We can trace the origin of this breed for more than 400 years in the past. They probably developed at the end of 15th and during the 16th century by mating Polish lowland sheepdogs with Scottish sheepdogs. From that period until the 20th century, there is very little information on the breed.

The first club was established in 1912 in Edinburgh. After that, the number of dogs rapidly decreases and during the Second World War the breed came near extinction.

Credit for breed resurrection goes to Mrs. G. O. Willison from Great Britain, who in 1944 by pure chance obtained a brown female Jeannie of Bothkennar (left). In 1949 she also manages to acquire a male - Bailie of Bothkennar - using this couple to completely renew the breeding.

In 1959 Jeannie’s granddaughter Beauty Queen of Bothkennar becomes the first Bearded Collie to win the CC candidature for the English champion title.

A new standard was established in 1964, and "beardies" become increasingly popular when a female Potterdale Classic of Moonhill won Best in Show at Cruft’s.

Bearded collie breeding in Croatia

The first Bearded Collie in Croatia was a male called Extra Light de la Fontaine Aux Elfes, owned by Draženka Matkovic. He was born in 1989 and had no offspring.

A year later, Vilma Polz-Živkovic imports a dog from Germany - Black Imperial v. Karthäuser Hain (right), at home called Timo. This dog marks the beginning of Bearded Collie breeding in the region.

Timo won several championships and will be remembered as the father of the first Bearded Collie litter in Croatia, whelped on June 15th 1994 by Neuma z Brda, a female imported from Slovenia.

Želimir Harapin, breeder of that litter, did not register the name of his kennel.
Black Imperial v. Karthäuser Hain
Ch. Black Imperial v. Karthäuser Hain, "Timo"

The first officially registered kennel was Ratkay’s, owned by Zrinka Ratkajec. She bred only one litter, born in 1996. Dam was Bounty Brown Hneda, female imported from the Czech Republic, and sire was again Black Imperial v. Karthäuser Hain.

In January 1997, Jasmina Dasovic founded a kennel under the name Vatea, with a female Black Lace whelped in 1994 in the first litter. Today, Vatea is the oldest active Croatian Bearded Collie kennel.

Black Lace was mated with an outstanding male imported to Hungary from France - Ch. Initiale de Chester (left). The most successful Bearded Collie of all times from Croatian breeding - a brown female Vatea’s Haidee Sweet Dream - comes from this litter.

Later in the same year, Tajana and Dražena Ormož established a kennel called Sagena with a female Double Scotch Blue Forget-Me-Not, imported from Hungary. Except for Vatea, this is the only still active kennel and is currently leading in the number of litters.

In 2003 T. & D. Ormož import a black male, Potterdale Miami Star (right), from a leading European kennel. This young dog already has prominent results at shows as well as winning descendants.

From the beginning until today, there were approximately twenty Bearded Collies imported to Croatia, and over a hundred puppies bred.