Collie Breed 

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About Collies

Collie Facts

Purebred adult Collies stand 22 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 45 to 90 pounds. There is no such thing as a Miniature Collie. The small dog that resembles a Collie is a Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie), a completely different breed.

Not all Collies look like Lassie. Collies come in two varieties, rough and smooth, and each variety may be one of 4 colors: sable and white, tricolor, blue merle, and white.

The smooth Collie is identical in conformation to the rough, but it's outer coat is short, hard, dense and flat.

Collies are loving, loyal, devoted companions. The Collie standard forbids any display of sulleness, timidity or viciousness, and it is extremely rare to find a Collie possessing these undesireable traits.

Collie ears stand erect except for the top 1/4 which is tipped forward.

Collies are nibblers, particularly when in play or when exhibiting their herding traits. They frequently nibble gently at their family as a sign of playfulness or affection, and this should not be misinterpreted as biting.

History of the Collie

The Collie is believed to have originated in the hilly border countries of Scotland and Ireland. Farmers and shepherds needed a reliable, intelligent dog to guard the flock and be a companion to the family. Although Collies today are known for their beauty, these first Collies were valued for their working ability and intelligence, and were a far cry from the show Collies of today.

What did early Collies look like?

Early Collies were small, between 25 and 40 pounds, and came in a wide assortment of colors and markings. The rough Collie's glory, its beautiful flowing coat, was probably an adaptation to the harsh climate in which it lived.

1860: Collies in the show ring

Since the appearance of the first Collie in the show ring in England in 1860, the Collie's appearance has undergone many changes. They have doubled in size, the coat has become thicker and colors standardized, heads leaner and lighter and the eye is darker. Despite these changes in appearance, the Collie retains the charming personality, working ability, intelligence and devotion that endeared them to the Scottish farmers of old.

Collies today

Collies have proven themselves to be a very adaptable and versatile breed. Collies today are seen in the conformation ring, obedience ring and in herding events. Many Collies have even lived up to the high standards set by Lassie, performing feats of heroism and bravery.

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The Collie's origins go back to the Highlands of Scotland where it was used as a sheepdog. Because of its herding ancestry, it needs a large space to roam and shoud not be confined to a small area. A Rough Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding.  It is well known because of the Lassie novel, movies, and television shows. There is also a smooth-coated variety; some breed organizations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.

They are friendly dogs without aggressiveness. They are watchdogs and will bark alerts as they deem necessary. If left alone all day outside, they may develop a tendency to bark which can annoy the neighbors. The rough Collie requires regular grooming to avoid matting of the coat. Although Collies are relatively large dogs, they can live suitably in an apartment.

The Rough Collie has a long coat composed of fairly coarse, weather resistant standaway hairs with a well developed undercoat. The Smooth Collie has a coat around one to two inches in length which lies close to the body and does not develop a massive undercoat in the winter. Unlike the Rough variety, the Smooth Collie does not have well developed feathering on the legs and chest nor does it have the massive neck ruff.

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