Buying a collie puppy

Question
I am interested in owning a collie, but I am not sure how much I can afford to pay for one.  I have seen everything from $150 to $750.  I would like the collie as a personal companion, not for show or breeding.  I have heard that collies have eye trouble, but some breeders I have spoken to say that they've never had a problem and that they think it is from inbreeding.  I'm not sure who to trust.  If buying a $150 collie is going to cost me thousands in vet bills, I would rather pay more for a healthy dog.  Any advise that you can give would be helpful.  Thanks.

Answer
Leslie,
This is a very good question.  You are correct in that many in the Collie breed do have eye problems. The degree and type of problems can vary but are lumped together as "Collie Eye Anomaly" or CEA.  Dogs who are billed as "normal eyed" have been checked by a certified canine opthamologist and found to show no evidence of CEA.  There are also dogs billed as "mild" and these dogs may have no physical eyesight trouble but show evidence of some deterioration/discoloration in the area of the nerves in back of the eye.  A dog can be "normal eyed" and still be a carrier for breeding purposes.  A homozygous normal eyed dog means they have been bred multi-generation for normal eyes and likely don't carry the CEA.  Blue (china) eyed BlueMerles are not an indicator of CEA as their eye color is merle factoring. They can be a little harder to tell than brown eyed dogs when checked but they don't show more or less incidence of CEA than other colors.

You are better off to look for a dog in the range of $500 and request a copy of an opthamologist eye check (not a regular vet!!!) or a CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) form.  A normal eyed or mild eyed dog is acceptable as a pet.  You should be able to find a pet quality Collie with a normal eye check in the range of $500. Some breeders will also check hips and thyroid but it's rare to have those problems in our breed so most do not.

I am a breeder who breeds Collies for normal eyes and you are welcome to visit my website for more information. Just type "Al-Qamar Farm and Kennel" into a major search engine and you should find us. I may also be able to recommend a reputable breeder in your area who can also help you.

Avoid buying out of the newspaper or from a pet shop. Those are usually backyard or puppymill dogs who are not carefully bred and who won't have a guarantee which most good breeders will offer you.  Also, before you go to purchase, get in your hand and read a copy of the Collie Breed Standard so you know what you are looking for/at.  There are sources on the web that you can look at the Standard.

Keep in touch as I'm always willing to help new Collie owners.