The Standard Poodle And The Border Collie Proud Friends For Life

The Standard Poodle and the Border Collie Proud Friends for Life

by

Katrina Wagner

When you think of Poodles, you might picture the Standard Poodle, standing regally and well-groomed, with that slight downward stare that seems to say, You are all here to serve me. Get me some Filet Mignon. Now, picture a Border Collie, crouched low to ground, those intense eyes fixed on some faraway object, not afraid to run through a great deal of muck to get to it so he can herd it back to whence it came. They seem alarmingly different, these two breeds and, indeed, one creates an air of aristocracy and the other a sense of working class determination. Consider the owners of each breed and you ll find that they differ a great deal, too. Historical Poodle owners include Beethoven, Chopin and Cary Grant. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker own a Border Collie.

As far as ancestry goes, there is literature about the Border Collie dating back to the mid-1500s. They come from a border country between England and Scotland. They are the most popular breed in Scotland today where they are used for their original purpose herding sheep. Their ability to learn commands which are spoken, delivered with hand signals or whistles is astonishing. The Standard Poodle (from whom the Miniature and Toy Poodle are bred) comes from France and was originally used for hunting. Their incredible ability to learn tricks soon bumped them into the entertainment business and they were seen in such arenas as the circus.

There are unusual things about both breeds. The Poodle s haircut stands out in the human world and many wonder why it is done. Poodles actually have hair, not fur, which grows continually. The cut is a mix of necessity and tradition. The Border Collie was not granted full admission into the AKC until 1995 and this was strongly opposed by working Border Collie owners. While the Border Collie is an excellent worker, it might be surprising to learn that the Poodle can also work. They can be used in search and rescue work, therapy work and more. Both breeds need a lot of exercise and can be good with children if they re canine-friendly. While the Poodle will be as happy sitting on the couch and being admired as he will working, the Border Collie must have some sort of work that utilizes his herding instinct.

Besides their different class in the human world, the big question is often which is smarter? Well, it s been reported that Poodles are the smartest breed of dog but new evidence shows differently. The

Standard Poodle

is actually second in intelligence and trainability to the

Border Collie.

Now intelligence is subjective and owners of both breeds have a good argument that their dog is a brainiac. And, it really doesn t matter who s on top in that respect. Dogs don t care who s smarter, prettier, more regal or has the best haircut. They do, however, give big points to the smelliest dog of the pack.

The author, Samantha Higginsfield loves

Border Collies

and her family has owned this breed of dog for generations. When Samantha is not writing for the local newspaper or her own pet blog you can find her playing with Arnie her Border Collie at the nearest dog park.

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