Description: The Collie is a large dog, that is muscular, but sleek, and they are a strong dog. The skull is flat at the top, the head is wedge shaped. The muzzle is rounded, sloping downwards to the black nose. The overall facial look is slender. Their teeth should meet in a scissor bite. The eyes are oval and medium-sized, and are, most commonly, dark brown in colour, except the blue merles, which may have blue eyes. This breed has petite ears and these are three fourths erect with the tips of the ear folded forward. Dogs stand, 24 to 26 inches in height, with the bitches, 22 to 24 in height. Dogs are slightly heavier in weight, being 60 to 75 pounds with bitches being 50 to 65 pounds. The body is moderately longer than their height. This breed has straight legs. The tail is in good proportion to the body, and is carried low with some upwards swirl at the tip. There are two coat varieties, smooth and a rough. The rough coat is long and plentiful and all over its body whiles on its head, there is a shorter coat which is also seen on the legs. On the neck, we see a cascading mane going around the neck and chest, this is straight and the longest hair we see on this dog. The smooth coat has short hair of about 1 inch all over the body. Both varieties come in white and tan, tricolour of black, sable and white, there is also the merle whose colours are white with sable, tri colours or blue.
History: The origins of this dog are a little muddled, but what is known for sure is that this dog has been a working dog in Scotland for centuries; the Collie was mainly used as a herding dog and was smaller in appearance than they are today. These dogs covered hard terrain, in all weathers. Queen Victoria had this dog at her Castle in 1860, and from this the dogs became popular. The Collie was mixed with the Borzoi, and to this day the Borzoi blood needs to be in any dog that is to be in the show ring. It's at this point, the working dog separated. The smooth collie is more popular in the United Kingdom than in America; whereas the rough collie is more popular generally. The AKC considers the rough and smooth collie, as varieties of the same breed. This breed's most famous role would have to be in the movie, "Lassie".
Temperament: This is a sensitive, mild-mannered and highly intelligent dog. The Collie is easily trained and is playful and protective of their family. The Collie is energetic when outside. Socializing them well prevents them being too wary of strangers. This breed is not aggressive, they are loyal, that can become stubborn, if firm but consistent rules are not set down. The Collie responds well to gentle training, but you still need to show good leadership to gain cooperation from this breed. This dog requires daily walks and will enjoy a good run, off the lead. Potty training is easier with this breed, as they learn quickly. The Collie requires a lot of exercise and mental stimulation to meet their needs.
Health issues: Some Collie lines are prone to PRA, Collie eye syndrome, hip problems.
Grooming: The long coated Collie will need weekly brushing, or more often, whereas the smooth variety will need brushing every few weeks. Matting can occur in the long coated, and for the dog that is not being shown it may be kinder to cut this out. The Collie can be bathed as required. The long coated collie sheds heavily twice a year, whereas the smooth coated is an averaged shedder.
Living conditions: The Collie can live in an apartment as long as mental and physical activities are provided. This breed requires an average sized garden, with a shaded area for warmer weather.
