Registration on Merit

Once a dog is has reached 1 years old it is no longer possible to register it via puppy registration. However, there is a scheme for dogs of good breeding and sufficient working ability to be Registered On Merit (ROM).

A ROM is normally only available to ISDS Members (this can be from UK, Ireland, Associate Nations or Rest of World). There are two ways to ROM your Border Collie.

Method One:  Competition Success - For a dog that has been awarded one first prize or two seconds or three thirds at an approved Open Trial, with a minimum of 25 dogs competing. The trial(s) must be run by a UK or Irish ISDS Affiliate club or be ISDS Associate approved and of sufficient standard.  Certificates or letters signed by the trials secretary must be submitted giving full details.

Method Two:  A Working Test - This test can only be taken in the UK or Ireland, or if overseas by an ISDS Associate Club. The dog must pass a test of skill in Outrun, Lift, Fetch and Driving and general farm duties on a packet of sheep at a test location nominated by the Society or Associate Club and assessed by two Examiners. The Examiners will be appointed by the ISDS Chairman.  In the UK or Ireland it will be two ISDS Directors and in an Associate nation it will be one local examiner and one UK or Ireland Director. The test is not supposed to be a sheepdog trial; it is a test of the ability of the dog to undertake normal farm work, and not a test of the skill of the handler.     

Application Process

1.  Once you have selected one of the above, confirm all the following:

• The applicant must be the owner of the dog and must be, or become, a member of the International Sheep Dog Society on submission of the application.
• The dog that is the subject of the ROM must be a Working Sheepdog (or Border Collie), over one year old and either have a clear ophthalmic certificate for the eye diseases CEA and PRA (CPRA) or have a CEA test result showing a Normal or Carrier result (Inherited DNA results are not accepted).  The Vet Submission form will also need to be submitted.
• The history of the breeding of the dog, including details of its sire and dam including owners and ISDS registration numbers wherever available (although it is not an absolute requirement that parents be ISDS registered). 

2. Your application should be made on the attached form and sent to the ISDS Office if you live in the UK or Ireland, or to your Associate Club Secretary.

3. You will be contacted if a Working Test is required. This will be carried out by two serving Directors or one Director and one Associate Club Official, selected by the Chairman of the Society.

4. The two Examiners need to confirm that the dog seeking registration is a working sheep dog and is accepted by this Society as a true to type working sheepdog or Border Collie. 

5. Once the Competition results are accepted, or we have received written confirmation of a successful Working Test result, the registration application will then be considered by the Stud Book Committee and a decision given within 28 days.  The current fee must accompany the application but is non-refundable.

If you require advice or assistance in collecting any of the evidence please contact the office or your Associate Club Secretary.

The ROM Application can be downloaded here

A dog successfully Registered on Merit has a Certificate issued, is entered into an Appendix in the current Stud Book and has full rights for its progeny to be registered and to enter Society Trials under the rules applicable.  Note that this also means that pups sired by or whelped from the ROM dog are retrospectively eligible for registration if they are less than one year old.

The Stud Book Committee has been authorised by Council to treat a Registration on Merit application as a ‘charitable cause’. This means for a new or young handler, they can determine on a case by case basis a reduced or nominal fee for an ROM. This would only be permitted once to a member (one time only).