Originally posted by KBlaix
The chihuahua was already done, so I'll do my other two.

pomeranian
originated in Germany in the 1800's. They were bread down from the german spitz as a companion dog.
To add, Pomeranians were about 20 - 30lbs? back then and were used as herding dogs in Germany!

Border Collie
The development of the Border Collie as a dog breed is closely linked with the development of livestock farming and wool trading in the outlying "border" regions of the United Kingdom. There are several factors which helped to shape this breed to the dogs we know it today. Firstly, the climate in the border regions can be rather harsh therefore the Border Collie had to be a hardy dog. The terrain of the region is a blend of cliffs, crags, and small pastures. This rugged terrain necessitated a durable animal. The dog's function was that of a herder - the smaller swifter dogs were found to best better suited to perform this function, within this terrain. Even the white markings (around neck, on chest, legs and tip of tail) performed the function of helping the dogs to be more easily detected at night.
Border Collie owners, at this time were not concerned with pedigrees. They had something very useful, and looked to perpetuate or improve their dogs. The owners were very proud of their dog's abilities. This pride led to informal competitions between local herders and farmers. Eventually these competitions became formalized, with the first formal sheepdog trial taking place in 1873 in Wales. In 1955, the Border Collie was admitted to the Miscellaneous class by the American Kennel Club. The AKC granted full membership to the Border Collie as of October, 1995. In spite of the formalization of this breeds (pedigrees, club membership, official titles) the talents that developed this breed remain. The intelligence, stamina, herding instinct and versatility have survived through the years - thanks to the dedicated breeders of these animals who have insisted that the Border Collie must live up to all of its capabilities.

http://www.barkbytes.com/history/brdcol.htm