This is probably a very silly question but each year I watch Crufts on the telly I am puzzled as to what is the difference between a working sheepdog & a border collie. Is it really as simple as a working sdog is a working bc?
Daisy M

A WSD is not KC registered as a breed.  Border Collies are. 

Before the BC's were recognized as a breed by the KC they were on the OD/WT register & had to be from ISDS registered parents & be ISDS registered

Any BC from non ISDS parents or not registered with the ISDS were registered as WSD

When the KC recognized the BC's they were transferred across to the breed register leaving the WSD on the OB/WT register

If ISDS registered BC's are bred from by non ISDS members the puppies cannot be registered with the ISDS & unless the parents were KC registered as well they would be WSD

Simple isn't it :D(incidently the ISDS registraion cert states Border Collie(or Working Sheepdog)which is even more confusing

so you can only "breed show" BCs but WSs can be registered on the Ob & wt register so they can compete in the doggy sports.
some of the obedience WSs now have pedigrees as long as your arm! but are still Ws (or Wussies as we call them!)

i have to say, I prefer the WS, much sleeker and racier looking! :-)

I think you will find that WSDs come in all shapes and sizes :D

I have nine collies but actually only one of them is officially a Border Collie and the other eight are registered as Working Sheepdogs.  You would have a one-in-nine chance of guessing which one was the Border Collie :D
Sally

You could have littermates one a BC & one a WSD if they are from ISDS parents not registered with the KC. If you got the breeder to register one with the ISDS & someone got a litter mate & the breeder didn't register it(the ISDS would know as you have to declare the number of puppies in the litter)

So they would be exactly the same breeding but different breeds according to the KC

On the other hand you could get a rescue X breed that looked like a BC & it could have no BC blood at all & it could be registered as a WSD The KC would just put it on the working register

There is no "type"of WSD my two BC's are like chalk n cheese because one is lowland bred(shorter in lag more like a show BC) & the other is Hill bred longer in the leg & slimmer, but they are ISDS reg so both BC's at the KC :D