Border Collies have a longstanding tradition of being one of the screen’s top dogs. From starring roles earned by their unsurpassed intelligence and trainability to endless walk-ons and extras in just about any film with a pastural setting. If it’s on a farm, especially if it’s in the United Kingdom or Ireland, there’s a good chance you can spot a Border Collie in it somewhere. Where they really shine in movies, however, is with those former roles: as stars of the show. The BC films are so extensive, they are divided on this page into a few time periods.
Border Collie films are so extensive, this page is broken into five categories by decade. BC enthusiasts will also be interested in the films of Tuffy, Blair, and Jean, the Vitagraph dog. Tuffy is generally recorded to be either an Australian Shepherd or Aussie/Border Collie cross, though looks identical to a modern BC. Blair and Jean were the first two canine movie stars, both collies who also look like today’s Border Collies.
Border Collie Movies up to 1969
The 101 Problems of Hercules
Year: 1966
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A Wonderful World of Disney TV movie about a Kuvasz, Old English Sheepdog, and Border Collie having to drive sheep on their own in the American Southwest. All three dogs play main roles, with the Kuvasz as the title character.
Blondie Brings up Baby
Year: 1939
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Only a glimpse in the dog-catcher’s truck with several other dogs. The star is famed mixed breed Spooks, playing “Daisy”.
The Bridal Path
Year: 1959
Country: UK
BC content: ✯
A beautiful plush-coat GSD plays a notable part later in this whimsical British film, but the BC can only be seen with the sheep.
Far from the Madding Crowd
Year: 1967
Country: UK
BC content: ✯
Although a Border Collie has a role in this film, the 2015 remake has more to do with the dogs (as does the original novel).
Five on a Treasure Island
Year: 1957
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
Based on Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series of children’s novels, this film version was originally a Children’s Film Foundation eight-part TV serial. “Timmy” (the only canine member of the Five) is played by a scrawny, smooth-haired BC. In later film adaptations, Timmy has been played by a mixed breed, GSD, and Australian Shepherd.
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Owd Bob
Year: 1924
Country: UK
Although the star of this first adaptation of Alfred Ollivant’s classic Border Collie novel was actually a mixed breed, it seems highly likely that some real BCs featured in the sheep herding scenes as well. The film, however, may be a lost one.
Owd Bob
Year: 1924
Country: UK
Although the star of this first adaptation of Alfred Ollivant’s classic Border Collie novel was actually a mixed breed, it seems highly likely that some real BCs featured in the sheep herding scenes as well. The film, however, may be a lost one.
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Owd Bob
AKA: To the Victor
Year: 1938
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
One stars are a black GSD and a Border Collie, but many Border Collies also play signifiant roles.
Owd Bob
AKA: To the Victor
Year: 1938
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
One stars are a black GSD and a Border Collie, but many Border Collies also play signifiant roles.
The Proud Rebel
Year: 1958
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
“Lance”, a large, tri, smooth-coated dog, has a substantial role throughout.
Thunder in the Valley
AKA: Bob, Son of Battle
Year: 1947
Country: USA
Another adaptation based on the novel by Alfred Ollivant.
Border Collie Movies 1970–1989
The Boy Who Could Fly
Year: 1986
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
Freckled Border Collie Jake, a rescue dog trained by Steve Berens and a critical part of launching Berens’s movie animal training career, appears here as “Max” in one of his early roles.
Dog Trouble!
AKA: The Dog Days of Arthur Cane
Year: 1984
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
From an ABC TV special released on VHS as Dog Trouble! About a boy who turns into a Border Collie.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Year: 1986
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
With Clint Rowe’s famed Mike. Though he had other, larger roles, this brilliant BC is still best remembered for stealing the show as “Matisse” in Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
Flight of the Navigator
Year: 1986
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Opening scene of a disc dog competition. The starring dog is an Australian Shepherd.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Year: 1989
Country: USA/Canada
With a tri-colored BC.
Hambone and Hillie
Year: 1983
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
Also with Mike. The star is a mixed breed.
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Mutts
Year: 1988
Country: USA
A short film possibly featuring Mike. Directed by Linda Day.
Mutts
Year: 1988
Country: USA
A short film possibly featuring Mike. Directed by Linda Day.
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Spot Marks the X
Year: 1986
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A surprisingly enjoyable Disney TV movie, this is where Clint Rowe’s dog Mike, best known for Down and Out in Beverly Hills really shines. Also one of the top picks for BC movies.
Spot Marks the X
Year: 1986
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A surprisingly enjoyable Disney TV movie, this is where Clint Rowe’s dog Mike, best known for Down and Out in Beverly Hills really shines. Also one of the top picks for BC movies.
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The Stallion
Year: 1972
Country: UK
Possibly a lost film.
The Stallion
Year: 1972
Country: UK
Possibly a lost film.
Up the Creek
Year: 1984
Country: USA
Steve Berens’s rescue dog Jake appears here in perhaps his first big film role. He plays “Chuck”.
Border Collie Movies 1990–1999
101 Dalmatians
Year: 1996
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
In an early scene among dogs attending the wedding.
An American Werewolf in Paris
Year: 1997
Country: UK/Netherlands/Luxembourg/USA/France
BC content: ✯
Animal Farm
Year: 1999
Country: USA/UK
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
Made-for-TV live action version of the classic novel.
Babe
Year: 1995
Country: Australia/USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The animal film that changed an whole genre of entertainment by introducing the world to live action animals using CGI to make them talk. Still the premiere Border Collie film with “Fly”, “Rex”, and the puppies.
Babe: Pig in the City
Year: 1998
Country: Australia
BC content: ✯
This time, the BCs can only be seen briefly. Though there are many other dogs in this film.
Bingo
Year: 1991
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Only a brief role. The star (played by a mother and son duo) was a BC mix as well.
A Boy Called Woof! Back in the Doghouse
Year: 1991
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
Adapted from the British TV series and released as a movie on DVD, this features a blue merle Border Collie and several others as part of a large pack.
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Child of Rage
Year: 1992
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
“Casey” is a chunky, fluffy dog, and may be a mix. A TV movie based on a true story about a violent child.
Child of Rage
Year: 1992
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
“Casey” is a chunky, fluffy dog, and may be a mix. A TV movie based on a true story about a violent child.
The Christmas Stallion
AKA: The Winter Stallion
Year: 1992
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
Border Collie in multiple scenes. Plus a pack of English Foxhounds.
Follow the River
Year: 1995
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Right at the end of the film, on the porch. One red/white and one black/white. The pair are rather stocky and seen at such a distance, it’s possible they are Australian Shepherds, though appear to be Border Collies overall.
The Goodbye Bird
Year: 1993
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Several dogs, mostly mixes, with Border Collie and Australian Shepherd sightings as well.
Goodnight Mister Tom
Year: 1998
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
From the novel, Good Night, Mr. Tom, with the BC “Sammy” playing a small but pivotal role.
Heck’s Way Home
Year: 1996
Country: Canada
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A made-for-TV Canadian film about a BC named “Hector” trying to find his way home.
Hollywood Safari
Year: 1997
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Just a glimpse of a BC in the kennels at the start, but BC fans will be interested in the mixed breed star, Duke. Duke can also be seen playing “Samson” in the Little Heroes trilogy.
Owd Bob
Year: 1997
Country: UK/Canada
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A modernized remake of Alfred Ollivant’s 1898 novel, Bob, Son of Battle.
Red Shoe Diaries
AKA: Red Shoe Diaries: The Movie
Year: 1992
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Not to be confused with the TV series. One of the later films of Jake, trained by Steve Berens.
Twin Town
Year: 1997
Country: UK
BC content: ✯
A mixed breed terrier has a notable role, along with a toy Poodle. The Border Collie is with a man buying a drugged hot dog.
Border Collie Movies 2000–2009
Old No. 587: The Great Train Robbery
AKA: 587 The Great Train Robbery
Year: 2000
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
All Roads Lead Home
Year: 2008
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
The main dog is “Atticus”, with the puppies also named after To Kill a Mockingbird characters.
The Amityville Horror
Year: 2005
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
Family dog “Harry” is played by Red and, as so many dogs in horror films do, he meets an unfortunate end.
An Angel for May
Year: 2002
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
May’s dog, “Tess”, plays a notable part in this made-for-TV film.
Bailey’s Billion$
Year: 2005
Country: Canada
BC content: ✯ ✯
Border Collie has a central role after the starring Golden Retriever.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Year: 2008
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
BC at Sebastian the Pug’s birthday party.
Bustin Bonaparte
AKA: The Story of an African Farm
Year: 2004
Country: USA/South Africa
BC content: ✯ ✯
Crab Orchard
AKA: Sheeba / Angel Dog 2 (in the UK)
Year: 2005
Country: USA
Red and stocky. Not sure if this is a purebred Border Collie.
Dawn of the Dead
Year: 2004
Country: USA/Canada/Japan/France
BC content: ✯ ✯
With “Chips” trying to save the day.
Dog Soldiers
Year: 2002
Country: UK/Luxembourg/USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
Border Collie in the kind of tough dog part usually reserved for Dobermans and German Shepherd Dogs.
A Dog Year
Year: 2009
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
Including Trip, Ryder, Lucy, and Shep in one of the major Border Collie films. Originally on HBO, now on DVD.
Hotel for Dogs
Year: 2009
Country: USA/German
BC content: ✯ ✯
“Shep” is played by some of the famous Holther Border Collies. This BC team, trained for film work by Birds and Animals Unlimited, has appeared in A Dog Year, My Sister’s Keeper, Marley & Me, and others.
Lassie
Year: 2005
Country: USA/France/Ireland/UK
BC content: ✯
Many dogs seen at the estate kennels and the animal shelter.
Made of Honor
Year: 2008
Country: USA/UK
BC content: ✯
Considering this dog has only minutes, if not seconds, of screen-time, he plays a pivotal part.
Marley & Me
Year: 2008
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Background dogs, a blue merle and a black and white.
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
Year: 2006
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
Difficult to classify since this film is an edit of a UK television series and Reel Dogs does not usually deal with TV dogs. Any BC enthusiasts will want to know about Mist, however.
Old Dogs
Year: 2009
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
The lead is a mixed-breed, but several dogs are seen off and on.
The Road
Year: 2009
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Just a glimpse at the end of the film. The first time I saw this dog in the theater, I thought it was a Mudi. On closer inspection, it appears to be a merle BC with make-up.
Snow Dogs
Year: 2002
Country: Canada/USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
“Nana” has a larger role than the Siberian Huskies.
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Ty menya slyshish?
AKA: Ты меня слышишь? / Can You Hear Me?
Year: 2007
Country: Russia
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
An odd two-part TV film about a Border Collie who encounters dozens of other dogs in his wanderings. Additional information can be found on this Russian site.
Ty menya slyshish?
AKA: Ты меня слышишь? / Can You Hear Me?
Year: 2007
Country: Russia
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
An odd two-part TV film about a Border Collie who encounters dozens of other dogs in his wanderings. Additional information can be found on this Russian site.
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Ururu no mori no monogatari
AKA: A Tale of Ururu’s Wonderful Forest
Year: 2009
Country: Japan
BC content: ✯
Ururu no mori no monogatari
AKA: A Tale of Ururu’s Wonderful Forest
Year: 2009
Country: Japan
BC content: ✯
The Water Horse
Year: 2007
Country: New Zealand/UK/Australia
BC content: ✯
Quick sighting at the beginning. Main part for an English Bulldog, “Churchill”.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Year: 2006
Country: Ireland/UK/Germany/Italy/Spain/France/Belgium/Switzerland
BC content: ✯
Weird, seemingly random sighting of a three-legged BC with a matted coat hopping along in the background.
Border Collie Movies 2010–present
The Adventures of Paula and Pepper
Year: 2015
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
An unusual film, even today, in that it’s about a girl and dog rather than boy and dog.
Darling Companion
Year: 2012
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
Several dogs seen besides the main mixed-breed.
Duke
AKA: A Dog Named Duke
Year: 2012
Country: Canada
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
One of the bigger BC films, loosely based on a true story.
Entertainment
AKA: It’s Entertainment
Year: 2014
Country: India
BC content: ✯
It is very rare for Bollywood to do a dog movie, but they did here! It’s about a Golden Retriever named “Entertainment” who inherits a fortune. There’s a scene with dozens of intentionally comic CGI duplicated live-action dogs in which a BC features.
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Far from the Madding Crowd
Year: 2015
Country: UK/USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
“Old George” features more prominently than in the original film, though still seldom seen, and both him and his son are crucial to the plot.
Far from the Madding Crowd
Year: 2015
Country: UK/USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
“Old George” features more prominently than in the original film, though still seldom seen, and both him and his son are crucial to the plot.
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A Gold Medal Winning Tramp Dog
AKA: 金牌流浪狗
Year: 2014
Country: China
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
About a disc dog.
A Gold Medal Winning Tramp Dog
AKA: 金牌流浪狗
Year: 2014
Country: China
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
About a disc dog.
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Hope
Year: 2010
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A short film about a Border Collie rescuing a grieving woman from her own depression. “Hope” is played by Dazzle.
Hope
Year: 2010
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯
A short film about a Border Collie rescuing a grieving woman from her own depression. “Hope” is played by Dazzle.
The Monster of Mangatiti
Year: 2015
Country: New Zealand
BC content: ✯
This TV docudrama features a handful of background dogs working livestock which appear to be Kelpies, Australian Cattle Dogs, Border Collies, and/or mixes.
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Play Dead
Year: 2011
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
A great short film about dogs and zombies.
Play Dead
Year: 2011
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
A great short film about dogs and zombies.
Rodinný film
AKA: Family Film
Year: 2015
Country: Czech Republic/Germany/Slovenia/France/Slovakia
BC content: ✯ ✯
Saige Paints the Sky
AKA: American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky
Year: 2013
Country: USA
BC content: ✯ ✯
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Santa Collies
Year: 2011
Country: Hungary
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
A quality short about Border Collies playing the parts of both Santa’s elves and Santa’s reindeer. You can see it online.
Santa Collies
Year: 2011
Country: Hungary
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
A quality short about Border Collies playing the parts of both Santa’s elves and Santa’s reindeer. You can see it online.
The Tree of Life
Year: 2011
Country: USA
BC content: ✯
A few glimpses of Border Collies and other dogs.
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Unleashed
Year: 2011
Country: Hungary
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
From the people who brought you Santa Collies. Also available online.
Unleashed
Year: 2011
Country: Hungary
BC content: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
From the people who brought you Santa Collies. Also available online.
White God
AKA: Fehér isten / Underdog
Year: 2014
Country: Hungary/Germany/Sweden
BC content: ✯
Among the pack, but not prominently featured dogs.
Wuthering Heights
Year: 2011
Country: UK
BC content: ✯ ✯
Seen several times throughout the film, but only in background parts.
Know additional films that should be here? Please let us know!
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