The Collie evolved from Scottish herding dogs that may date back to the
time of the Romans. Queen Victoria, after seeing working Collies in Scotland,
brought several to England in the 1860s. This royal stamp of approval skyrocketed
the Collie to fame in England. This fame spread internationally with the
writings of Albert Payson Terhune and Hollywood movies. There are two varieties
of Collie: the Rough, which has a long coat and the Smooth, which has a
short coat. This is the only difference between the two.
The Collie is a loyal companion, very gentle and docile. He is an excellent
dog for children. He also is an excellent herding dog.
The Collie head is long and narrow with little definition change between
the skull and the muzzle. The ears stand erect on the head with the top
third tipped forward. The eyes are almond-shaped, medium in size, and set
obliquely on the face. Preferred eye color is dark brown except in dogs
with blue merle coats (marbled blue, gray and black) where the eye may be
blue. The coat on the Rough Collie is abundant with a thick undercoat and
long, straight, harsh outercoat. The Smooth Collie has an abundant undercoat
with a short, dense, flat outer coat. Coat color combinations in both varieties
include sable, blue merle, tri-color and white. Collies also have a white
rough, white stockings and a white-tipped tail. The tail is long, reaching
to the hock or below, and carried low. The body is longer than tall, with
a deep chest and slightly arched back over the loin. The legs are straight
and muscular. The gait is easy, light, and seemingly effortless. The males
will stand between 24 and 26 inches in height, while the females will be
between 22 and 24 inches.
weeble@etsell.com of Washington writes:
So cute and really nice.
My old Collie was the sweetest thing. She would follow me around and
protect me. That dog was extremely caring, and if I felt the least bit nervous
she would help me out. The only drawback about a Collie is that they need
to be brushed constantly. Please get a rescue or a pound Collie, you don't
know how happy that dog will be to have a friend and a warm, cozy home!
This is most definitely a five-star dog! (Go for a Rough Collie.)
cra@ramlaw.com of Charleston, WV writes:
Wonderful temperament, sweet and loving.
I currently own a blue merle Collie who is two years old. Unlike other
dogs I have owned, Cocker Spaniel, German Shepherd, and Beagle, the Collie
always wants to please. Training was a pleasure. He only soiled the carpet
twice and that was at nine or ten weeks old. In other words, simple to housebreak.
Right now, I believe that he would bust before he would go to the bathroom
in the house.
Also, he is wonderful with kids. I do not have any but my dad has two young
adopted boys. Recently, we were staying with my dad and one of the boys
got in trouble which constituted a time-out in his bedroom. My Collie was
deeply concerned about his well-being. He would run back and forth from
the boy's room to my dad and me in the living room trying to force us to
go check on him. Additionally, I have seen him get extremely upset when
he sees anyone be mean to another person or their animal. He has no problem
expressing his displeasure or concern.
My Collie is a fun and active dog. He loves to catch a Frisbee and has become
excellent at this game. But in the house, he is calm and usually lays by
my feet. I highly recommend this breed. I have been fortunate to have two
Collies and both of them surpassed all other dogs I have had or have been
around in intelligence, obedience and easy to train. The only negative is
you have to stay up with their coats. I take mine to a groomer every month
and brush him almost daily but I still have problems with mats behind his
ears and the back of his legs.
collies4ever_119@yahoo.com.sg of Singapore writes:
The best dogs ever.
I have reared and owned Collies all my life. They are naturally obedient
and they definitely do not need harsh training. Harsh training will mentally
scar your dog forever and your dog will be terrified of you. Constanly feeding
your Collie will make it obese. The easiest way is to exercise your Collie
regularly and feed it treats each time your dog gets it right, as in tricks
or agility training. In conclusion, Collies are COOL!
`Scoval300@aol.com of Staten Island, NY writes:
A sensitive, loving dog.
I own a Collie, a Lassie look-alike, blaze and all. But I had to understand
that this dog and very, very few Collies can measure up to the real Lassie,
although they may look-alike, there are vast
differences. Collies are very intelligent, sensitive and seem to understand
exactly what you are saying p; you can have an entire conversation with
this breed. They are loving, sensitive and sweet, but require a lot of grooming
and attention. They get bored easily and need plenty of exercise. They are
nosy dogs, putting their noses in everything and very sociable and friendly,
maybe too friendly. They simply adore people, company and attention. They
also love food and seem to be always hungry. They housebreak easily but
are somewhat difficult to train. They understand, but are rarely in the
mood to do what you want them to do. They are keenly intelligent dogs, as
said, but once you get over the Lassie thing, you will love a Collie, all
the hair and all.
glrc1973@aol.com of Cincinnati, OH writes on 8/12/01:
The best friend you will ever have.
I grew up having German Shepherds, who always ran away at the first chance
at freedom. I have had a Maltese for 17 years, sweet guy, a Chow, and finally
my two Collies. There is no dog as wonderful, kind, and protective as the
Collie. My female white is the original Lassie. She has saved my little
boy from near disaster twice. Once he was in his walker as a toddler and
got near an electric socket with a spoon in his hand, He bit on the back
of his walker and pulled him all the way to me. Second, he climbed up a
stool got on a high counter and as he jumped she laid flat across and he
landed on her. She follows whereever he goes and will not allow him to be
in a room alone with anyone not a family member. My male Collie is sweet,
calm and serious. When he barks you know their is a stranger around not
just a neighbor. The hair can be burdensome, but anything worthwhile requires
effort. I would never be without a Collie again. They also learned at four
years old to accept two cats in the house and now they protect the cats
from neighbor dogs.
ainsleighcollies@email.msn.com of Iowa writes on 11/21/00:
Perfect family dog.
We have raised Collies for 6 years. They are fabulous with children. Sweet
happy affectionate dogs. They come in two coat varieties and the smooth
version is perfect as an indoor dog requiring little or no grooming.I rated
collies at a 4 because they need attention, they do best when they have
a fenced yard to run in for at least some time each day and they do very
well in a multi-dog household. Buy from a reliable and responsible breeder.
starlaen@willmar.com of Minnesota writes on 4/23/00:
Sweet-tempered, and great with kids.
Few breeds have spent so much time in the service and companionship as Collies
have, and it is their devotion and their willingness to please that makes
them and outstanding family dog. Collies are the happiest with children.
They are generally gentle natured when raised properly. They do learn very
quickly, and are inclined to be reluctant to cooperate if they find that
a certain task may mean pain. The majority of them are excellent problem
solvers. It has been found that Collies are incapable of mortally wounding
a human, when soldiers attempted to train them as attack dogs in WWII. They
made excellent courier dogs, and watch dogs. They are sensitive in nature,
and are sympathetic to the moods of their owners and children.
Collies do not respond well to harsh training, in fact, discipline is rarely
needed, except when they are going through their "teenage phase",
4 months to 10 months. Then they need a gentle, but firm hand, and obedience
training is recommended. However,they get bored with too much repetition.
They learn things quickly, and in fact, despite their size (and long coats
in the roughs), they housebreak very quickly as pups (between 14 weeks and
18 weeks of age), and make excellent housedogs.
They do require plenty of exercise, and having another Collie as a playmate,
and a large fenced in yard is best. Never, ever, allow a Collie roaming
privledges, even as a farm dog. Their herding instinct is very strong, and
can get them into trouble. Supervision is required. However, tying them
up for lengthy periods is cruel. They need a large run and exercise yard,
or regular exercise to be happy. If confined to a small run, they can become
barkers, annoying everyone in hearing range, simply out of boredom, and
are inclined to do a lot of pacing as well. They do best if they can spend
time outside in a large run with other Collies (although they usually get
along well with most any breed), and then get to spend time in the house
with their family.
Collies are often 1 person dogs, that is to say, that, although they generally
love to meet anyone, and are quite friendly (to a fault), they usually pick
one person they will take orders from, occasionally 2. In other words, they
have only one boss. They like everyone else, but will often turn a deaf
ear to them when told to do something by anyone else other than their "boss".
They know who is in charge.
Grooming routines should be started at an early age. Collies need to be
cooperative when it comes to grooming time as their coat requires regular
attention. Granted, they do not need constant bathing and primping as do
some breeds, but a bath several times a year, (unless they are being shown,
then bathing should be more frequent) and a good thorough brushing once
a week is plenty. Their coats are good at shedding dirt, but they tend to
get mats behind their ears, in their armpits, and between their hind legs
where the hair is softer textured, so brushing once a week helps prevents
mats from building up. Never shave a Rough Collie! That coat helps to protect
their skin from the suns rays, and can actually help to keep them cool.
They usually go through a heavy shedding stage between April and June, blowing
their thick wooly undercoat. It pays to keep their brushed well during this
time to prevent all over body mats. Use flea, tick, fly and mosquito repellents
during the summer, to protect them durng this thin-coat time, and always
keep them up-to-date on their shots and heart-worm medicine.
I have found over my 24 years of breeding showing, and owning Collies, that
most people who have had a Collie, and lost it, want to get another one,
simply because of their loving temperments. They are the best breed to have
with children! I have had and presently have other breeds in my home, but
there is nothing as special as a Collie, and I would never be happy without
one in my family!
caerleon@interaccess.com of Illinois writes on 10/20/99:
Smooth collies - all the fun without all the fuss!
The smooth (short-haired) Collie has been seriously short-changed. Smoothies
have the same great "Lassie" temperament - as the more familiar
roughs - the only difference is that they don't have all the hair. Collies
are very smart, so they need training (or they'll make up their own fun
- and you probably won't appreciate it!) They also need to have lots of
contact with the people they love, so are not a good choice for an "outdoor"
dog. But if you have the time to share with them, smooth collies will repay
you with lots of love, security, and fun. Smooth collies make great guide
and assistance dogs, and can excell in performance sports such as agility.
They enjoy having a job to do, and will gladly work with you in almost any
field of endeavor. My own dogs participate in conformation, agility, and
obedience competition, and have taught themselves to be sensitive to my
asthma, alerting me when an attack is coming on. They're great!
MMattiucci@aol.com writes on 10/11/99:
The ultimate.
My first Collie was killed in 1962 pushing my son out of the way of truck
in my own driveway. I have not been without at least two since then. I believe
the Collies essential to raising my eight kids, protection, babysitting,
playmate, etc. The herding instinct kept my kids in the yard and no stranger
was ever allowed to open the gate. I have spent 35 years+ with this breed
and have found few others to have the sensitivity or intelligence of the
Collie. Grooming problems can be easily solved by acquiring a Smooth - same
dog just short coat. Like all breeds some attention needs to be paid to
genetic problems and any responsible breeder will provide eye checks and
OFA background,health and temperment guarantee.
legendhold@johnstown.net of U.S. writes on 10/10/99:
The Ultimate Weekend Warrior
I have owned, shown, trained, and bred Collies for over 12 years. No other
breed I have owned comes close to my collies for versitility and true-human
like intelligence. Collies are the ultimate weekend warriors. During the
week they are content to be home bodies, on the weekend they are ready to
go where ever I am. Be it herding, obedience, agility, backpacking or a
conformation show, they rise to the occasion. There is no finer house dog
and childs pet than the Collie. It gets along well with my cats and my other
pets and quickly obeys even my sister's 3 year old daughter.
However the Collie is not for everyone. A fenced yard of moderate size for
a good run is a must. The long glorious coat does take some care and having
the time to complete proper grooming is critical. The Collie is a very sensitive
dog and does require a soft hand when training. Should you wish to get a
Collie, please look for a responsible breeder so you can avoid some of the
health and temperament problems that come from poorly bred collies. Or if
possible, try your local Collie rescue group and save a needy collie that
was bound for the shelter. Many of these Collies are perfectly happy and
healthy dogs that are easily re-adoptable. Once you have owned a Collie,
I am sure you will agree that this is the ultimate dog for the family.
Name withheld by request of Ontario writes on 10/10/99:
Can make a good family pet with some training!
Like another breed Collies need obedience training! Collies, are more intellegent
the other breeds (eg: Beagles), but they need training expecially around
kids! Becuase of thier hearding instinct you may see them circling stuff
MANY times, they may even try & 'herd' children! Which you must be carful
of because SOME Collies tend to force bite, which means they would nip the
the stock to get them moving a bit faster! But that can be solved with a
bit of training! Good luck with your Collie, and if you have any questions
I know the kind of people on the Collie-H can help!