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Collie Dog Articles
Is A Collie Puppy Right For You?
By Ron King
The television series "Lassie" made Lassie the beloved symbol
for Collies in America. Your new Collie puppy won't measure up
to the wonder dog, but you'll most likely find him a wonderful
family dog.
The Collie, An Original "Farm Dog"
By Michael Russell
The Collie belongs in the Herding Group of the A.K.C. There are
two varieties, the Smooth coat and the "Rough". The Collie was
always a favorite "farm dog" in the United States way before the
advent of television and when "Lassie Come Home" became a film
and later a TV series, its popularity soared even more. The
movie emphasized the Collie's homing instincts and it is true
that this breed is the type of dog that bonds to its master. It
is not the sort of dog that one can "re- home" at an older age
and unless fenced it will escape and try to go back to its
original home.
Grooming Your Collie Dog
By Robin Darch
Collies come in two different varieties, “smooth” and “rough.”
Rough collies require much more grooming, but smoothes do need
to be groomed regularly to keep their coats healthy. Collies
have a double coat of hair, meaning there is a thick undercoat
and an outer coat of thinner and flatter hair.
Breed of the Month - The Rough Coated Collie
By Mandy K.
Through the years, several different dog breeds have touched our
hearts on the big screen, from Old Yeller (a Labrador/Mastiff
mix) to Benji (a Terrier) to Beethoven (a Saint Bernard) to
Underdog (a Beagle). But no matter what breed shines on
television or film, none can match Lassie, the quintessential
family dog. Rough Coated Collies have always been a popular
breed in Scotland and England, and Lassie, the "most famous dog
in the world", made the breed beloved in the eyes of Americans
as well.
Collie Dog Breed Origin and History
By John Hinkley
The origin and history of the Collie dog breed is not entirely
known, but we do know that the Collie originated in Scotland and
flourished in England since the 1800s. Before this time,
however, the breed has an ancestry that spans thousands of years
as the Collie's ancestors had been used to shepherd sheep and
cows for many centuries prior in both the Highlands of Scotland
and throughout early England. The etymology of the word Collie
stems from the word black in Anglo-Saxon. Thus, we can speculate
the breed was originally much darker than today's sable and
white Collie dog breed.
Dog Training - How To Train a Collie The Right Way
By Milos Pesic
Probably the most famous collie in history is Lassie. I doubt
seriously that there is anybody who hasn't heard of Lassie. In
the Lassie Come Home movie and in the TV series, Lassie was so
smart that she appeared to be a thinking and reasoning human in
a dog suit. Everybody who has ever seen the movie or a series
episode probably wishes that they could have a dog just like
Lassie. Lassie must have saved Tommy's life a hundred times!
Collie
Dog Breed Characteristics And Health Care Problems Info
By Moses Wright
Lassie, the popular series on television has made the Collie a
recognizable breed to many. The Collie is noted for it's
intelligence and deep affection for the family.
Collie Puppy And Dog Information
By Mitch Endick
The Collie is a wonderful family dog. They come in two
varieties, smooth coated and rough coated. They are generally
good with kids and other animals and love their adopted family.
The most famous Collie is Lassie. They may not be suitable for
an apartment as they need room to exercise. A properly fenced in
yard would be ideal.
Collie Facts and Information
Collie refers to various
landraces and breeds of herding dog originating in Britain,
especially the upland areas of the north and west. The exact
origin of the name is uncertain, although it may derive from
Early Scots coll ("coal" or "black"). The collie name refers
especially to dogs of Scottish origin, but the collie type is
far more widespread in Britain and in many other parts of the
world, often being called sheepdog or shepherd dog elsewhere
[1]. In the United States, "collie" is most often used to refer
solely to Rough Collies rather than the collective grouping of
all collie breeds.
Description
Appearance
Collies are generally medium-sized dogs of
between 10 kg and 25 kg (22-55 lb), fairly lightly built with a
pointed snout and erect or partly erect ears, giving a foxy
impression. Cattle-herding types tend to be rather more stocky.
Collies are always alert and are active and agile. The fur may
be short, flat, or long, and the tail may be smooth, feathered,
or bushy. Some types were traditionally docked, and some types
are naturally bobtailed or tail-less. Types vary in colouration,
with the usual base colours being black, black-and-tan, red,
red-and-tan, or sable. Many types have white along with the main
color, usually under the belly and chest, over the shoulders,
and on parts of the face and legs, but sometimes leaving only
the head coloured – or white may be absent or limited to the
chest and toes (as in the Australian Kelpie). Merle colouration
may also be present over any of the other colour combinations,
even in landrace types. The most widespread patterns in many
types are black and white or tricolour (black-and-tan and
white).
Temperament
Working types
Working collies are extremely energetic and agile dogs with
great stamina, well able to run all day without tiring, even
over very rough or steep ground. They are intelligent, and are
instinctively highly motivated to work. These characteristics
generally make working strains unsuitable as pets, as few owners
are able to give them the mental and physical challenges they
need and, if not well fulfilled, they may become unhappy and
badly behaved . However, in addition to herding work they are
well suited to active sports such as sheepdog trials, flyball,
disc dog and dog agility. Working strains have strong herding
instincts, and some individuals can be single-minded to the
point of obsessiveness. They are often intensely loyal.
Show and pet types
Certain types of collie (for example Rough Collies, Smooth
Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs and some strains of Border Collie
and other breeds) have been bred as pet and show dogs for many
generations. These types have proved to be highly trainable,
gentle, loyal, and well suited as pets. Their gentleness and
devotion also make them quite compatible with children. They are
often more suitable as companions than as watch dogs, though the
individual personalities of these dogs vary. The temperament of
these breeds has featured in literature, film and popular
television programs. The novels of Albert Payson Terhune
celebrated the temperament and companionship of collies and were
very popular in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.
More famously, the temperament and intelligence of the Rough
Collie was exaggerated to mythic proportions in the character
Lassie which has been the subject of
many films, books and television shows from 1938 to the present.
Collie types and breeds
Herding dogs of collie type have long been widespread in
Britain, and these can be regarded as a landrace from which a
number of other landraces, types, and formal breeds have been
derived, both in Britain and elsewhere. Many of these are
working herding dogs, but some have been developed into show and
pet dogs, sometimes losing their working instincts [8].
Herding types tend to be more variable than the show and pet
breeds, as they are bred primarily for their working ability,
and appearance is thus of lower importance.
Dogs of collie type or ancestry include:
* Australian Cattle Dog. Dog used in Australia for herding
cattle. Dogs of this type are also known as Queensland Heeler,
Blue Heeler and Red Heeler.
* Australian Collie. Not actually a breed, but a popular cross
between two other collie types, Australian Shepherd and Border
Collie.
* Australian Kelpie. Developed in Australia from collies
originally brought from Scotland and northern England.
* Australian Shepherd. Developed in the US, probably from dogs
of British origin (of Farm Collie type), but now found in other
parts of the world (including Australia).
* Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. Dog with stumpy tail used
in Australia for herding cattle.
* Bearded Collie. Now largely a pet and show breed, but still of
collie type, and some are used as working dogs.
* Border Collie. The most well-known breed for herding sheep
throughout the world. Originally developed in Scotland and
Northern England. Not always suitable for herding cattle.
* English Shepherd. Developed in the US from stock of Farm
Collie type originally from Britain. Not to be confused with the
very different Old English Sheepdog.
* Farm Collie. Landrace herding dog found on many livestock
farms in Britain, in the US (derived from British dogs), and
perhaps elsewhere. In Britain, often simply called "farm dog".
* German Coolie, Koolie, or Collie. Developed in Australia,
probably from British collies.
* Huntaway. Developed in New Zealand from a mixture of breeds,
probably including some collie – but it is not of collie type.
* Lurcher. Not a breed, but a cross of collie (or other herding
dog or terrier) with Greyhound or other sight hound.
Traditionally bred for poaching, with the speed of a sight hound
but more obedient and less conspicuous.
* McNab (Shepherd). Developed in the US partly from dogs of
collie type.
* Old English Sheepdog. Derived from "Shags", hairy herding
dogs. Not to be confused with the English Shepherd.
* Rough Collie and Smooth Collie (sometimes considered varieties
of one breed, originally called Scotch Collie). Now show and pet
dogs, these were created by crossing working collies with other
dogs (especially Borzois) and are of rather different type to
other collies.
* Shetland Sheepdog. A small show and pet breed developed in
England partly from herding dogs originating in Shetland. The
Shetland dogs were originally working herding dogs, not collies
but of Spitz type (similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog). However
in the development of the modern breed these Spitz-type dogs
were heavily mixed with collies and toy breeds, and are now
similar in appearance to a miniature Rough Collie.
* Welsh Sheepdog. Landrace herding dog from Wales.
The heeler types of dog are probably related to collies, being
usually shorter-legged dogs used primarily for herding cattle.
Lassie Comic Book Cover
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