Border Collie breed standards compared
Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.
Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC.
Size
| Measure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hauteur au garrot, male | 53 cm | 48.3–55.9 cm | 53.3 cm | 53 cm |
| Hauteur au garrot, female | No ruling | 45.7–53.3 cm | No ruling | No ruling |
| Rapport hauteur/longueur | No ruling | 0.9 | No ruling | No ruling |
| Rapport crâne/museau | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Angle scapulo-huméral | No ruling | 90° | No ruling | No ruling |
Conformation
| Form | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StopMarqué | Standard (“Stop : très distinct.”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Stop très distinct.”) |
| StopModéré | No ruling | Standard (“Stop modéré, mais distinct.”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Articulé dentaireArticulé en ciseaux | Standard (“articulé en ciseaux parfait, régulier et complet”) | Standard (“Une série complète de dents fortes et saines devrait se rencontrer en ciseaux.”) | Standard (“série complète de dents fortes se rencontrant en ciseaux”) | Standard (“articulé en ciseaux parfait, régulier et complet”) |
| DentitionDentition complète | No ruling | Standard (“Une série complète de dents fortes et saines”) | Standard (“une série complète de dents fortes”) | No ruling |
| Port des oreillesDressées (droites) | Alternative (“Portées dressées ou semi-dressées et sensibles à l'usage.”) | Alternative (“l'une ou les deux portées dressées et/ou semi-dressées”) | Alternative (“Peuvent être portées tombantes, semi-dressées ou dressées”) | Alternative (“Portées dressées ou semi-dressées et sensibles à l'usage.”) |
| Port des oreillesSemi-dressées | Alternative (“Portées dressées ou semi-dressées et sensibles à l'usage.”) | Alternative (“l'une ou les deux portées dressées et/ou semi-dressées”) | Alternative (“Peuvent être portées tombantes, semi-dressées ou dressées”) | Alternative (“Portées dressées ou semi-dressées et sensibles à l'usage.”) |
| Port des oreillesTombantes (pendantes) | No ruling | No ruling | Alternative (“Peuvent être portées tombantes, semi-dressées ou dressées, et n'ont pas à être assorties.”) | No ruling |
| Forme des yeuxOvales | Standard (“Bien écartés, de forme ovale, de taille modérée”) | Standard (“Les yeux sont bien écartés, de taille modérée, de forme ovale.”) | Standard (“de taille modérée, et de forme ovale”) | Standard (“Bien écartés, de forme ovale, de taille modérée”) |
| Ligne du dessusHorizontale | No ruling | Standard (“Le dos est horizontal avec une légère remontée musculaire au-dessus du rein”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Attache de la queueBasse | Standard (“attachée bas, bien fournie”) | Standard (“La queue est implantée bas”) | Standard (“Attachée bas, bien fournie en poil”) | Standard (“attachée bas, bien fournie”) |
| Port de la queueBasse (pendante) | No ruling | Standard (“Le port de queue idéal est bas lorsque le chien se concentre”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Port de la queueEnroulée sur le dos | Non reconnu (“jamais portée sur le dos.”) | No ruling | Non reconnu (“jamais portée sur le dos.”) | Non reconnu (“jamais portée sur le dos.”) |
| Longueur de la queueMoyenne | Standard (“Modérément longue, l'os atteignant au moins le jarret”) | Standard (“modérément longue avec l'os atteignant au moins le jarret”) | Standard (“Modérément longue, atteignant au moins l'articulation du jarret”) | Standard (“Modérément longue, l'os atteignant au moins le jarret”) |
| Remontée du ventreAucune (ligne du dessous droite) | Standard (“Reins : profonds et musclés mais non remontés.”) | No ruling | Standard (“Le rein est profond et musclé, non remonté.”) | Standard (“reins profonds et musclés, mais non remontés”) |
| Remontée du ventreModérée | No ruling | Standard (“La ligne du dessous doit avoir une remontée légère mais nette.”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| PiedsOvales | Standard (“Pieds antérieurs : ovales, coussinets profonds, forts et sains”) | Standard (“Les pieds sont compacts, de forme ovale”) | Standard (“De forme ovale, avec des coussinets profonds et des doigts serrés et bien cambrés.”) | Standard (“Ovales, coussinets profonds, forts et sains”) |
| JarretsBien descendus | Standard (“Articulation du jarret : forte, bien descendue.”) | Standard (“jarrets forts et bien descendus”) | No ruling | Standard (“jarrets forts et bien descendus”) |
| PoitrineDescendue | Standard (“Poitrine : profonde et plutôt large, côtes bien cintrées.”) | Standard (“une poitrine profonde, modérément large”) | Standard (“une poitrine profonde, plutôt large”) | Standard (“poitrine profonde et plutôt large”) |
| Forme du museauEffilé | Standard (“Museau : s'effilant vers la truffe, modérément court et fort.”) | Standard (“Le museau est fort, s'effilant légèrement vers la truffe.”) | Standard (“S'effilant vers la truffe, modérément court et fort.”) | Standard (“Museau, s'effilant vers la truffe, modérément court et fort.”) |
Markings
| Marking | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marques feu | No ruling | No ruling | Alternative (“peut s'accompagner de marques feu”) | No ruling |
Cropping, docking and other procedures
| Procedure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ablation des ergots | No ruling | Alternative (“Les ergots peuvent être enlevés.”) | No ruling | No ruling |
The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.
Border Collie colors and patterns
What each club's breed standard says about every Border Collie color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.
Breed standards describe the Border Collie in Noir, Blanc, Gris, Bleu, Lilas, Ardoise, Marron, Seal, Feu, Rouge, Doré, Citron et Crème. Standard patterns: Uni, Bicolore, Tricolore, Bringé, Merle, Rouan, Fauve charbonné, Marqué de feu et Bringé inversé.
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noir | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black & White”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Blanc | Standard (“white should never predominate”) | Standard (“White & Black”) | Standard (“may have white trim”) | Standard (“white should never predominate”) | Standard (“white should never predominate”) |
| Gris | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“gray”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Bleu | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Blue”) | Standard (“blue merle”) | Standard (“Blue & White”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Lilas | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Lilac”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“Lilac”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Ardoise | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“Slate”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Marron | Standard (“brown or chocolate colour”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“brown dogs”) | Standard (“Brown & White”) | Standard (“brown or chocolate colour”) |
| Seal | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Seal”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“Seal”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Feu | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“tan points”) | Standard (“Black White & Tan”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Rouge | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Red”) | Standard (“red”) | Standard (“Red & White”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Doré | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Gold”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“Gold”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Citron | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“lemon”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Crème | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“Cream”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Albinos | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“albinism”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Patterns | |||||
| Uni | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings”) | Standard (“solid color”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Bicolore | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“White & Black”) | Standard (“bi-color”) | Standard (“Black & White”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Tricolore | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“White Markings, Tan Points”) | Standard (“tri-color”) | Standard (“Black Tricolour”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Bringé | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Merle | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Rouan | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“White Ticked”) | Standard (“white markings may be clear white or ticked to any degree”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Fauve charbonné | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Sable”) | Standard (“sable”) | Standard (“Sable”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Marqué de feu | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Tan Points”) | Standard (“may be accompanied by tan points”) | Standard (“Black White & Tan”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Bringé inversé | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Double merle | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleu | Standard (“except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue”) | Standard (“blue eyes in dogs other than merle are not preferred”) | Standard (“except in merles where one, or both, or a part of one, may be blue”) | Standard (“except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue”) | Standard (“except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue”) |
| Marron | Standard (“brown in colour”) | Standard (“any eye color is acceptable”) | Standard (“brown in color”) | Standard (“brown in colour”) | Standard (“brown in colour”) |
| Patterns | |||||
| Yeux vairons | Standard (“one or both ... may be blue”) | Standard (“any eye color is acceptable”) | Standard (“one, or both ... may be blue”) | Standard (“one or both ... may be blue”) | Standard (“one or both ... may be blue”) |
| Hétérochromie partielle | Standard (“part of one or both may be blue”) | Standard (“any eye color is acceptable”) | Standard (“a part of one, may be blue”) | Standard (“part of one or both may be blue”) | Standard (“part of one or both may be blue”) |
| Color or pattern | FCI | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noir | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“nose black”) | Standard (“nose black”) |
| Ardoise | Standard (“in blues nose should be slate colour”) | Standard (“in blue dogs, where it should be slate”) | Standard (“in blues nose should be slate colour”) | Standard (“in blues, nose should be slate colour”) |
| Foie | Standard (“except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown”) | Standard (“in brown dogs where it may be brown”) | Standard (“except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown”) | Standard (“except in brown or chocolate colour, when it may be brown”) |
What the rulings mean
- Standard
- Described by the club's breed standard.
- Éliminatoire
- The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Color changes
How a Border Collie's colors can change over its life.
Noirchanges toRouille
Pelage · Avec l'état corporel · can change back
Noirchanges toGris
Pelage · Progressif
Noirchanges toMarron
Pelage · Au soleil · can change back
Blancchanges toRouan
Pelage · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Marqué de feuchanges toÀ selle
Pelage · Avec l'âge · from 6 to 156 weeks
Bleuchanges toBrun foncé
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Bleuchanges toMarron
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Bleuchanges toBrun clair
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Bleuchanges toAmbre
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Bleuchanges toNoisette
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Bleuchanges toJaune
Yeux · Avec l'âge · from 2 weeks
Noirchanges toNez de neige
Truffe · Avec la saison · can change back
Noirchanges toRose
Truffe · Avec la saison · can change back
Sources
Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.