Demonstrate your Beardie's intelligence and skills in our Working Tests!
Bearded Collies are intelligent and interactive dogs who were bred originally to work as herders and drovers. Few Beardie owners are fortunate enough to be able to develop their dogs' talents in these actual activities so the Bearded Collie Working Tests provide an excellent opportunity for owners and their beardies to work together in a range of relatively simple exercises in control, obedience and agility.
Here is a testimonial from Lynne Walker who attended the Woodlands Cottage Working Tests event in 2016...
"If you have ever wanted to have a go at obedience but have been put off as it looks a bit serious for you and your Beardie, well think again. I went to the Working Tests event on June 11th organised by Val Corgan and we all had such a wonderful day. It was so much fun and everyone was so supportive and friendly and it was great that you were able to spend time bonding with your dog whilst attempting the various exercises such as stay, recall, retrieve, and heelwork. It made no difference that there were dogs at various levels, all were catered for, the exercises getting harder as you progress to such things as jumping and searching which was lovely to see (full details are on the Test Details page). A big thank you to Val and all for your effort and welcome. The whole day was held in a great location in Somerset, suitably supported by cups of tea and homemade cakes and soup - lovely. For those who know my dog, Neville, he is nicknamed 'Neville the devil' due to his impish nature and low concentration level, so I did not hold out much hope of success. But we passed the preliminary and we even got complimented on our heelwork - couldn't stop smiling! Neville knew what to do all along - it was me that didn't! Will we be going again? - you bet! We are going to practise the tips for the retrieve so we can take the next level. I would really recommend you to all give it a go, especially if you have your own 'Neville'. You'll have a great time with great people and you will discover your Beardie's hidden talents!"
The Tests can be taken by any Bearded Collie whose owner is a member of either the Bearded Collie Club or the Southern Counties Bearded Collie Club. There are four different levels of attainment - Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior, through which a Beardie can progress, with the proviso that the dog must pass a given test in order to progress to the next level.
The great thing about the Working Tests is that any interested group of Beardie owners may stage Bearded Collie Working Tests provided that they adhere to the guidelines set out in the Test Details page of this site. A list of judges approved for conducting Working Tests is held by the Bearded Collie Club.
We shall be posting achievements in Working Tests on the Test Results page, so please send any Working Test results by email to the webmaster for inclusion there.
If you are looking to do something worthwhile to engage your Beardie's intelligence and co-operation, then take a look at the Test Dates planned in the forseeable future. Also, if you have organised Working Tests and wish to encourage participants, please email us with details of date, venue, judge and the levels at which dogs will be able to take part.
The Committee contact for working tests and obedience is Maureen Sale. You can contact Maureen by email or telephone 0121 353 7267.
The Bearded Collie Working Tests were introduced in 1969 to encourage owners to train their dogs who would hopefully then go on to compete in Obedience and Working Trials. There is nothing to compare seeing a stylish, happy Beardie with its coat flying, confidently and keenly carrying out the exercises with dedication and enthusiasm. In the UK we have had some very talented Bearded Collie Champions who have achieved the Senior Test as can be seen from this list.
The Working Tests are a simplified form of the exercises required for Working Trials which include nosework (search square and tracking), agility (long jump, clear jump, and scale) and control (heelwork, sendaway, retrieve, and stays). The new Introductory Stake in Working Trials is very similar to the requirements of the Senior Working Test and a great way to get started in this great outdoors activity. We have included on this page a list of the Bearded Collies who have excelled in this area of competition.