| Bearded
Collie FCI Breed Standard No. 271 |
| General Appearance Lean active dog, longer than it
is high in an approximate proportion of 5 to
4, measured from point of chest to point of
buttock. Bitches may be slightly longer.
Though strongly made, should show plenty of
daylight under body and should not look too
heavy. Bright, enquiring expression is a
distinctive feature
|
 Comments: The size of the head should be in proportion to the rest of the body. It should be possible to tell the sex of the dog from its head. The male dog has an altogether stronger head with clearly defined eyebrow arches; the bitch’s head should not be thin. The skull should be broad, flat and rectangular, not round or dome-shaped. Puppies and young dogs may, however, have a slightly domed-shaped head, but this usually rights itself with age. The lower
jaw should be well-developed
and U-shaped, with a
well-defined chin.
The
Bearded Collie comes in four
colours. A black dog should
have a have a black nose, lips
and eye rims.
A blue
Border should have a bluey
grey nose, lips and eye rims.
A brown
Border should have a brown
nose, lips and eye rims.
A fawn
Border should have a dark
beige nose, lips and eye rims.
Lack of
pigment is judged as other
faults.
A
healthy anatomy should
always be prioritised.
|
Head in proportion to size. Skull broad, flat and square, distance between stop and occiput being equal to width between orifices of ears. Muzzle strong and equal in length to distance between stop and occiput. Whole effect being that of a dog with strength of muzzle and plenty of brain room. Moderate stop. Nose large and square, generally black but normally following coat colour in blues and browns. Nose and lips of solid colour without spots or patches. Pigmentation of lips and eye rims follow nose colour.   |
Eyes:
 |
Toning
with coat colour, set
widely apart and
large, soft and
affectionate, not
protruding. Eyebrows
arched up and forward
but not as to obscure
eyes. Comments: The colour and size of the eyes are vital to the right Bearded Collie look. The eyes should be almond-shaped and the eye colour changes as the coat changes colour in the transition from puppy to adult. A black dog should have chestnut to dark brown eyes. A blue dog should have bluey grey eyes, possibly with a hint of brown. A brown dog has yellowy brown to light brown eyes. And a fawn dog should have beige eyes. A one-year-old dog with a light coat will often have light eyes, which will darken as the coat darkens. The eye colour must never be lighter than the coat colour of an adult dog. Piercing light-coloured eyes are not desirable as they spoil the typically mild look of the breed. Wall-eyes – ice blue eye colours – are cause for disqualification, as are odd-eyes – differently-coloured eyes. |
Ears:
Of medium size and drooping. When alert ears lift at base, level with, but not above top of skull, increasing apparent breadth of skull.  . |
Comments: The ears should not be open or folded, though this is a common fault. You should be aware of the fault, but this should not be a decisive factor. Check that the expression is right when the dog is listening and lifting its ears.  |
Bite:
| Teeth large
and white. Jaws
strong with a
perfect, regular and
complete scissor
bite preferred, i.e.
upper teeth closely
overlapping lower
teeth and set square
to the jaws. Level
bite tolerated but
undesirable. Comments: The lower jaw should be well-developed and U-shaped. A narrow lower jaw with canine teeth projecting into the upper jaw is not acceptable. A poorly defined chin may spoil the look. Missing teeth are admissible, but a full set is desirable. |
 |
Neck:
|
Moderate length, muscular and slightly arched. Comments: The length and set of the neck are of vital importance to a sheepdog. This does not, however, mean that the breed should have an excessively long and elegant neck at the expense of balance and overall appearance and ability. The neck should blend smoothly into well laid-back shoulders and defined fore chest. |
 |
Forequaters:
| Shoulders
sloping well
back, legs
straight and
vertical with
good bone,
covered with
shaggy hair all
round. Pasterns
flexible without
weakness. Correct angle between shoulder and upperarm, who also have the same length.  Comments
about the
forequaters:
Naturally, well laid-back shoulders are a necessity in a dog for which movement is so important. Poorly angled shoulders and short upper arms are serious faults as they give incorrect movement patterns. Short upper arms do occur in the breed and should rule out the awarding of prizes. Feel the dog!! It is easy to be deceived by both the coat and its markings. |
  Correct Open Comments
about the
paws:
As with
all
long-coated
dogs, you may
use your hands
to get a true
picture of how
it is in
reality.
Feet:
Oval
in shape with
soles well
padded. Toes
arched and
close
together, well
covered with
hair,
including
between pads.
|
Body:
Length
of back comes from
length of ribcage and
not that of loin. Back
level and ribs well
sprung but not
barrelled. Loin strong
and chest deep, giving
plenty of heart and
lung room. Bitch with a far too short back  Male with a correct length of back |
 1. Correct deep ribcase with well sprung, but not barrel ribs. 2. Barrel ribcase. 3. Small and thin ribcase. Comments: When judging the back, you should first and foremost look at the strength and length of the spine. It is important here to feel the dog as the coat may make it difficult to see the structure of the back. The length of the body should mainly be made up of the ribcage and not the loins. Too much length makes for a weak back. The line of the back should be horizontal both when stationary and in movement. The ribcage should be well-developed with well-sprung ribs reaching no further than the elbows. |
Hindquarters:
| Well muscled
with good second
thighs, well bent
stifles and low
hocks. Lower leg
falls at right angle
to ground and, in
normal stance, is
just behind a line
vertically below
point of buttocks. Cowhocked
Close/parallel
 Correct/parallel Toing in |
 Comments: The hindquarters should give the dog speed and propulsion. Mechanical efficiency depends on different angle relations. The angle of shoulders and upper arms as well as the angling of back legs should balance each other to give the dog balance and efficient movement. With their “kick-up action”, incorrectly angled hindquarters can be seen as showy, but this is a fault as it is not typical of the breed. Think that the movement has to be sustained for a whole day’s work. A healthy built Bearded Collie is a beautiful Bearded Collie. |
Tail:
| Set
low, without kink or
twist, and long enough
for end of bone to
reach at least point
of hock. Carried low
with an upward swirl
at tip whilst standing
or walking, may be
extended at speed. Never carried over back. Covered with abundant hair. Comments: The length of the croup is vital to the set of the tail. A long croup is a prerequisite for a correctly carried tail. A short croup normally makes for a tail that is too high. It is important for the croup to have sufficient width.A dog that carries its tail high need not necessarily have a poor tail set. It might also mean that the dog is demonstrating dominance or that it is particularly happy. Likewise, a dog that carries its tail correctly may not necessarily have a correct tail set, it might simply be insecure. I would, however, point out that tail carriage as shown in the photo is not possible with a correct tail set.Note that it is permissible for a Bearded Collie to have a happy tail as long as it is not carried over the back. |
 An example
of a non-acceptable
tailcarriage.
|
Gait/movements:
|
Supple,
smooth and
long reaching,
covering
ground with
minimum
effort.
A soft and fluid gait is a “must” for a Bearded Collie. A short, choppy step is not typical. The dog needs to be able to work a full day and its movements must therefore be efficient. Seen from the front, the front legs should move with equal motion. In a slow trot, the legs are almost parallel. When the speed is increased, the paws tend to converge towards the centre line, i.e. the dog is centring. The position of the hind legs also becomes more V-shaped. The dog should move with firm hocks, the leg should not twist when the paw touches the ground and the weight is transferred to the leg. This is best seen from behind. You can even feel how firm the joints are. The back should be firm and rigid, and not give when in motion. Many people think that it looks “showy” when the dog trots with its head held high, but the most natural way is for it to lower its head when in motion. A Bearded Collie should be shown on a loose leash for the movement to be seen to its best advantage. It goes without saying that a Bearded Collie should have firm muscles. |
 Long
reaching
ground
covering
movement
express
perfect
balance and
tail carriage
|
Coat:
| Double with
soft, furry, and
close undercoat.
Outer coat flat,
harsh, strong and
shaggy, free from
woolliness and
curl, though
slight wave
permissible.
Length and density
of hair sufficient
to provide a
protective coat
and to enhance
shape of dog, but
not enough to
obscure natural
lines of body.
Coat must not be
trimmed in any
way. Bridge of
nose sparsely
covered with hair
slightly longer on
side just to cover
lips. From cheeks,
lower lips and
under chin, coat
increases in
length towards
chest, forming
typical beard. Comments: The Bearded Collie’s coat often develops late, usually reaching its final colour and texture by the age of three. Many puppies and young dogs have a woolly puppy coat, and it is often some time before they develop the wiry top coat. Some dogs are quick to develop the correct coat quality and can therefore look a little strange as puppies and young dogs. They have almost no wool and the short, wiry coat fits closely to the body. In young dogs, the permanent coat begins to develop on the shoulders, spreading to the rest of the body. The quantity of the coat should not, therefore, be given special attention when judging young dogs. The standard prescribes that you should be able to see the dog’s contours. We do not therefore wish to see thick, woolly coats that conceal the lines. The quality of the coat is more important than the length and quantity. A healthy anatomy should always be prioritised. |
 Correct
amount and
length of
coat.
|
Colour:
 slate/black
 blue  white
Bearded Collie
puppy,
markings are
NOT acceptable
The Bearded Collie’s coat often develops late, usually reaching its final colour and texture by the age of three. Many puppies and young dogs have a woolly puppy coat, and it is often some time before they develop the wiry top coat. Some dogs are quick to develop the correct coat quality and can therefore look a little strange as puppies and young dogs. They have almost no wool and the short, wiry coat fits closely to the body. In young dogs, the permanent coat begins to develop on the shoulders, spreading to the rest of the body. The quantity of the coat should not, therefore, be given special attention when judging young dogs. The standard prescribes that you should be able to see the dog’s contours. We do not therefore wish to see thick, woolly coats that conceal the lines. The quality of the coat is more important than the length and quantity. A healthy anatomy should always be prioritised. Comments: Bearded Collies come in four colours: black, blue, brown and fawn. The four colours are of equal value. If you are in doubt about the colour, ask the owner. A fawn dog should never, due to error or lack of knowledge, be mistaken for a poorly pigmented brown. The same applies to the colours black and blue. The colour nuances can vary considerably from light to dark, so it is important to look at the pigmentation on the nose and the eye colour. Tan markings are permissible. As the coat changes, the markings often change with it, becoming light beige before almost disappearing altogether. It is important for judges to be aware that tan markings do occur, so that these dogs are not judged down for being over-marked. Young dogs often lighten so much that the base colour only remains on the ears and some on the shoulders and neck. It is important to be aware of this normal colour development, so that young dogs that are almost white are not mistakenly judged as having been born white. White dogs or severe over-marking are grounds for disqualification. |
 brown/white  fawn  Be
aware of tan
markings and
that they are
not mistaken
as mismarking
 The first 4 head’s are correct marked,5 and 6 are mismarked.  The
first 6 are
marked correct
and the last 6
are mismarked.
|
Size:
| Ideal
height: dogs:
53-56 cms (21-22
ins); bitches:
51-53 cms (20-21
ins). Overall
quality and
proportions should
be considered
before size but
excessive
variations from
the ideal height
should be
discouraged. Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. Published with kind permission from The Kennel Club ©The Kennel Club |
Comments: In my opinion, it is a bigger fault for the dog to be too small rather than too large as, according to the first standard, the Bearded Collie must/should measure up to 61cm. In the 1960s, English breeders chose the easy solution, i.e. to change the standard so that it fitted the dog rather than working to make them as they were originally. Today, we see male dogs of approx. 50cm. And it would be unfortunate if we had to change the standard again. If in doubt – always measure!  Kompendium made by: Mr. Hans Erik Pedersen Aut. FCI judge, Kennel Shepherdess, Denmark Copyright - Hans Erik Pedersen 2009 |