Bearded Collie

About the breed

The Bearded Collie, known to owners as the "Beardie", is a medium-sized herding dog with a long, harsh, shaggy coat and a beard; the FCI places it in Group 1 (sheepdogs and cattle dogs) as standard no. 271. It suits an owner with time for daily brushing, long walks and shared work, because it has plenty of energy and a coat that needs attention every day.

The FCI gives Great Britain as the country of origin, while the UK Kennel Club (now the Royal Kennel Club) describes the breed as native to Scotland. In Slovenia it is called "bradati škotski ovčar" (literally "bearded Scottish sheepdog") and the Croatian Kennel Club (HKS) lists it as "bradati koli".

A Scottish herding dog that was very scarce by the 1940s

The breed's ancestors worked sheep in Scotland and northern England, and the Kennel Club adds cattle. The FCI standard mentions records of a similar breed in Scottish sources from around the sixteenth century, and the Kennel Club says dogs resembling today's Beardie have worked stock in the Borders and Highlands for about 500 years.

The first breed standard was drawn up in 1912, but by the 1940s the breed was very scarce. The revival began by accident: Mrs G. Olive Willison received a puppy called Jeannie who turned out to be a Bearded Collie, found her a mate named Bailey, and her Bothkennar kennel is regarded as the foundation of the modern breed. The Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1959. According to the Bearded Collie Club, most Beardies today are pets or show dogs, but they are still used on British farms, particularly with cattle and hill sheep.

Size and build under the FCI standard

The ideal height at the withers is 53–56 cm for males and 51–53 cm for females, and the standard adds that overall quality and proportions matter more than size. The FCI standard sets no weight: the AKC gives 45–55 pounds and the British veterinary charity PDSA gives 20–25 kg, so about 20–25 kg is a reasonable estimate, with individual dogs varying. The body is longer than it is tall, in a proportion of about 5 to 4. The standard describes a lean, active dog that, though strongly made, should not look too heavy and should show plenty of daylight under the body.

A long coat and colours that change with age

The coat is double: a soft, furry, close undercoat and a flat, harsh, strong, shaggy outer coat free from woolliness and curl, though a slight wave is permitted. The standard says the coat must not be trimmed in any way; that is a show-standard criterion and does not mean the coat is easy to keep. Permitted colours are slate grey, reddish-fawn, black, blue, all shades of grey, brown and sandy, with or without white markings; merle is never allowed.

A puppy's colour is not necessarily its adult colour. The breed club lists four birth colours (black and brown with their dilutes, blue and fawn) and explains that they go through a paling phase from late puppyhood to early adulthood before the final, darker adult coat comes through. With browns in particular the final colour is hard to predict; the club points to the colour at the tips of the ears, which does not pale along with the rest of the coat.

Daily brushing and drying in practice

A Beardie needs brushing every day: the Kennel Club lists grooming as "every day" and notes that the breed sheds, and PDSA stresses that every layer of coat, not just the top one, must be brushed through to prevent mats. The breed club warns that the shaggy coat can cause skin problems if it is not groomed regularly or dried after wet weather, especially on the feet. The Dog Breeding Reform Group (DBRG) adds that the coat makes the dog uncomfortable in warm weather and that it should be kept as cool as possible.

Temperament: alert, self-confident and sensitive to the owner's mood

The FCI standard describes an alert, lively, self-confident and active working dog with no signs of nervousness or aggression. The breed club adds that it likes human company, is sensitive to its owner's mood and behaviour, and can become difficult and destructive if left alone all day. Barking, according to the club, is part of its working style with stock and it uses it to express strong emotions.

The herding instinct shows at home too: PDSA says a Beardie is likely to want to herd at home, adults and children included, and the club notes that it will chase and nip when excited.

Exercise, work and training

A Beardie needs roughly one to two hours of activity a day: the Kennel Club says up to one hour, PDSA one to two hours. The breed club describes an athlete under the coat, able to go for miles over the hills or do agility, and most Beardies love agility, obedience and herding.

The club calls the breed very trainable when handled correctly but not responsive to harsh or confused training. It recommends firm, confident, kind, reward-based training with clear communication and notes a tendency towards "lateral thinking". It also matters that the breeder socialises puppies well before they go to new homes.

Family, children and flat living: conditional

A Beardie can be a good family dog only if the family has time for exercise and grooming. The club says Beardies generally like children very much, but play with young children should always be supervised, and it warns parents of hyperactive children that the breed may not be the most suitable. According to the club they usually live peacefully with other dogs and species, but first introductions can be lively because of the herding instinct, so manage them carefully.

Flat living is only conditionally suitable: the Kennel Club lists a large house with a large garden and "town or country". A first-time owner can succeed if ready for daily grooming and training without harshness; the club stresses the breed is not for everyone, especially the very house-proud or those who can spend little time with their dog.

Health: what the surveys and schemes say

The Beardie is described as a relatively healthy breed, but autoimmune disease is well documented in it. A 2019 study (Gershony et al.) reports a relatively high prevalence of autoimmune disease, particularly Addison's disease and symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO), while stressing that many dogs carrying the risk haplotypes never develop disease. The breed club admits that comparative statistics are scanty.

The UK annual owner survey for 2024 (data on 1147 dogs) recorded 84 dogs (7.3%) with a long-term immune-mediated disease; the most frequent were SLO (34) and Addison's disease (15). In the 2018–2023 surveys the share ranged from 4.9 to 6.8%. The survey author explains that there is no commercial test to identify susceptible dogs. The breed club advises against breeding from dogs with autoimmune disease.

The breed club reports, by its own estimate, a very low incidence of hip dysplasia compared with many other breeds; in 2024 owners reported hip dysplasia in 1.1% and elbow dysplasia in 1.8% of dogs. The Slovenian Kennel Club (KZS) warns owners of herding breeds, including the Bearded Collie, about possible ivermectin sensitivity and recommends the MDR gene test. The breed is small: the Kennel Club lists it as a vulnerable native breed, and DBRG gives an effective population size of 23.9, where values below 100 are called critical.

How long a Bearded Collie lives

A Beardie usually lives more than 12 years, often 13–14: the Kennel Club says over 12, the breed club 13–14, and some dogs live considerably longer. In the Kennel Club's 2004 survey (278 deaths; the response rate was 32.8% for this breed and 24% overall) the median age at death was 13 years and 6 months against an overall median of 11 years and 3 months, and the oldest dog reached 19 years and 6 months.

Bearded Collie, Rough Collie or Old English Sheepdog: how they differ

The Bearded Collie differs from the Rough Collie and the Old English Sheepdog in height, coat, face and colour; all three sit in FCI Group 1.

• Height at the withers: Bearded Collie 53–56 cm (males) and 51–53 cm (females); Rough Collie 56–61 cm and 51–56 cm; Old English Sheepdog 61 cm and upwards, and 56 cm and upwards.
• Coat: the Bearded Collie has a flat, harsh, shaggy coat without curl and a beard; the Rough Collie has a very abundant mane and frill and a smooth face; the Old English Sheepdog has a profuse, harsh, shaggy coat that is not straight.
• Colours: Bearded Collie slate grey, reddish-fawn, black, blue, grey, brown and sandy, never merle; Rough Collie sable, tricolour and blue merle; Old English Sheepdog shades of grey, grizzle or blue.

What to ask a breeder

When buying a puppy, ask for the health test results of both parents: hips, elbows and eyes, or the DNA test for collie eye anomaly (CEA/CH), which the Kennel Club lists among the breed's tests. According to the survey author, hip scoring is mandatory for breeders in the UK Assured Breeder scheme and elbow scoring is not; the Kennel Club recommends breeders complete all three tests on its list for the breed (hips, elbows, DNA test for CEA/CH). The survey author advises breeding from dogs with a hip score around the breed median (9) or lower. In the 2024 survey, owners reported no tests at all for the dam of 6.8% of dogs and the sire of 5%.

Also ask about immune disease in the pedigree, the coefficient of inbreeding (DBRG gives 15% as the breed average) and a puppy contract. The breed club warns against buying from pet shops or puppy farms and against adverts priced well below the going rate.

Three myths about puppy colour, trimming and testing

"A puppy's colour is final." The breed club describes a marked change in colour. "The coat is not trimmed, so grooming is easy." The ban on trimming is a standard criterion, and the Kennel Club lists grooming as every day. "A fairly healthy breed needs no tests." The breed club recommends hip and eye testing, and the surveys describe autoimmune disease, so parental data matter.

Who it suits and who may find it harder

It suits active owners who enjoy working with a dog, have time for brushing and drying, and can train without harshness. It suits less well those who are away all day, want a low-maintenance coat, live in a small flat with no room for long exercise, or have very young children without supervision. The conditions are enough exercise, coat care, company and a breeder with verified health data.

Find Bearded Collie breeders in the breeders directory.

Pros & cons