Editing Border Collie (section)

==Description==
[[File:Border Collie rojo mirlo tricolor (Birdy de los Baganicos).jpg|thumb|Red merle Border Collie. Female.]]
[[File:Border collie different eyes dog.jpg|thumb|Blue merle Border Collie. Female.]]
[[File:Border Collie Macho Blanco y Negro (Batman, los Baganes Border Collie).jpg|thumb|Black & white Border Collie. Male.]]
[[File:Border Collie chocolate (Brasil o Boule de los Baganicos).jpg|thumb|Chocolate Border Collie. Male.]]<!--Please do not post snapshots of your beloved dog unless they illustrate the characteristic appearance and activities of the breed in an encyclopedic manner-->
Border Collies are, on average, medium-sized dogs with a moderate amount of [[Coat (dog)|coat]], which is often thick and prone to shedding. They have a [[Coat (dog)|double coat]] that varies from smooth to rough and is occasionally curled. While black and white is the most common colouring of the Border Collie, the breed appears in just about any colour and pattern known to occur in dogs. Some of these include black tricolour (black/tan/white), liver and white, and red tricolour (red/tan/white) which have also been seen regularly, and other colours such as blue, lilac, red [[Merle (dog coat)|merle]], blue merle, [[brindle]], and Australian red (also known as [[Dog coat|ee]] red, blonde, recessive red, or gold) which is seen less frequently. Some Border Collies may also have single-colour coats.<ref name="American Kennel Club"/>

Eye colour varies from brown to green, and occasionally [[Heterochromia iridum|eyes of differing colour]] occur; this is usually seen with merles. This trait is known as heterochromia. The ears of the Border Collie are also variable — some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped ears, and others semi-erect ears (similar to those of the [[Rough Collie|rough collie]]). 

Although working Border Collie handlers sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their dogs (handlers may avoid mostly white dogs due to the unfounded idea that sheep will not respect a white or almost all white dog),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bordercollie.org/kpwhite.html|title=A Dog of a Different Color|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501085658/http://www.bordercollie.org/kpwhite.html|archive-date=1 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> in general, the American Border Collie Association considers a dog's appearance to be irrelevant.<ref name="abca-about">{{cite web|url=http://americanbordercollie.org/bc-information/choosing-a-border-collie/|title=How to choose a border collie|publisher=American Border Collie Association|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref> Instead, it is considered more useful to identify a working Border Collie by its attitude and ability.

Dogs bred for show are more homogeneous in appearance than working Border Collies since to win in [[Dog show|conformation showing]] they must conform closely to [[Breed club (dog)|breed club]] [[Breed standard (dogs)|standards]] that are specific on many points of the structure, coat, and colour. Kennel clubs specify, for example, that the Border Collie must have a "keen and intelligent" expression, and that the preferred eye colour is dark brown. In deference to the dog's working origin, scars and broken teeth received in the line of duty are not to be counted against a Border Collie in the show ring. The males' height from [[withers]] comes from {{convert|19|to|22|in|cm|order=flip}}, females from {{convert|18|to|21|in|cm|order=flip}}.

It has been claimed to be the most [[Dog intelligence|intelligent]] breed of dog.<ref name="coren" /><ref>{{Cite book| last = Coren | first = Stanley | author-link = Stanley Coren | title = The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions (Paperback) | publisher = [[Free Press (publisher)|The Free Press]] | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-7432-8087-7 }}</ref>