Collie

As collie puppies mature, their muzzles grow longer, giving them the distinct collie look, and the coat color gradually become more intense.

Collie were long renowned as sheepdogs in Scotland, but their origin and lineage are a bit of a mystery. According to one theory, the sheepdogs that herded “collie” sheep, those with black faces and black legs, themselves came to be called “colly dogs,” after a word meaning “black with soot.” At the time, many of the sheepdogs were also black. Later, their coat color was primarily tricolor, and blue merle also became more common. There are now two varieties, the rough (long-haired) and the smooth (short-haired).

In 1860, when Queen Victoria returned from a visit to Scotland, a collie she brought back attracted much attention. Soon after, the sable and white coat color caught on, and the collie gained popularity. The breed later became world famous after publication of the book Lassie, Come Home, and subsequent film adaptations and television series. With their slender grace and elegant, long-haired coats, these dogs are loved world-wide. They are intelligent and cheerful and make good household pets as well as excellent guard dogs.

These dogs, rather shy and nervous toward strangers but obedient to their families, make good playmates for children as well as ideal house-hold pets if they are trained properly. As they are talented dogs, it is a good idea to challenge them with agility and obedience sports, and they should be kept calm and trained to refrain from barking. Ideally, these dogs should have a big yard where they can run to their heart’s content. Otherwise, running and long-distance walking is necessary.

The rough collie loses a lot of hair during the shedding period, thus requiring frequent and thorough brushing.

Origin : United Kingdom
Size : (male) Height 24-26 inches ; weight 60-76 pounds
(female) Height 22-24 inches ; weight 51-67 pounds
Coat : Long (rough) or short (smooth). Colors include sable and white, tricolor (in which black is dominant), blue merle, or white (white sable or blue merle markings).