Collie Dog Breed Profile

Quick Stats for the Collie Dog Breed

• Height (at the shoulders): dogs: 24 – 26 inches (61 – 66 cm) ; bitches: 22 – 24 inches (56 – 61 cm)
• Weight: dogs: 60 - 75 pounds (27- 34 kg) ; bitches: 50 - 65 pounds (23- 29 kg)
• Life Expectancy: 14 – 16 years
• AKC Group: Herding Group – AKC recognized in 1885
• Shedding: average shedder
• Living Conditions: okay in apartment (with sufficient exercise); relatively inactive indoors; best with average sized yard (minimum)

Personality of the Collie Dog Breed

Collies are gentle, mild mannered dogs that will get along with almost anyone they meet. They are highly intelligent and easy to train. These dogs are very loyal and protective of their families. Because of their sweet and docile personality, they are also excellent with children.

However, with all their friendliness they still make excellent watchdogs. They tend to be suspicious of certain people, as if they can sense some bad vibes or something.

History of the Collie Dog Breed

The exact origin of the Collie is unknown. Some experts believe that the breed shares a similar bloodline as the Border Collie dog breed.

Guardian dogs and sheep herding dogs have been around for a very long time. However, evidence of the Collie performing in these job roles seem to go back only as far as the beginning of the 1800s. The evidence suggests that both the rough-coated and the smooth-coated varieties were in existence at that time.

The smooth-coated Collie was use for driving flock. The rough-coated Collie were the flock guardians, performing their duties in all types of weather. Over time, the breed was refined and bred to be taller in size.

In 1860, Queen Victoria became quite fascinated with the breed and obtained her first Collie. Of course this caused many upper class families to follow the Queen and get their own dogs. By the late 1800s, an official breed standard was drafted and that standard is still used today.

The breed was officially registered by the American Kennel Club in 1885 as a member of the Herding Group.

The Collie Dog Breed Care and Grooming

A Collie requires plenty of daily exercise. Take them on a long daily walk, and if possible, provide them with some time off leash to run and play in a safe area.

The Collie has a stiff coat that will shed dirt easily. Their grooming requirements are minimal and a good weekly brushing with a high quality dog grooming brush should be sufficient to keep the coat in good condition. Take special care when they are shedding their soft undercoats.

There are two types of coats for the Collie – a smooth variety and a rough coat variety. The smooth-coated Collie has a one-inch coat that should be brushed weekly or biweekly. The rough-coated Collie should be brushed a bit more frequently.

The smooth Collie is an average shedder, while the rough Collie sheds heavily twice per year.

Health Problems of the Collie Dog Breed

The average life expectancy of the Collie dog breed is about fourteen to sixteen years.

There are no major health concerns for this breed.

Minor health issues include:

• demodicosis
• PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
• dermatomyositis
• CEA (Collie Eye Anomoly)
• gastric torsion

These other issues can occur, but are rarely seen:

• seizures
• CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia)
• microphthalmia

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Best,

Omar Reyes

For even more in depth information about the Collie check out the book – Rough & Smooth Collies (Book of the Breed).