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The Collie is a loyal companion that will protect her family, especially children. This intelligent breed is also a great herding dog that in the past was used by farmers to herd sheep and cattle and take them to town or market. The Collie has two different coat varieties, the Rough Collie and the Smooth Collie. |
| Interesting Breed Facts: |
| Popularity: |
38th in 2008; with 4,016 registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). |
| First recognized as a breed: |
Originally from Scotland, the earliest illustrations that resemble a Collie date back to 1800. Eventually, England's Queen Victoria took an active interest in the breed and sponsored a Collie kennel, which established a reputation of riches and royalty for the breed. The AKC first recognized the Collie in 1885. The current AKC standard was approved on May 10, 1977. |
| AKC Grouping: |
Herding. |
| Size: |
Males measure 24" to 26" high at the shoulders and weigh between 60-75 lbs. Females measure 22" to 24" high and weigh between 50-65 lbs. |
| Appearance: |
Identical except for coat type, the Rough and Smooth Collie are strong, agile, and gentle dogs. The head has a lean wedge shape with almond-shaped dark eyes and a sweet intelligent expression. The ears are carried erect with the top portion bent forward. The body of a Collie is muscular and powerful. The legs are strong with comparatively small oval-shaped feet. The tail is long and reaches to the hocks. There are four recognized colors for a Collie: sable and white, tri-color, blue merle, and white. |
| #1 preventable health problem: |
Some Collies are prone to an eye disorder known as Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). It is important that the breeder have the puppies' eyes examined by a Veterinary Ophthalmologist to screen for this condition at about 7 to 8 weeks. |
| Preferences: |
The Collie is a fairly active dog, but is able to live in an apartment setting as long as her daily exercise requirements are met. This can be achieved through several brisk walks, jogs, or games in the yard each day. Heat and cold tolerance are dependent upon coat variety. The long coat variety, referred to as the "Rough Collie," is less tolerant of the heat than of the cold. The short coat variety, referred to as the "Smooth Collie," is more tolerant of the heat. Although adaptable to the outdoors, the Collie is better suited to living indoors due to the strong bond this breed has with its family. Collies are very social dogs and need human or canine companionship. |
| Best features: |
The Collie is a breed that generally likes all. She gets along well with other dogs and strangers and does very well with other pets and children alike. In general, a Collie will be extremely protective of children, especially those in her family. There have been many stories of Collies coming to the aid of people, especially children, in distress. The breed is also fairly long-lived with an average life span of 12-13 years. |
| Biggest challenge to owners: |
The Collie, in general, is very easy to train. The Collie may bark due to her instinctive guard dog qualities, and may require training to limit this behavior. The Collie needs a fair amount of play and attention, but these requirements could be met through games in the yard and training exercises. Grooming greatly depends on coat type; the Rough Collie requires more and needs frequent brushing. Both varieties need daily brushing when they are shedding. |
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