Border Collie

Border Collies originated in the English and Scottish borders, hence their name, and were originally bred for guarding and herding sheep.

Border Collies show a large range in size (18 - 21 inches, up to the shoulder), weight (30 - 45 pounds) and coloration because historically they were bred as working stock and focus was placed on performance, not looks.

Border Collie Pixiebay

The life expectancy of this breed of dog is between 14 - 16 years. 

Border Collies can be almost any color, including red and completely white.

Old Hemp was a stud dog who is considered to be the progenitor of the Border Collie breed. He was born on September 1, 1893, and died in May 1901. He was owned by Adam Telfer, a sheep farmer from Northumberland, England.

Old Hemp was a remarkable dog. He was known for his intelligence, obedience, and herding skills and it was from him that the working style of herding sheep commonly seen among the breed was developed.  He was also a very successful stud dog, and his offspring helped to establish the Border Collie as a distinct breed.

Jean the Vitagraph Dog, a Border Collie mix, was the first dog to star in an American movie. She made her first film, Jean Goes Foraging, in 1910. Jean was owned by Laurence Trimble, who trained her to perform tricks. He took her to Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, New York, where she was immediately offered starring roles in films.

Jean starred in over 25 films between 1910 and 1915. She was a popular star, and was known for her intelligence, obedience, and playful personality.

The most popular Border Collie stud was Wiston Cap, the dog who appears on the International Sheep Herding Badge; he is posed in the pose that is characteristic of herding Border Collies.

Border Collies have been called by other names including 'working collie', 'farm collie', and 'old-fashioned collie'.

The Border Collie uses a direct stare at sheep, known as "the eye", to intimidate while herding.

By C. MacMillan - Original Work,

Border Collies are used for more than just herding; they also make good tracking, search and rescue, and therapy dogs.

Border collies are considered the most intelligent breed of dog, in front of poodles and German Shepherds.
 
Proof of Border Collie intelligence is Rico, a Border Collie study subject who could recognize more than 250 objects by name.

A border collie named Chaser (April 28, 2004 – July 23, 2019) is believed to have had the largest vocabulary in the animal world. She was taught by her owner to identify and retrieve 1,022 toys by name. Chaser was taught by her owner, Wofford College Professor Emeritus of Psychology John W. Pilley, with the formal research published in Elsevier's journals Behavioural Processes and Learning and Motivation.

Chaser's memory was so remarkable that she was able to remember toys that she had not seen in years. She was also able to learn new words and concepts very quickly. For example, Pilley once taught her the word "new" by giving her a toy that she had never seen before. Chaser immediately understood the meaning of the word, and she was able to retrieve the toy every time he asked for it.

The fastest time a dog has opened a non-electric car window is 11.34 seconds and was achieved by Striker, a border collie owned and trained by Hungarian Francis V. Gadassi. The record was set on September 1, 2004 in Quebec City, Canada. Striker used his paw and nose to perform the record attempt, and kept checking his progress on the way. 

Source Terrificpets