History
It is difficult to distinguish between fact and legend when looking at the history of a breed, but it is believed that Kazimierz Grabski, a Polish merchant, traded a shipment of grain for sheep in Scotland in 1514, and brought six Polish Lowland Sheepdogs to move them. A Scottish shepherd was so impressed with the herding ability of the dogs that he traded a few sheep for a few dogs. These were bred with the local Scottish dogs to produce the Bearded Collie.
What everybody seems to agree upon is that Mrs. G. Olive Willison founded today's breed with her brown bitch Jeannie of Bothkennar. Jeannie was supposed to have been a Shetland Sheepdog, but by mistake Mrs. Willison received a Bearded Collie instead. She was so fascinated by the dog that she wanted to start breeding, so she started looking for a mate for Jeannie. A man she met one day while walking along the beach was about to emigrate from Scotland, so Mrs. Willison became the owner of his grey dog David, who was to become Bailie of Bothkennar.
These two dogs are what we today refer to as the founders of the modern breed and there are but a few other registrable blood lines, preserved in large part by the perseverance of Mr. Nicolas Broadbridge (Sallen) and Mrs. Betty Foster (Bredon). These are based on a dog named Turnbull's Blue, a bearded collie from pure working stock registered in ISDS, at the time when ISDS still registered non-border collies. He fathered three litters of registerable bearded collies.
The breed has become popular over the last half of the 20th century, in part propelled by a Bearded Collie, "Potterdale Classic at Moonhill", winning Best in Show at Crufts in 1989. The Bearded Collie Club celebrated its Golden Jubilee year in 2005.
As Pets
The Bearded Collie ranks 104 out of 155 breeds in popularity in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club's yearly publishing of breed rankings. A Bearded Collie is best obtained from a reputable dog breeder or a dog rescue. Bearded Collies make excellent pets for those who are willing to accommodate their high energy level and grooming requirements. Weekly brushing is mandatory for keeping their long hair mat-free. Some Bearded Collie owners opt to keep their pets in a "puppy cut" haircut, which does reduce the need for brushing, but does not eliminate it. Bearded Collies are a very high energy breed, originally bred to work in the Scottish Highlands herding sheep. Beardies also excel at dog agility trials. A loyal and family friendly canine, the beardie can add years of pet ownership enjoyment to the home. They have keen problem solving abilities, and are a source of amusement to watch. Females are often more outgoing and headstrong than male beardies. When being trained, males are more likely to follow your instructions, whereas females do not like to be told what to do as much. Females often become the dominant dog if there is a boy and a girl beardie in the household. Regardless of the dog's sex, beardies are high energy. One of the most common problems for new beardie owners is the breed's high ages of maturity, so that standard puppy issues last longer and beardies frequently fail "puppy school" if entered at the same age as other breeds.
Adopting: Adopting a Beardie should be done through authorised breeders. Parents of pup should have pedigree papers. There are Beardie rescue associations such as Beardie Collie Rescue and 'Rescue Me'. These organisations attempt to place unwanted puppies and dogs into appropriate and loving homes.