and well covered with hair including between the pads.
Coat
The coat is double with the undercoat soft, furry and close. The outercoat is
flat, harsh, strong and shaggy, free from wooliness and curl, although a slight
wave is permissible. The coat falls naturally to either side but must never be
artificially parted. The length and density of the hair are sufficient to
provide a protective coat and to enhance the shape of the dog, but not so
profuse as to obscure the natural lines of the body. The dog should be shown as
naturally as is consistent with good grooming but the coat must not be trimmed
in any way. On the head, the bridge of the nose is sparsely covered with hair
which is slightly longer on the sides to cover the lips. From the cheeks, the
lower lips and under the chin, the coat increases in length towards the chest,
forming the typical beard. An excessively long, silky coat or one which has been
trimmed in any way must be severely penalized.
Color
Coat: All Bearded Collies are born either black, blue, brown or fawn,
with or without white markings. With maturity, the coat color may lighten, so
that a born black may become any shade of gray from black to slate to silver, a
born brown from chocolate to sandy. Blues and fawns also show shades from dark
to light. Where white occurs, it only appears on the foreface as a blaze, on the
skull, on the tip of the tail, on the chest, legs and feet and around the neck.
The white hair does not grow on the body behind the shoulder nor on the face to
surround the eyes. Tan markings occasionally appear and are acceptable on the
eyebrows, inside the ears, on the cheeks, under the root of the tail, and on the
legs where the white joins the main color. Pigmentation: Pigmentation
on the Bearded Collie follows coat color. In a born black, the eye rims, nose
and lips are black, whereas in the born blue, the pigmentation is a blue-gray
color. A born brown dog has brown pigmentation and born fawns a correspondingly
lighter brown. The pigmentation is completely filled in and shows no sign of
spots. Eyes: Eye color will generally tone with the coat color. In a
born blue or fawn, the distinctively lighter eyes are correct and must not be
penalized.
Size
The ideal height at the withers is 21-22 inches for adult dogs and 20-21 inches
for adult bitches. Height over and under the ideal is to be severely penalized.
The express objective of this criterion is to insure that the Bearded Collie
remains a medium sized dog.
Gait
Movement is free, supple and powerful. Balance combines good reach in
forequarters with strong drive in hindquarters. The back remains firm and level.
The feet are lifted only enough to clear the ground, giving the impression that
the dog glides along making minimum contact. Movement is lithe and flexible to
enable the dog to make the sharp turns and sudden stops required of the
sheepdog. When viewed from the front and rear, the front and rear legs travel in
the same plane from the shoulder and hip joint to pads at all speeds. Legs
remain straight, but feet move inward as speed increases until the edges of the
feet converge on a center line at a fast trot.
Serious Faults:
--snipy muzzle
--flat croup or steep croup
--excessively long, silky coat
--trimmed or sculptured coat
--height over or under the ideal
Approved August 9, 1978
For More information visit AKC.org