BC Museum: Patterned White Border Collies

THE BORDER COLLIE MUSEUM Permanent Collection

PATTERNED WHITE
AND COLOR-HEADED WHITE
BORDER COLLIES

Note on the Color Pages: --PLEASE READ--

Up till now, I have accepted photos of people's dogs and have put them up on the appropriate pages when I have had the time. However, these pages are getting enormously large, for which there is a cost associated in both time and money (space costs). Furthermore, I have accumulated an enormous backlog of photos that I have not had time to put up, and given the size of the website in general, and the fact that I would like to expand it in other areas, I have not had the time to update the color pages.

So, sadly, I have come to the conclusion that I must cut back the existing pages by removing some photos and leaving only those that best represent particular colors or patterns. I will no longer be accepting photos of other people's dogs for publication on this website except from time to time if a perfect example and a great photo comes along. To those of you who have sent photos that have not yet gone up, I apologize for never having gotten to them.

Still, I have to say that I enjoy getting photos of your dogs and seeing for myself the huge variety there is in the breed. So, if you would like to continue sending me photos, and continue to correspond with me, I would like that very much, and am still available to answer any color questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Thank you for your support on the subject of color genetics in the Border Collie.

-- Carole Presberg, editor and curator, Border Collie Museum

White factoring or patterning is when a dog is mostly white all over, like this one, from Scotland, but has some black patterning on the body. They may be like this one, whith only black ears and a black stripe over the hips, or they may have a solid black head (sometimes called a "black-headed white"), or "panda spots" over the eyes, or a "half-white face" (we have a separate page for half-white-faced or split-faced dogs, because this is such a common color pattern in the Border Collie) or just some white on the head. Speckling, which may include some or all of the above patterning, we consider on a separate page as well. Look at the length of the "ear feathers" on this dog! (Photo by David L. Presberg.)

This is Bandit, belonging to Bob Gallagher of Wallingford, Connecticut. He has an interesting pattern and prick ears.

Tup (Tupek Amaru Shakur, taken from the Inka god's name meaning "Shining Snake Thankful God") is another patterned white dog with similar markings to Bandit's. He belongs to Sara Olechowska from Warsaw, Poland. This pattern is also sometimes called "piebald". Tup is also interesting because he has an all-black head

Shiro, belongs to Diane Pagel of Bellevue, Washington. She is completely white except for black ears, a black patch over one eye, and a little speckiling on her front legs. With her lovely prick ears, Shiro is one classy-looking dog!

Jester, like Shiro, above, is an all white dog with a full black mask. He is a rescue dog, from a shelter in Pennsylvania, that would have been euthanized if Ann Marie Hill, his owner, hadn't rescued him. He comes originally from a pet store and was sold as a spitz!

This is Molly, who belongs to Summer MacMillan and Bryan Jenkins, of St. Clairsville, Ohio. Molly is a rescue dog from the Ohio County Animal Shelter in Wheeling, WV, and she will be learning agility. She is not only patterned white, but speckled as well, and is very striking-looking with her beautiful black prick ears, symmetrical black mask, and one blue eye.

Brodie (Brothaigh Elwood Blues Phoenix) was adopted through Border Collie Rescue Texas and now belongs to Jennifer and Peter Phoenix of Texas. He is currently doing competition level agility, and flyball for fun. Jennifer says "character doesn't begin to describe him, he's a crazy dog!" Brodie is both patterned white and tricolored, giving him his great eyespots and cheek marks, and a madcap, fancy-free appearance.