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Collie History

In the 18th century, the Collie's natural home was in the highlands of Scotland, where he had been used for centuries as a sheepdog. The dogs were bred with great care in order to assist their masters in the herding and guarding of their flock. When Queen Victoria acquired a Rough Collie, after seeing one at Balmoral Castle, they were transformed into something of a fashion item. She single handedly helped the breed develop as a popular show dog and family pet. Collies were first exhibited in 1860 at the Birmingham, England dog show, in the generic class "Scotch Sheep-Dogs." The Collie was officially recognized as a breed by the AKC in 1885.

Collie Temperamant

The Collie is one of the most popular dogs in the United States and makes an excellent family pet. They are loyal, affectionate and intelligent, showing intense devotion to it's owners. They get along well with children and animals. They also make excellent watchdogs, barking when something is amiss. Collies are eager to learn and often excel at obedience training. Since Collies have not a popular breed used for herding for quite awhile, most do not have an inherent ability to herd anymore. They need a modest amount of exercise, but are prone to barking when they are bored or under exercised.

Collie Appearance

Collies come in two varieties, smooth coated and rough coated. The smooth coated variety have a thick, short coat, while the rough variety have a long, bushy coat. Collies are a graceful, medium sized dog that usually weigh between 40 and 75 pounds and stand 22 to 26 inches at the shoulder. The have a graceful wedge shaped head, semi erect ears and a long, graceful tail. The coloring of the coat can vary and includes white, sable and white, tri-colored, and blue merle.

A Smooth Collie

Collie Grooming

Rough Collies need daily brushing to keep their coats neat and clean, but other than that, need no other special care. Smooth Collies do not need as much brushing. Both varieties are very heavy shedders and are not ideal for people with dog allergies.

Collie Life Expectancy and Health Problems

Common diseases to affect Collies are Hip Dysplaysia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Collie Eye Anomaly, which is a genetic disease that causes improper development of the eye and possible blindness. The average lifespan of this breed is 12 to 14 years

Famous Collies

Collies were made famous by two dogs. The first was Lad, the main hero of Albert Payson Terhune's early 20th century novels about his Sunnybank Collies. The second was Lassie who was made popular in many TV shows and movies

Collie Pros and Cons

This simplified list may help you decide if a Collie might be a good fit for your lifestyle.

Do You Want

• a graceful, elegant looking dog?
• a good watchdog?
• a dog that is a good family dog?
• a dog that is sensitive and sweet natured?

Do You NOT Want

• a dog that requires almost daily grooming?
• a dog that sheds a lot?
• a dog that barks a lot?

Useful Collie Links

The Collie Club of America

The Collie Club of Canada

The British Collie Club

The Scottish Collie Club