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Collie Dog BreedNicknames: Lassie |
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| Right Breed For You? | Generally Collies are very active and energetic outdoors. However, they behave extremely inactive and lethargic indoors. They can live comfortably in an apartment also if they are properly exercised. They are at their best in an average sized area. Collies are very sensitive to heat so this should be taken care off. Whenever the weather is hot, give them a cover and lots of fresh water. They need to be protected, especially in warm weather. | Discount Pet Supply Recommendations |
| Shedding: |
Heavy Shed | |
| Height: | 22-26 inches (56-66 cm) | |
| Weight: | 50-75 pounds (23-34 kg.) | |
| Life Span: | 14-16 years | |
| Litter Size: | Average 6 puppies | |
| Hair Length: | Long | |
| Group: | Herding | |
| Color: | Both Rough and Smooth Collies are available in four standard colors, which are: sable and white, tri color (which is mix of white, black and tan), blue merle and white. | |
| Recognized By: | CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR |
Collies are medium sized dogs having a well-proportioned body. The head of collies is lean, blunted and wedge shaped which makes it appear light instead of heavy. The top of the head is flat. They have a well-formed, long, soft and round muzzle, which tapers to a black nose. The ears are in proportion to the size of their head and are 3/4 quarters ahead with the tips tilting forward. This breed has medium sized, dark, almond shaped eyes with the exception of blue merles that have blue or merle eyes. Collies have a stiff, muscular, and stout body, which is long in ratio to their height. The chest is broad and deep extending towards the elbows.
They have strong back portion, which has the powerful backing of hips and thighs. The forelegs are straight and brawny with the hind legs, which are quite slender. The stifles and hocks are twisted well. They have comparatively small feet, which are nicely shaped and are closely placed together. These dogs have long tail with the bone reaching to the hock joint. The neck is very strong, clean and rigid and it makes the dog look physically powerful.
The rough Collies have a tight, extensive; double coat which is rough in texture. They have rich and bountiful coat with mane around their neck and chest. Their coat needs to be taken care of very well. Brushing them regularly is required especially during the spring season when their undercoat is shed.
They also have smooth and short hairs on the face and on the front portion of their legs; whereas, on the neck, tail, thighs and at the back portion of front legs they have long and abundant hairs. Their tail is frilly with lots of hairs. These dogs have gentle and hairy undercoat.
The Smooth Collies are easy to groom in contrast to Rough Collies. Smooth Collies also have double coat. It is short, stiff, plane and dense coat, which is smooth to touch. Their undercoat is very hairy that it is generally quite difficult to see their skin.
The sable color can be a blend of various colors. It can vary from a light blonde color to a reddish brown color. Tri colors are mostly a mix of black, white with the tan markings over the body. However, out of all these colors, Blue Merle has been regarded as beast color. Collies who are tri colored are generally preferred by the people.
This breed originated in the highlands of Scotland where for centuries they were used as sheepdog and helped their master in herding and guarding the flock. Earlier they were barely known except in Scotland but now they are popular all over the world. It is generally believed that these dogs got their name from the work they used to do i.e. the Scottish Black faced Sheep known as Colley.
Queen Victoria liked Collies very much and she kept them at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her fondness and love for Collies helped them in gaining recognition and made them popular all over the world.
The modern type of breed basically developed in England in the late 1800s and popularly called as Scottish collie in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Collies at that time used to be petite, had broad heads and shorter muzzles as compared to present rough and smooth collies. Collies were first presented as “Scotch Sheep-Dogs” at Birmingham (England) in a dog show in 1860s. The ancestors of the modern Collie were first exhibited as “Scotch Sheep-Dogs” in the 1860 Birmingham (England) dog show.
Collies are imported to England in 1879 for the very first time. It is from here, they developed and today known to be as very lovable and wonderful breed capable to perform multiple functions in return of just good care and desired attention.
Collies are very polite, quick, and sharp minded dogs with a sweet temperament. It is quite easy to train these dogs as they are smart and have great grasping power. They can serve as outstanding herding dogs and family pet. Due to their friendly nature, they get along with other animals very well. They are possessive, caring, and very defensive of people whom he/ she love. This breed is completely devoted to his/her master. Besides being an amazing family pet, Collies also makes a wonderful companion of children. This is a gentle, obedient pet that simply loves to play around especially with children. They like playing games such as tug of war, hide and seek.
Collies are highly sensitive dogs. If at any point of time they have done something wrong then they should not be shown rude behavior by their master. What is required at that time is, to show them what they were supposed to do and they will understand. These dogs are very social and love to be surrounded with people or with other animals. They shouldn’t be left alone, as they get bored easily. Collies require proper time and attention of their master. These dogs become very happy and lively when they get proper care and attention of their master.
Collies are generally very cautious of strangers. These dogs love to bark at strangers who look suspicious and can behave violently at certain situations. They are always alert of everything happening around in their environment. Sometimes, they can bark too much making the situation uncomfortable so they should be trained to bark less.
Though Collies are known to be a very healthy breed but they are prone to some serious and common diseases. Some of the severe kinds of problems, which collies can suffer from, are:
- PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), which means a stage where the cells of the retina, starts dying at a faster rate. PRA occurs to those collies who are suffering from genetic disorders. If not treated upon then it can lead to loss of vision.
Then there are diseases like:
- Collie eye anomaly
- grey collie syndrome (which is a kind of neutropenia)
- dermatomyositis
- gastric torsion
- collie nose, that is why collies nose tip is very sensitive to sun.
Besides all these, they can also suffer from Hip Dysplasia which can lead to arthritis.
The rough collies, which have hard coat, need extra attention and care as compared to smooth collies. Their coat shed mud and filth quite often so they need through cleaning and brushing weekly to keep them look good and healthy.
Smooth collies are on the other hand easy to groom though they also need to be brushed and bathed. These can be brushed in the time period of one to two weeks.
Collies shed greatly almost twice a year. People who want to have Collies but don’t want much grooming, they should go for Smooth Collies, which doesn’t require much grooming due to their short and smooth coat.
You should brush your collie everyday during shedding seasons, and at least once a week when they are not shedding. Regular brushing is important to remove the dead hair. If left alone, the dead hair will cause hot spots on your dog’s skin.
Collies generally do not require all over trimming, but you might want to keep their feet trimmed. With a small pair of dog grooming scissors, carefully trim the hair around each footpad.
This will keep your collie’s feet clean. While you are working with your collie’s feet, you can also trim the nails. This should be done every 1 to 2 weeks to keep the nails from getting too long.
If your collie is a puppy, you can train them to be used to a Dremel tool with a sandpaper attachment. Apply light pressure with the Dremel and grind down to just before the pink quick.
The alternative to using the Dremel is to use a standard dog nail trimmer. Before you clip the dog’s nails, find the pink quick and cut just before that point. Cutting into the quick will make the dog’s nail bleed. If this happens, styptic powder is helpful to have on hand to stop the bleeding.
If you’re the kind of person who likes being a couch potato then this isn’t the breed for you. Collies need frequent exercise otherwise he/she will become lazy and extremely destructive. However, if you’re looking for running or jogging companion then a Collie is the right choice. They will excel at every dog sport from Frisbee to fly-ball, agility and obedience.
The best routine is a good long walk (Not the once around block but, a good hour) then when back home start by fly-ball or Frisbee any sport that gets his/her blood pumping and makes them use their brain so be sure to have plenty of dog toys. Remember Collies are highly intelligent and complete exercise program will include both mind and body.
Collies are very agile and easy to train dogs. They demand proper training full of activity and challenges. These dogs need a physical workout of about 60-80 minutes per day. They don’t like repetitions in method of training as they become bore easily due to which they can turn lethargic. So Collies need interesting and motivating review sessions, which can force them to utilize their energy and skill.
So, if you are having a Collie or Desire to have one then you have to be very patient and friendly with proper time and attention required for Collies. And if you have children, then it can serve as an added advantage as Collies love to be in company of Children. Take very good care of your Collie who just wants love in return of love.
