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Discover the Collie’s rich history, versatility, and role as an ideal family companion, from herding origins to show ring fame.
Pat Caldwell
This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, July 2013 issue.
The Collie was used extensively as a herding dog and hailed from the highlands of Scotland and Northern England. The true popularity of the breed came about during the 1860s when Queen Victoria visited the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with the breed. From that point on, Collies became very fashionable. The Collie’s character has been further romanticized and portrayed as the ideal family companion by such authors as Albert Payson Terhune (Lad of Sunnybank), Eric Knight (Lassie Come-Home), and in the 1950s television series “Lassie.” The working Collie of the 1800s evolved into the “show” Collie that we know today.
The Collie was expected to do whatever it was called upon to do, depending upon the particular farmer’s needs. The Collie could herd any type of livestock, whether out in the pasture, in the barnyard, or on the road, as well as protect the stock, farm, and family. The versatility of Collies made them valuable workers. In addition to gathering and moving stock at home, they also were used for droving, taking stock from farm to farm or to the city markets; frequently the drover went on ahead and the dog brought the stock along behind, sometimes even working out of sight of the drover.
Collies & Children
One of his greatest assets is his natural love of children. Even when not raised with children, the Collie can be charming, playful, and protective with most well-behaved kids. Stories have abounded for years of children guarded and protected by the family Collie.
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Collie Varieties
The Collie breed comes in two different varieties—the Rough and the Smooth.
The two varieties are identical with the exception of the coat. The Smooth has a short, dense, and flat coat, while the Rough Collie has a long, well-fitting, harsh-textured coat. It is abundant everywhere except on the head and legs, and it is the crowning glory of the Rough variety of Collie.
Collie Character
Not only are they beautiful, but they are intelligent, friendly, loyal, loving, and sensitive. They are real family dogs and are noted for being very people-friendly. Likewise, they are easy to train. In addition to being very clean dogs, they are one of the easiest breeds to housebreak. They are notorious people dogs, known for wanting to be with their owners. They make great couch potatoes! While they are excellent watch dogs, they are not known for being aggressive. A Collie should never be nervous, shy, or fearful. They love to play, retrieve, and go for long walks. In essence, they make great companions for young or old.
Collie Colors
Collies come in four different colors. The color long associated with the breed, thanks in part to Lassie, is the sable color. This color can range from a light golden tan to a rich mahogany color. The tricolor is black, white, and tan. Blue Merle can range from a pale, silvery blue coloring to a darker gray color, with black body spots of various sizes. The fourth color is white, which is a predominantly white body, with either sable, tri, or blue markings, usually on the head. Typically, all Collies are marked with the traditional white collar, chest, legs, feet, tail tip, and sometimes white facial markings, called a blaze.
Collie Conformation
The written definition of the Collie breed type is called a “standard.” As such, a breed’s written standard represents the ideal for producing and evaluating breeding stock. The following is taken from the general characteristics portion of the Collie Standard. “The Collie presents an impressive, proud picture of true balance, each part being in harmonious proportion to every other part and to the whole. Except for the technical description that is essential to this standard and without which no Standard for the guidance of breeders and judges is adequate, it could be stated simply that no part of the Collie ever seems to be out of proportion to any other part.” It is sometimes said that this ideal can never be achieved—only approximated.
To that end, the standard presents the ultimate pattern for which breeders strive and to which judges compare. Naturally, in a less formal sense, breeders are always the first judge of their breeding and how well a new litter conforms to the standard of breed type. In a more formal sense, conformation is the competition that takes place at a dog show. The challenge to the judge is to determine the entry that best conforms to the standard. The judge must set about this sometimes difficult task based on his or her knowledge of the standard, experience as a judge and with the breed, and the presentation of the dog on that day. The picture below is the winner of the Collie national specialty in 2013.
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