My 6 1/2 month old Bearded collie is at that age where the hair on its face is long enough to obscure its eyes completely but not long enough to lie properly. She is always running into things. When you throw a ball she charges after it like mad but looses sight of it and carries on running after the ball has stopped. She stops, turns round and looks confused as if to say 'where did that go'?
We've tried to train it by wetting it and combing it and she looks gorgeous with her intelligent brown eyes seeing daylight again. But 2 minutes later and a shake of her head its just a fur ball again.  Its not so much the hair between and over her eyes - we can hold that back with a hair bobble - its the hair under her eyes on her muzzle.
Is there anything we can do to hold it flat?

not sure this is a great idea an you may have to wash it anyway but how about a very small amount of hairgel, if its in a place where the dog can't eat it it may work

I have had a similar problem with my OES now that he is 8 months old and his hair has grown longer and thicker.  When he started walking into lamp-posts and walls on a walk, I decided that enough was enough and took him to be groomed and have his hair 'thinned' around his eyes.  He is very much better now at seeing things and I can see his lovely brown eyes, but he retains that unique OES shape and look.

Basically apart from trimming/thinning it no, but if you are intending to show thinning/trimming is not allowed

It's due to the breeding for more & more coat for the show ring in both OES & Beardies

I never had any problems when I had beardies but then mine where almost directly from the original Bothkennars & working dogs

I had the same problem with my Briard.  I do find however, that when she is running, the hair blows back and she can see where she is going.  She won't tolerate hair bobbles and just rubs her head until it comes out.  Other than that she does have alot of hair covering her eyes, but doesn't really seem to bump into things (very often anyway) now she is older! (2 1/2 years).

Fiona

HI
  Correct me if I am wrong,but I thought the idea of having protective hair over the eyes was to save the eyes if the dog had to go into brush/brambles etc to round up sheep. If the dogs have now been over developed for show purposes regarding the hair over the eyes, then surely it is the breeders that are at fault.
Bazza

I know exactly what you mean, Beardieboy - the same happens with my breed (wheatens). As the hair grows it sticks up and obscures the eyes as it doesnt have the length and weight to make it fall back over the muzzle. Unfortunately theres not a lot you can do because if you trim or thin (which is wrong anyway) you will just have the problem re-occur as it grows again. Once the length and weight comes you no longer have a problem, so I am afraid all you can do is try to make sure she has her runs and mad half hours in as an open a space as possible. Dont know about beardies, but it doesnt last too long with wheatens. And it is nothing to do with breeders going for different coats, not in my breed anyway - just part of the coat change process.

It definitely is the breeders in beardies I have a friend who still breeds & she has seen handlers putting gel into the dogs facial hair to make it look acceptable Without exception the dogs that still have the old lines close up & not the modern ones have less facial hair & the correct eyebrows that keep the hair off the eyes. Lynne Evans has gone back to working(registered with the WBA)dogs to correct what has been done to the show dogs

Working beardies do not go into covers & have a lot less head coat, they are bearded collies because of the beard under the bottom jaw not the mass of head hair. The head coat should be enough to protect the eyes from bad weather(rain, snow, wind)the dogs might encounter whilst driving the stock to market, most working beardies have a natural light fall of hair.

hi beardie boy
Nice to see another one of us!!! (beardie lover that is!!)
Monty is the same at 11 months. Even though now he is starting to show signs of having eyebrows so its slightly parting
The running into things is a beardie characteristic, not because they cant see.Its more of a think later attribute! Monty is pretty good at seeing cats on the fence even with a mop of hair in his face or the person right over the other side of the field and then goes running at high speed!
You may find in months to come, he will show signs of a parting but at the moment its just his puppy coat.

If you need any help and advice with beardies, PM me and i will try and help.
hth

lily my parson russell has the same problem with her eye sprouts. At first i trimmed them because they were actually poking her in the eye, but then i let them grow and they're getting a little lower with less volume now ! they still sit in front of her eyes a bit, but they should be sorted in a couple of weeks hopefully !

sarah
x

Thanks for all your experiences. As one of you said it may not be the hair and may just be a beardie trait to go charging about regardless. I took her to the woods today and she ended up with a bloody nose having ran into something yet again. Luckily it was only minor and soon stopped bleeding. She certainly has no trouble seeing when somebody is eating something.

LOL Monty is the same. And then he looks as though he wants a cuddle by putting his head on your lap but all he is really doing is trying to get closer to the food. Crafty little blighters! The experts arent wrong when they say beardies use their brains, but it only seems to be when he wants something. He can do some really REALLY stupid things sometimes! He has hit the patio door several times tho but luckily no permanent damage. Well, nothing physically!
So what colour is she? Monty is brown and white. I have some up to date pics if you want to see them