Coat, Ears & Tail

AKC Herding Group · No. 26 in 2025

How to identify a Border Collie

The Border Collie is an athletic herding dog, ranked No. 26 by the AKC in 2025. The ears can be erect or semi-erect, with the tips often falling forward or to the side. The tail is set low with an upward swirl at the tip like a shepherd’s crook, and any color is allowed.

Photo of a Border Collie
Photo: Sannse · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Field marks

These four marks are the ones the game gives you as clues. They paraphrase or briefly quote the AKC Border Collie standard.

  1. One or both ears erect or semi-erect, with tips falling forward or to the side
  2. Any color allowed; ear color matches the main body color
  3. Low tail with “a slight upward swirl at the end like a shepherd’s crook”
  4. Rough or smooth coat on an athletic frame, about 10:9 length to height

Tell them apart

Border Collie or Australian Shepherd?

Check the tail and the color. An Australian Shepherd’s tail is docked or naturally bobbed, no longer than 4 inches, and its colors are limited to blue merle, black, red merle or red. A Border Collie keeps a long, low tail with an upward swirl at the tip, and any color is allowed.

Border Collie

Border Collie

  1. One or both ears erect or semi-erect, with tips falling forward or to the side
  2. Any color allowed; ear color matches the main body color
  3. Low tail with “a slight upward swirl at the end like a shepherd’s crook”
  4. Rough or smooth coat on an athletic frame, about 10:9 length to height
Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherd

  1. Blue merle, black, red merle, or red, “with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points”
  2. Eyes brown, blue, amber, or any mix, including flecks and marbling
  3. Docked or naturally bobbed tail, no longer than 4 in
  4. Medium-length coat with “a moderate mane and frill”

Border Collie or Collie?

Check the head and the coat. A Collie has a long, smooth, wedge-shaped head and, in the Rough variety, a huge mane and frill. A Border Collie has a broader skull, ears that vary from erect to semi-erect, a lighter coat and any color.

Border Collie

Border Collie

  1. One or both ears erect or semi-erect, with tips falling forward or to the side
  2. Any color allowed; ear color matches the main body color
  3. Low tail with “a slight upward swirl at the end like a shepherd’s crook”
  4. Rough or smooth coat on an athletic frame, about 10:9 length to height
Collie

Collie

  1. Head like “a well-blunted lean wedge,” smooth and clean in outline
  2. Ears “about three-quarters erect,” with the top quarter “tipping or breaking forward”
  3. Rough coat “very abundant on the mane and frill” with a smooth face (the Smooth variety has a short, flat coat)
  4. Sable and white, tri-color, blue merle, or white; 22 to 26 inches

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