Collie is a herding dog that appeared for the first time in Scotland and Northern England but its existence is not limited to these areas or countries as it can also be found in different countries around the world such as North America and Australia. The word Collie is usually used to refer to those dogs that originated in Scotland and spread in other countries around the world but are given other names such as Shepherd dogs or Sheepdogs. Collies are kept for different reasons since there are some people who breed them for being used as working dogs that are perfect at herding sheep and cattle. On the other hand, there are other people who keep Collies as pets at their homes and they are also kept for dog sports or as show dogs. Collies are available in different types; some of these types include the word Collie in their names such as Border Collie, Bearded Collie and Rough Collie, while there are other breeds or Collie types that do not have the word Collie in their names such as Welsh Sheepdog and Shetland Sheepdog.
♦ What are the physical characteristics of Collies?
Collie is a light and medium-sized dog and its weight ranges from 22 to 32 kg (48-70 lb). Its fur comes in different shapes as you can find it flat, long or short and even the tail differs among Collies as there are bushy, feathered and smooth tails. The tail may curl over the back but it does not touch it and the base of the tail does not curl.
Each Collie breed has its own colors that differ from other Collie breeds but the main colors that you can usually find are black, red, black and tan, red and tan, sable and there is also the white color that is usually seen with the other colors to be found on different parts of the body such as the shoulders, legs, face, chest or belly. The most suitable Collies for being used for work are the Border Collies while other Collies are more appropriate for being kept as pets and other purposes such as dog sports or as show dogs.
♦ What about Collie’s personality?
Collie is known to be agile, active, energetic, intelligent, highly motivated, highly trainable, loyal, gentle, friendly, quiet or not aggressive, have herding abilities so it can be used for herding and dog sports, can run for a long time without getting tired and can play different dog sports such as dog agility, sheepdog trials, disc dog and flyball. All of these features make Collies perfect as pets and working dogs. Collies are friendly to children and are more appropriate for being used as watchdogs not as guard dogs since they are good at barking but not aggressive enough for being used as guard dogs.
♦ Do you know the most famous Collies?
There are some Collies that are known for being the most famous in the world such as Bobbie the Wonder Dog, Blanco that is Lyndon Johnson’s pet, Reveille that is the official mascot of Texas A&M University, Lad that is Albert Payson Terhune’s pet, Pal that is widely known for playing Lassie and finally Shep or the Blue Peter dog.