Caring for your Bearded Collie

Beardie Attributes

Beardies have many attributes that make them a wonderful addition to the family – medium sized, adaptable, friendly and outgoing, quick to learn, and good with children – but they do not suit everyone. In particular, they are not a low-maintenance breed, and their enterprising and fun-loving nature can lead to problems if their enthusiasm and zest for life is not steered into acceptable behaviour patterns. Before deciding to get a Beardie, consider the points below and be sure you are ready to do what it takes to enjoy sharing your life with one.

Activity... Beardies are not a hyperactive breed, but they do need regular daily exercise and mental stimulation if they are to be quiet and contented around the house. Beardies like to run and play, so a lead walk round the block will not do – around an hour a day of free-running exercise, ball-playing, or active training will keep your Beardie happy, although he will be up for more if it is on offer.
A small garden used as a Beardie playground will soon resemble an off-road BMX circuit, so before you buy do think about where and how you intend to exercise your Beardie, especially in winter.

Company... Beardies are people-oriented dogs and need the company of ‘their’ family to thrive. A bored Beardie will use his enterprising mind to devise his own entertainment including digging in the garden, chewing whatever takes his fancy, or finding things to play with – shoes, socks, items from the waste paper basket, the television remote... Some Beardies are also particularly vocal, a habit which may not go down well with the neighbours.

This is a bored Beardie who needs something to do...

Housework...Your Beardie’s coat will accumulate a variety of debris when you take him out, which will subsequently be distributed around the house. Beardies also accumulate mud, varying in quantity from deceptively innocent-until-you-dunk-their-paws-in-water to a chest-high mudline. Cleaning the mud off with a hosepipe or shower is easier than with bowls of water, but either way washing and drying after walks can be a time-consuming chore.
Beardie coats shed hair and you will find dog hairs and fluff balls on carpets and in corners. Some Beardies like to wipe their whiskers after eating and drinking and will happily produce a tideline round the furniture if more suitable alternatives are not available.
If you are houseproud or have delicate or precious household belongings, do not get a Beardie!

Grooming... As well as being needed for health and hygiene reasons, regular weekly grooming will help ensure more of your Beardie’s hair ends up on his hair brush and less on your carpet. Beardies have a long harsh outer coat which provides weatherproofing and a soft undercoat for warmth. The type and amount of coat varies between individuals and at different ages. Puppy coats are typically short, soft, dense, and relatively easy to keep clean. An adult Beardie’s coat needs a thorough weekly groom to remove knots and tangles and prevent the undercoat matting. This takes at least an hour. Don’t forget that if your Beardie is unlucky enough to develop diarrhoea, you will also have the unenviable job of washing his rear to keep him clean, comfortable and sweet-smelling.

Size and natural exuberance... Beardies are medium-sized dogs. Dogs range from 53-56 cms (21-22 ins) at the shoulder and weigh from 22.5- 29 kg (50-65 lbs). Bitches are 51-53 cms (20-21 ins) and weigh 18-22.5 kg (40-50 lbs). In the house, they are tall enough to reach the kitchen worktop and remove anything edible or interesting to play with, while a cheerful sweep of the tail will clear a low coffee table. Outside, Beardies readily recognise other Beardies and will leap around as if possessed when greeting each other. Other dog-owners, used to a sedate tail wag and bum sniff, look on in disbelief. The same exuberant greetings are applied to humans. Unless trained not to at an early age, your Beardie will jump up to greet you, your visitors, your elderly parents, and your neighbour’s children with a face lick, putting wet and muddy paws on clean clothes to do so, and knocking over anyone not braced for the embrace.
Although only medium sized, Beardies are quite strong for their size. They are also surprisingly powerful chewers, as many unsuspecting owners have found to their cost. If you do not want to replace kitchen units, chairs, door frames and other seemingly tough and unpalatable items, provide suitable chew toys and teach your baby Beardie only to chew the right things.

Training... Beardies are quick learners, and will soon pick up new training commands. However, they can inadvertently learn the wrong things if you are inconsistent or confusing in your commands. They can also become bored by constant repetition of a single learning activity, and may choose to make it more interesting by doing something else. As Beardies were bred to be independent thinkers this is not surprising - you just need to be more creative with training activities than with some other breeds, and make learning fun! Beardies can be trained not to do things that come naturally, like jumping up to greet you, barking, and helping themselves to interesting items that are not theirs... but it takes time and commitment on the part of the owner. If you get easily frustrated when your dog does not respond correctly to a command, or can't see the joke when you are outsmarted by your dog, then a Beardie is probably not for you.

Health and Longevity...Beardies are generally considered a healthy breed, but in common with all dogs, purebred or mongrel, they can develop heath problems – see Long-Term Breed Health for more information. All reputable Beardie breeders will ensure the potential parents of a litter have been screened for relevant inherited conditions before any mating takes place. However, many inherited health conditions cannot be tested for, and although the incidence of serious problems is relatively small, you should recognise the possibility before you buy.
Many Beardies live into their teens (the average age is 13-14 years) and remain active until relatively late in life. If you are getting a dog primarily for the children, bear in mind you will probably have an older but still active Beardie around when they leave home.

Addictive...Be warned - Beardies are habit-forming, and many people just can't stop at one!

If you are still interested, and we hope you are.....

...come on and join the Club!!

Buying A Puppy

Once you have researched the breed and decided a Beardie is right for you (see Beardie Attributes), resist the temptation to rush out and buy the first puppy you find. Take your time, and avoid the heartache of finding your baby Beardie has had a poor start in life on a puppy farm and is prone to health problems, or has socialisation and temperament issues. A well-bred puppy is worth waiting for!

There are around 90-100 Beardie litters born each year (550-600 puppies) so provided you can be a bit flexible about how far away the breeder lives you should not have to wait too long. The following tips should help you with your search.

Where not to buy

Never buy from a pet shop or dealers offering many different breeds, and be wary of using newspapers, magazines or unknown websites. All these are the preferred outlets for puppy farmers.

Puppy farmers

• The term ‘puppy farm’ does not necessarily imply agricultural premises – it is applied to any establishment, rural or urban, where dogs are bred indiscriminately under unsuitable conditions to maximise profit, without concern for the dogs' welfare. Beware of any seller who is keen to deliver the puppy to your home, or some convenient hand-over point such as a motorway service station. This is a subterfuge used by puppy farmers and dealers to ensure you don’t see the poor conditions the puppies have been bred in, or the state of the mother.
• Always see a puppy in its home environment with both its mother and littermates. The father may well not be owned by the breeder, so you should not necessarily expect to see him. Visiting will allow you to find out how the puppy has been reared and assess the temperament of the mother. It is the best safeguard you have against puppy farmers and dealers, so if a breeder doesn’t want you to see the puppies at home with their mother, go elsewhere.
• Use your own judgement – the puppies should appear alert and healthy, and their living area should look (and smell) clean, with toys and space to play.
• Be wary of any breeder who only asks if you have the money to pay for the puppy, without making enquiries about your lifestyle, house and garden and how you intend to care for the puppy.

The best way of ensuring you are getting a well-bred puppy is to buy from a reputable breeder. Most good breeders do not advertise on commercial websites, newspapers or magazines, so how do you find one?

How to find a reputable breeder

There are several ways of finding a reputable breeder:

• Contact the North of England Bearded Collie Club or one of the other recognised Bearded Collie Clubs. Each of the clubs maintains a Puppy List with the names of breeders who have puppies for sale, or litters due. Our Puppy List holder, Sylvia Newton, can be contacted by email or telephone 01609 882574. Please note it is our Club's policy not to give out telephone numbers of potential breeders until you have spoken to the Puppy List holder. This is done to assess whether you are the right type of purchaser for a Beardie, which saves time in subsequent conversations with the breeder.
• Visit a championship dog show and talk to the breeders. You may learn of litters that are due in the near future. If there is a particular bitch that you like, you could talk to the owner and get on their list of potential puppy purchasers. Many reputable breeders will have a waiting list for their puppies before they are born. A list of dates of championship dog shows with classes for Beardies is available on the British Bearded Collie Connexion website
• Contact the Kennel Club for a list of their Accredited Breeders (link opens in new window).

Visiting the breeder

Once you have identified a breeder with a potentially suitable litter, the next stage is to make contact to ask whether a puppy might be available for you, and when you can visit.

A reputable breeder expects potential purchasers to come to see the puppies and handle them once they are old enough (usually not before the puppies are 4 - 5 weeks old), and will help you make an appropriate selection. Expect to be asked a lot of questions about your circumstances and lifestyle.

It is better if the puppies are being raised in a home environment rather than in a kennel, as this will help them get used to the everyday sights and sounds of the home.

Not all breeders will allow you to choose the puppy. In many ways it is better for the breeder to make the final decision, taking your preferences into account. They spend all day with the puppies so are in a far better position to match the puppy with the buyer. The outgoing puppy who likes exploring at the bottom of the garden and is more independent than his litter-mates will probably suit the family with teenage children, whereas the friendly but more laid back puppy may be a better choice for the inexperienced first-time buyer.

Remember to ask questions about the bitch and the stud dog - their pedigree, hip score, eyes, general health, breeding record etc.

Check that the puppies are Kennel Club registered, and ask whether any endorsements have been placed on the registration. There are two common endorsements: ‘Progeny not eligible for registration‘ and ‘Not eligible for the issue of an Export Pedigree’. Endorsements are quite often added by responsible breeders, and there is nothing sinister about this, but the implications should be explained before you buy.

Remember you do not have to buy a puppy from the first litter you see. If you have any doubts, it is best to walk away - there will always be other litters to consider. As a matter of courtesy, however, do let the breeder know what you have decided.

The formalities

Once you have chosen your puppy from the litter or been offered one in particular by the breeder, the next thing to do is make sure that all the paperwork is in place.

If the breeder is a member of the North of England Bearded Collie Club, they should comply with the relevant part of the Club’s Code of Ethics relating to puppy sales. This specifies that at the time of purchase the breeder should provide:

• a pedigree
• a diet sheet
• information about grooming, training, worming and inoculation
• details of Breed Clubs available
• a copy of the NEBCC Code of Ethics.

You should also get a receipt for the money you have paid, and the puppy's Kennel Club Registration Certificate. If the Certificate is not available then obtain written assurance that it will be provided as soon as possible. You need the Certificate to transfer the puppy into your registered ownership. The Transfer of Registered Ownership form is on the reverse of the Certificate, and both you and the breeder must sign it.

A breeder who is member of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme must comply with the Scheme's Requirements and Recommendations. The details are on the Kennel Club's website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/203 (link opens in new window)

You should expect similar paperwork from any reputable breeder, regardless of whether they are a member of NEBCC or the KC scheme.

Preparing to take your puppy home

The breeder should give you details of the food that your puppy is used to before you collect him. It is best to keep to the same food to begin with, to avoid stomach upsets. You can change the diet gradually later if you want.

Meanwhile prepare the house and garden. Indoors, create a warm, safe puppy area in the kitchen or other room that is fairly busy so that he can get used to household activities. Puppy panels are ideal for 'fencing off' a safe area for his bed and toys, keeping him away from hazards like the oven and hob. Make the garden absolutely dog proof, and check both house and garden for potential poisons and other hazards. The Kennel Club website has a useful checklist.

It is a good idea to have your puppy checked by your own vet soon after purchase, but do give him a day or two to settle into his new home first. If any concerns are raised by the vet, then discuss these with the puppy’s breeder.

A reputable breeder always be on the end of the telephone to offer reasonable advice and guidance on any problems you encounter with your Beardie’s upbringing and care throughout its life. Most will also offer to take back any puppy they have bred for rehoming, should the need ever arise. It is a testament to the Beardie's ability to make himself part of the family that very few dogs come up for rehoming. For your part, remember that most breeders love to receive updates on puppies they have bred, even if it is only an annual Christmas card to say how things are going. And in the unlikely event that your Beardie develops health problems, do remember to tell the breeder as this may have an impact on future breeding plans. Thanks to the breed's general good health, the majority of Beardies live happy, healthy lives until well into their teens. We owe it to future generations of Beardiers, breeders and owners to do all we can to keep it that way.

Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme

Dog training classes are great way of learning how to train and socialise your Beardie, especially if you are a first-time dog owner. Look for trainers who use positive reward-based training methods as these are best for Beardies. Also bear in mind that 'dog training' is something of a misnomer - one of the main purposes of classes is to teach you, the owner, how to train your dog. Most reputable trainers will allow you to sit in on a class (without your Beardie) before signing up for a course - this is an excellent idea as individual trainers can have quite different teaching styles, and sitting in on a class will help you decide whether the way they teach will suit both you and your Beardie.

The largest dog training programme in the UK is the Good Citizen Dog Scheme run by the Kennel Club. The scheme was set up in 1992 and there are now over 1,600 organisations across the UK running ‘Good Citizen’ dog training classes. The scheme aims 'to produce happy, contented dogs, which are well-behaved, and under the control of handlers who fully understand the responsibilities to their dogs, to their neighbours and to the community'. The scheme has four levels of training and awards involving a gradual development of basic exercises included in daily life situations encountered by pet dogs:

• Puppy Foundation – for puppies, whereby basic training skills and socialisation will start to introduce them to life’s daily routine
• The Bronze Level – for dogs that are relatively new to dog training
• The Silver Level – for dogs that have their bronze level and have graduated to a higher learning curve
• The Gold Level – this is the highest level of Good Citizenship and will show you have a well behaved and trained domestic pet.

You can read about the scheme, and search for training classes near you, on the Kennel Club website at Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme