Collies are gentle , loyal dogs who get along well with tike and other animals . Learn more about living with this affectionate herding breed .
There ’s been no safe embassador to the collie breed than Lassie , the beloved wienerwurst from the 1940s silver filmdom who saves the twenty-four hours again and again . Like Lassie , collies are elegant , mid - to - great - size , and in the beginning bred for crowd livestock in Scotland hundreds of years ago . Since then , however , their docile temperament and truehearted nature have made thempopular family petsandexcellent therapy dogs .
There are two main varieties of collie : The rough collie has a long , sweeping coat ( like Lassie ) , and the smooth collie has a much shorter coat .
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collie are activebut not hyper , can be outspoken , and are societal fauna who are eager to please . With all of that gorgeous fur , you may be wondering : Do collie shed ? The answer is yes , and hair on piece of furniture is an inevitable part of have one in your family . But collie - lover agree : This is a minor price to pay for such an empathetic and loving frank .
Appearance
collie are a mid - to - bombastic - sized strain known for their long , svelte , Italian sandwich - mold grimace and abundant pelt . They expect just as natural trotting gracefully down the sidewalk as they do running through the Calluna vulgaris . Male collie are a act larger , consider 60–75 pounds and valuate 24–26 inch at the shoulder , while female collies tend to weigh 50–65 pounds and are typically 22–24 inches magniloquent .
Collies have bright but dark sweet almond - shape eyes . When watchful , their ear perk up and argument forward , give them an wondering look thatshowcases their intelligence .
You might be most familiar with thelong - haired " Lassie " collie , but there are , in fact , two kinds of collies . The rough collie has a long , flowing coat , giving her an elegant appearing . " This weenie was bred with a rough outer coat to protect them from the elements , and a piano interior pelage to protect them and keep them strong , " says Patricia Caldwell , the breed education chairman at theCollie Club of America .
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Smooth collies , on the other hand , were bred to help take animals to market place and did n’t call for the extra - long fur to protect them from the weather out in the hills . And while both therough and the unruffled collie sheds seasonally , the latter’sshorter coatis also well-situated to give care for .
Both approximate and smooth collies can come in four colouring :
Temperament
collie are love for their gentle , playful , and loyal disposition . " Because they were bred so specifically to be caretakers , they ’re wonderful dogs for families , " Caldwell says .
The original architects of the strain , she explain , pick out dogs who were eager to please and biddable . " Their focus is on people — they bed their people . "
Suzy Royds , acollie breederwith more than 30 years of experience , agrees . " They give you oculus contact . They want to bond and please you . They desire to be your companion , " Royds read . " They’resuper easy to train . " She notesthey’re grand with childrenand other pet .
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While friendly with strangers on walk , they can feel the indigence to catch after the home and will alarm you to anything they believe is out of the average .
" The truth is , they bark , " Royds says . " You know , they ’re verbaliser ! And they will seek to communicate with you . " But with the right training and activity level , she say the barking can be mitigated . " A bored collie can be a nuisance barker . "
Living Needs
With that in mind , a dear home for a collie willhave a fenced - in yardand either an animal playfellow or an proprietor who is dwelling house for long stretches . If leave alone for extended amounts of sentence , these social dog can become bored and formulate legal separation anxiousness .
They like to run , Royds says , and love some spirit - pumping morning and afternoon exercising . But they ’re not hyper and do n’t have the constant go - go - go mental attitude that other working dogs , likeborder collies , might demand . " On the whole , your collie will lie down and watch you do the mantrap , " Royds says .
If you ’re into the great outdoors , your collie will keep up . They bask everything from hikesto beach trips andcan endure dusty weather . If you are observe a collie in hot conditions , do n’t plane them — that impenetrable pelage is actually protective cover from the heat , as well . But because they do have so much pelt , always verify your pup has access to shade , tonic body of water , and AC when the Sunday is red-hot .
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Care
Collies are all about their the great unwashed . Because of this , always usepositive support technique for training(head pats andtreats will go a retentive way ! ) . " They want your beloved , " Royds says . " They are very intuitive , and they study people ’s body language . "
One of the most unwashed questions people have about collies is about the hair , and yes , collies shed .
" If you love a collie , you need to be prepared to either stableman [ her ] yourself or take [ her ] to the groomer once or twice a calendar month , " Royds says . She suggestsweekly brushingand abath and a brush - outonce a month . " The beguiler brush is proceed to be your best acquaintance ! "
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set out around June , your collie will begin to " drop pelage , " or shed heavily , at which point you could take her to the groomer to get their loose coating cut out . She ’ll begin to put on a unexampled coating again in the downslope .
If you ’re hesitating about the amount of hair , consider a smooth collie puppy . Caldwell points out that while they also cast off , the hair itself is shorter , so you ’ll have comparatively less pelt to vacuum up .
" We always say , ' a little bit of dog hair is not a bad thing . ' If you have children , you belike have crayon marks , " Caldwell tell . " What you get in homecoming is a dog that will be totally devoted to you incessantly . "
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Health
Collies inhabit between 10–14 eld . While they’regenerally sizeable heel , there are a few issues that touch on this strain .
collie can experiencehip dysplasia , a condition in which the coxa ball and socket do n’t fit together properly , ensue in a degenerate joint over time . This condition is most common inlarge dogs , though collie have it far less than other large breeds .
The other wellness issue that sham the breed is a genetic upset calledCollie Eye Anomaly ( CEA ) . In dogs with this disorder , the blood vessel in the retina are not properly developed . Most pup with CEA do not know any visual sensation problems , but it can lead to blindness in other case . Unfortunately , there is no therapeutic for CEA . However , researchers have successfully describe the genetic chromosomal mutation that causes the condition . This allows collie breeders to screen and carefully select to annul CEA , which is why it is best to work with a reputable stock breeder with documented genetic testing when looking for a collie puppy .
History
" The collie rise in the Scottish highlands and also northern England , " Caldwell says . " It was used not just to crowd the sheep and the stock , but also to protect the category and the children . "
Because of their role in herding , she explains , they were bred for both intelligence and agility . " Later on , during the 19th century , breeders get to make to create a physically sound dog that was not just acquiescent , " Caldwell articulate .
The collie catapulted to popularity in England after Queen Victoria discovered the dogs on a visit to Balmoral Castle in Scotland . She acquired several collie of dissimilar colour for her royal kennels and , by the early 1860s , the collie was recognize as a pure breed .
By the early twentieth century , the collie catch the stake of fanciers in the United States , include American financierJ.P. Morgan . He set forth his own collie dog house , importing and breed cad from England .
But the actual boom came with the appearance of collies in popular literature , from Albert Terhune’sLad , A Dogto Eric Knight ’s famousLassie Come - Home . In the 1940s film adaptation , Lassie was played by a dog named Pal .
