Other Names for a Bearded Collie

The Bearded Collie dog breed began in Scotland in 1514, when a Polish sea captain stopping at a Scottish port gave a Scottish shepherd a few of his Polish sheepdogs in exchange for some sheep. The shepherd then bred these dogs with two British working dog breeds, the Old English Sheepdog and the Komondor. One of Britain's oldest dog breeds, the bearded collie has accumulated many formal and informal names over its 500 years.

  1. Some Scottish Highland Names

    • The bearded collie breed has attracted many names over the centuries that describe its appearance, behavior, place of origin and life as a working dog. A few of the names that have survived to present day are: the Highland Collie, Highland Sheepdog and Mountain Collie, due to their origin in the Scottish Highlands. The Scottish also called the breed the Hairy Mou'ed (or Moved) Collie due to its signature long hair.

    The Hairy Mou'ed and the Argle Bargle

    • Other names given the bearded collie over the centuries include the very Scottish name of the Hairy Mou'ed (or Moved) Collie, due to their long hair, and Argle Bargle, which is a British term for fight or argument. The bearded collie may have been given the name of Argle Bargle as it is loves to "argue" in the sense that it barks quite often.

    The Official Nickname

    • The bearded collie is known for its long, lean shape, large eyes, drooping ears and long, thick hair that needs much attention from its guardian. Its hair needs to be brushed to the sides of its face so it can see clearly. Even its tail is covered with abundant, long hair. Since a bearded collie also has hair under its chin, it is no surprise that the breed has the official name of bearded collie and the official nickname of Beardie.

    The Bouncing Dog

    • The bearded collie was bred for several centuries to be very active as a working dog, stopping and starting often as it herded cattle and sheep on its master's land. It still retains these traits, even when only herding its human family's children, and so has been nicknamed the Bouncing Dog or the Bouncing Collie. The bearded collie's agility, friendliness and ability to not frighten sheep have long made it an ideal herding dog.