So you think you want a beardie?

So you think you want a beardie? 🤔

Beardies are one of the breeds frequently struggling or being rehomed around maturity for being too much, more work than expected and for displaying typical breed traits. So today we’re running through what a beardie is, and what you can expect if you’re looking at a full or part beardie.

There are a few different varieties of “beardies” in NZ. The show line bearded collies, bred more purposefully for the domestic life - less common in NZ, and not really what I’m discussing here. Then you’ve got the purebred working farm beardies, and more common these days - working type dogs called “beardies” who have a bit of bearded collie and a bit of something else - frequently huntaway or border collie. Because of this there’s a fair bit of variety when looking at anything labelled as a beardie, but they generally share a few traits.

The first thing to understand is that these are working breed dogs, bred to move sheep and cattle. Like a lot of working dogs, this means they generally have fairly high mental and physical exercise requirements, can go from sleeping to high arousal ready for work in about 2 seconds flat and enjoy being able to create and control movement - if not of stock, of other moving things around the home. They need an outlet for this herdy nature, and are not designed to be happy with a slow walk around the block nor to be ideal candidates for your standard high arousal overcrowded daycares.

Beardies do have a pretty distinct style of working, and this is one of the reasons I liked having them as working dogs on our bull farm. These working traits are also the big reason a lot of them are rehomed as pets.

Beardies are LOUD. They have a great bark, and when they are excited or alert barking you will hear it. We can train them to handle some down time and moderate this to an extent, but it’s a genetic thing that if it’s there will be very difficult to completely suppress in a kind way. If you want a quiet dog or have sensitive neighbours, a beardie isn’t the one for you. And if you want an eye dog that doesn’t bark on your stock, go for a heading dog instead. The bark is what makes a beardie what they are.

The other pretty distinct trait is the beardie bounce. Originally to bounce through scrubby terrain, a lot of beardies still have this bounce in their genes - frequently combining with the bark for a four footed leap and bark in the air which can be hilarious to watch (assuming you’re prepared for it). That can be something to keep in mind when combining a young beardie in training with young kids.

While they can be very tough in high arousal working mode, outside of this beardies can be pretty sensitive guys - quite soft on pressure, sensitive to sounds and eager to please. Provided their needs are met, they tend to be pretty fast learners in obedience training with time and reinforcement put in. This can be a double edged sword though as they tend to hang on to negative experiences more than other dogs I’ve worked with, and easily develop obsessive or other problematic behaviours if allowed.

Health wise, they’re fairly prone to environmental allergies, and there’s a lot of hip and elbow issues in the breed - especially as we see them getting larger over time and various other breeds contributing to the gene pool. As in a lot of working breeds, the love of the work means they can work through a fair bit of discomfort so being out of working parents isn’t necessarily an indicator of great health. Having hip and elbow scores and formal vet checks is preferable to avoid setting yourself up for a lifetime of heartbreak (though these tests are not common to see in the working dogs unfortunately).

Genuine beardies are often born darker and shorter coated, which grows, fills out and frequently goes silver/lighter as they age. Their coats need a decent amount of maintenance as they mature, especially with their frequent love of mud and water, so be prepared to get them used to this early and keep up with it to keep them mat free.

And as a final note, please be careful where you source your pup from. There are some dodgy set ups selling beardie and beardie x pups in NZ, consistently pumping out litters out of over crowded kennels with minimal/no health testing or home screening for suitability. Always view the parents, check out where they’re living, ask how many litters are being produced each year and what happens to unsold dogs. If you’re after a dog for a family pet, you ideally want one that has been raised indoors in a family environment from the start so they are exposed to that life from the start. Dodgy breeders only stay in business by people buying their puppies, so if you’re at all unsure please walk away and report to the relevant authorities if worried.

Overall, if you’re living a fairly active lifestyle, are prepared to put the time into training and don’t mind a bit of noise and maintenance then beardies can be wonderful dogs. They are working dogs though, and need some form of fulfilment to keep them happy and out of mischief so make sure you’re prepared to commit and put that work in for the long term, before you bring one home.