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.
Photo courtesy of Les Mille Vignes, France
Collie Breed Outline
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Country of Origin: | Scotland |
| FCI Classification: |
Group 1 - Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs( except Swiss Cattle Dogs); Section 1 Sheepdogs. |
| AKC Classification: |
Herding Group |
| Utilization: |
Sheepdog |
| Personality: | Collies are intelligent and highly trainable dogs who tend to bond to their families and may take a while to make friends with strangers. They are sensitive and do not work well with heavy handed training. Collies are alert and willing to let you know if something afoot. They are prone to nuisance barking if bored or not enough exercised. They need an active life in which they are involved with their family. |
| Size: | Medium |
| Height: | 22-24 inches |
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Colors: |
The four colors named in the standard are sable and white, tricolor, blue merle and white. The AKC standard states "There is no preference among them". White is not allowed under the KC(Great Britain) standard. More about Collie colors [...] |
| Other Names: | Lassie |
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Litter Size: | 6 to 10 puppies |
| Life Span: | 10-15 years |
| Grooming Requirements: |
Brush once a week and trim occasionally. The coat needs to be brushed frequently to keep it in a show condition, but it doesn't require extensive care. |
| Shedding: | Heavy all year round. |
| Social skills: |
Collies get along well with other dogs and cats. |
| Suitability for Children: | Collies are wonderful with children and usually are much calmer than other herding breeds. |
| Exercise Needs: | 60 - 80 minutes per day. |
| Train Ability: | Collies are both intelligent and sensitive, which can make them a joy to train. Owners quickly learn that they must give this dog a reason for doing what he is told to do. Excessive repetition bores him. Collies thrive on variety and new challenges, so training and review sessions should be short, snappy, and interesting. More about Collie training [...] |
| Health & Behavior Issues: | Nasal Solar Dermatitis (Collie Nose), eye problems (Collie eye anomaly, cataracts, PRA, skin disorders (dermatomyositis, demodicosis) and deafness. More about Collie skin disorders [...] |
Collie Puppies || Collie Blog
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