“Oh no! What are they doing?” Sharon shrieked. “Are they crazy? Someone stop them!” She amped up her voice several decibels as she envisioned a blood-soaked field adorned with assorted furry body parts. “Relax,” I told her. “They’re Beardies. We do this frequently.” And we do, whenever the circumstances permit.
Sharon, an owner/breeder of Rottweilers, had accompanied me to a Beardie specialty for the first time so she was unfamiliar with the popular event that occurs at specialties, Beardie Bounces or other similar occasions. In a safely enclosed area, the Beardies are turned loose to greet old friends, meet new ones, chase Frisbees or balls, scrounge treats, show off a trick or two and just generally socialize. For our furry companions it’s the high point of the day, not a no-holds-barred, free for all battle as Sharon felt was forthcoming. Beardies are not inclined to indulge in fisticuffs (pawticuffs?).
There are dozens of words to describe the Beardie temperament such as fun-loving, outgoing, friendly, happy, playful, sociable, cheerful, jovial, joyful and so on. It’s the sort of personality that turns people into fans of the breed after meeting them. Carol Gold, a driving force in getting the breed introduced and registered in Canada, first met Beardies at England’s famed Cruft’s show where they greeted her like a rich relative. With such an introduction it’s not surprising she brought one home to Canada and started drumming up interest in the breed.
Those aforementioned Beardie playtime get-togethers are proof they delight in the company of other Bearded Collies. But you only have to walk through show grounds with a Beardie to see their reactions. They’ll trot past Labradors, Pointers, Great Danes and Chihuahuas with nothing more than a passing glance. But let another Beardie appear and the tail starts wagging followed by a friendly greeting. “Hey, here’s another brother!”
The congenial nature often extends to friendly canines as well as other animals (yes, even cats) though they may be inclined to herd some of them. Some years ago, a pet duck was part of the household and she was accepted by the crew with the exception of Bounce, my oldest Beardie at 15. At times, Bounce would get it into her furry head to chase the duck but at 15, her ‘chase’ was more like a determined stroll. The duck would head for large tree in the front yard and start to circle the trunk with Bounce trundling along behind. Round and round they’d go, the duck waddling just a couple of feet ahead. Bounce never did catch her but she did get her regular exercise.
Okay, with all the Beardies abounding now, there’s undoubtedly going to be some with aggressive tendencies and/or questionable temperaments. Blame might be attributed to the way they were raised or trained in some cases. In others, they just might have been born grouchy. But in my 55 years with the breed, I’ve met or heard of very few with surly temperaments. And maybe this might be the place to include one of my favorite stories of just such a dog. Beardie owners who have been involved in the breed for many years will recognize the name of Jenny Osborne of Osmart kennels in England. Talking to a friend at a show about critiquing a Beardie, she commented it was important to remember the dog was someone’s beloved pet and to find some kind words to say no matter how poor an example the dog might be. “I can always fall back on What a wonderful temperament!” she concluded. It was then that a lady approached requesting a critique of her Beardie who had few, if any, redeeming features. It appeared Jenny would have to employ her ‘wonderful temperament’ but as she reached out to go over the dog, he growled menacingly and bared his teeth. It took a quick moment of thought and then Jenny smiled and said, “My, isn’t he clean!”
— Alice Bixler, Bearded Collie Club of America, alice@bedlamkennels.com
