A View of the Collie

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, January 2017 issue.

A View of the Collie

Having been involved with this breed for over 50 years, and having been involved with both Breeder education and Judges Education for the past twenty, one gathers many interesting insights. Watching some breeders come and go and others who stay and make a difference is an interesting learning experience. What is it that makes the difference between the dilettante dabblers and the serious students who go on to contribute positively to the breed and become master breeders? That is a question I have always pondered, and now, in later years, I pose the question to those who choose to adjudicate our breed. What is it that makes certain individuals outstanding adjudicators, while others merely get through it by selecting “decent” individuals and possibly missing a great one? I think it comes down to understanding many of the qualities of the Collie that are not only essential, but realizing which ones are the “hard to get” and “harder to keep” virtues.

As a breeder, particularly a breeder whose dogs have contributed to the overall gene pool of the breed, one soon learns that certain aspects of the standard are more difficult to attain and keep in a breeding program. As a breeder, then, these particular qualities take on a special emphasis. Knowledgeable judges within the breed are certainly aware of these, and judge accordingly, and become popular among the serious breeders. Having presented many years of Judges Education, I also realize the importance of moderation in making selections, and moderation in presenting the standard itself to those who want to judge our breed. In the section dealing with head qualities in our standard, it is sometimes the adjectives and adverbs that dictate the proper way to assess certain aspects.

Having been involved with this breed through six decades, it has been interesting to note the various fads and trends that come and go. Some will appear as a fleeting glance; others will become strongly ingrained and take several years to eradicate or rebalance. What one must remember is that the Collie as we know it today has undergone great evolution since the beginning, transitioning from a shorter-headed, shorter-legged dog with a lower ear and a larger eye into the Collie as we know it today. Through well over a century of breeding, breeders have fought the odds to create a Collie with a head and body style quite different from their original ancestors. Over the years, master breeders have learned what the truly “hard to get” virtues of the breed are, and oftentimes that are “hard to keep” as well. There have been times when breeders have gone to the extreme in breeding for the show ring and ignoring the hard-to-get virtues.

In an effort to “improve” their breeding stock, or “improve” the overall quality of the breed, they have carried things to extremes and instead of “improving,” they are actually “changing.” The result can sometimes create a winning but oftentimes generic show dog, full of qualities that are “winnable” but lacking in qualities which are more desirable. For anyone interested in judging our breed, it is important to keep in mind what most of these hard-to-get virtues are. Structural excellence can be summed up in the fact that we want dogs whose movement is effortless and fluid—a dog that can quickly change direction when necessary. The description of the body and outline was written to create such a dog, whose herding heritage is obvious because of the necessary gait.

We want to stay away from the extremes which sometimes hamper this. Too much of a good thing often leads to serious consequences…too much length of leg (and often lack of chest), or not enough length of leg (often giving the appearance of a longer back) can hamper the picture that is desirable and certainly take away from the effortless movement. In looking at a dog in profile, if one notices a head that is set behind the front legs, you will also notice a movement that is hampered because of the lack of angulation of the shoulder or the shortness of the upper arm. The head of the Collie distinguishes it from all other breeds. Without good head qualities, we would not have a good Collie. Then again, a beautiful head alone is not qualified to compete in the herding group with a dog who was bred for that purpose. So we come here to a place of balance, and it is up to the judge to look for that balance.

It is not a question of which is more important—correct head or correct structure—but instead, a balance of the two. Judges who come to that understanding usually hone their skills in selecting winners and become popular among the exhibitors and, more importantly, among the breeders. In describing the head itself, it refers to it as a “well-blunted lean wedge”—and those words are important. We do not seek a head that is heavy or overdone, nor do we want a long skinny head that is the same width in front as in back. Sometimes people forget the term “wedge.” The head profile is one of two straight parallel planes of equal length, divided by a very slight but perceptible stop. In other words, a moderate transition from one plane to the other. But one of the hallmark qualities of the breed is the expression, and as the standard states, “Expression is one of the most important points in considering the relative value of Collies. Expression, like the term character, is difficult to define in words.” That last sentence makes it clear that in order to really understand it, one must learn through optical illustration, looking at as many Collies as they possibly can.

When one gets to see a good expression, they rarely forget it, and that image becomes the mental template against which all others are compared. The shape of the head, the finishing details, and very importantly the color, size, shape, and placement of the eye are all linked together. And again, balance and moderation come into play. There were periods where most Collies had a larger, lighter eye—the result most likely of breeding for other important head characteristics at the time. But that period was followed by breeders concentrating on creating a smaller, darker eye. Unfortunately, in some cases, it was carried to the extreme and the breed suffered a period of Collies with small, hard eyes resulting in hard expression.

The pendulum swung back, and as eyes were coming to a good place, a race for faster maturing heads evolved, and thus there was a shortening of the head with eyes that were too wide-set to give the correct forward outlook that is so important to a beautiful Collie. So the modern master breeder sets a pattern of balance and moderation to keep the dogs on an even keel. They stay away from the extremes and breed as closely to the standard as possible. Judges need to evaluate these dogs in much the same way, as it helps to keep a breed on track and keeps those judges popular as well!