The Collie
 Glasgowhill Collies |
 Alfenloch |
 Bit O' Heaven Collies |
 Ruffneck |
 Priority Collies |
 Sweet Collies |
In the 18th century, the Collie's natural home was in the highlands of Scotland, deep in the hills and the mountains, where he had been used for centuries as a sheepdog. It is possible that the Romans brought sheepdogs with them when they invaded Britain and that these dogs then interbred with the local dogs and thus are the ancestors of today’s collies.
Eventually two types of collies developed from these common ancestors - the Rough Collie, the long-haired variety that worked directly with the flocks; and the Smooth Collie, the short-haired variety that was used primarily as a drover dog to drive livestock to market.
Bred for centuries for their working ability rather than the status of their pedigree, their exact origins have been lost. The farmers who relied on these dogs were totally dependent on their pastoral pursuits, so the dogs were bred for strength, endurance, intelligence, devotion and loyalty
The rough coated is the type that most people are familiar with, but fanciers have increased their breeding of the smooth-coated variety and many more are now being shown
Since sheepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, the Collie's ancestors date far back in history of dogs. The smooth Collie, which for as long as there have been written standards for the breed has been bred to the same standard except for coat. They were considered mainly as a drovers dog, used for guiding cows and sheep to market- not for standing over and guarding them at pasture. Until the last two centuries, both varieties were strictly working dogs without written pedigrees.
From the early 19th century, when some dog fanciers began to take interest in these dogs, and the keeping of written pedigrees began, the breed progressed rapidly- and became not only large in stature, but also more refined.
Many of the early settlers in the New World brought dogs with them to herd their sheep and cattle in the Colonies, but it was not until 1877 that they were shown in the United States.
The breed was given a royal boost in the late 1800’s when Queen Victoria first saw the Collies when visiting at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was so impressed with the beauty, intelligence and faithfulness of these sheepdogs that several soon joined her Royal Kennels.
Being no longer in great demand as a herder, today the breed has transferred their duties to serving as a devoted family dog where they show a particular affinity for small children.
Males should be 24-26 inches tall and weigh 60-75 pounds. Females 22-24 inches, and weigh 50-65 pounds. Their are four colors of Collie, sable and white, tri color, blue merle, and white- the white is predominantly white, with sable or tri color or blue merle markings. For the rough coated, the coat is very abundant on the mane and frill, the face is smooth, and forelegs are well feathered. For the smooth variety, the hair is short, hard, dense and flat. Many people are not used to seeing smooth coated Collies and think they are simply a rough collie that has been shaved.
Collies do require grooming, and tend to get matted easily behind the ears. The rough Collie has a very thick coat and mulch, grass clippings, twigs, straw, etc., will get tangled up in the coat. Collies should be brushed and combed weekly to cut down on the debris in the coat as well as remove the dead coat.
A great deal of Collies are barkers, and will bark constantly if left unattended, especially while outside. Training is required, however Collies are a fairly smart breed and tend to pick up commands very easily. Most do wonderfully with lead training, and are not typically the type to pull/yank you while walking.
Collies can carry a genetic mutation that makes them very sensitive to certain drugs. Use of these drugs in a Collie that carries this mutation can cause serious neurological issues or death. MDRI is the abbreviated name of the gene called Multi-Drug Resistance 1. Some of the drugs that cause problems with dogs that carry the MDRI mutation include Ivermectin, Loperamide, Acepromazine, and Butorphanol. There is a test available to find out if your dog carries this mutation. Prior to having medical procedures done, it is wise to know if your dog is a carrier.
