Plate 105 · British Isles
Bearded Collie
长须柯利牧羊犬
“A shaggy Scottish drover's dog.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Scottish Highlands and southern Scotland
- Region of origin
- A Scottish hill herding dog; the marker is the reference point of the Highland council area. By the end of the 19th century it was fairly popular in southern Scotland.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Depicted from the 18th century; modern show breed from 1944
- Today
- Herding dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Scottish Highlands and southern Scotland
A shaggy, bouncy Scottish herding dog with a long coat and a beard.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Herding sheep and driving cattle on Scottish hills.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Its origins are unknown; a popular story links it to Polish Lowland Sheepdogs brought to Scotland in 1514. Dogs of the type appear in 18th-century portraits. The modern show breed was founded in 1944 by G. Olive Willison with a pair of dogs; unregistered working Beardies are still found in Scotland.
04 · Today
Herding dog · Companion
A family companion and herding, agility and show dog.
Personality
- Smart
- Bouncy
- Charismatic
- Good-humoured
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Energetic and happy outdoors in any weather: daily runs, hikes or play.
- Grooming
- A quick daily brush plus a thorough weekly session.
- Training
- Clever but independent-minded; early training and plenty of variety.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–14 years
- Coat
- Long, harsh double coat with a beard; black, blue, brown or fawn, with or without white
Field note
Old names for it include the Highland Collie and the Hairy Mou'ed Collie.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Herding Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 1, standard 271), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Herding Group, recognized 1976.
AKC registrations: ranked 140 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Bearded Collie — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bearded-collie/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Bearded Collie — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_Collie
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · The 1514 Polish-sheepdog story, D. J. Thomson Gray's 1891 description, Mrs Willison's 1944 founding pair, working dogs in Scotland.
- Bearded Collie — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/BEARDED-COLLIE-271.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 1, section "Sheepdogs"; accepted 1967.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: A Scottish hill herding dog; the marker is the reference point of the Highland council area. By the end of the 19th century it was fairly popular in southern Scotland.
