Collies are known for their superior intelligence and emotional connection to their owners. They have a docile temperament and are easy to train. Most of all, this graceful dog is a loyal and affectionate family companion, and they are very gentle with children. Collie puppies thrive on daily exercise and activities, and respond well to early training. You'll be rewarded with a loving dog who is as happy to play outside with you as he is to hang out with the family in your living room.
Collies, also known as the Scottish Collie, have been working as herding dogs in Scotland and northern England for hundreds of years. They were mostly used as drover dogs, guiding sheep and cows to market. It was Queen Victoria who made them a popular breed after falling in love with the regal dogs during a visit to the Scottish Highlands in the 1860s.
Collies are active and need daily exercise, but they're also happy to chill at home the rest of the time. They are good with other dogs, and love canine companionship. They shed seasonally and require occasional grooming which varies depending on whether the collie is a smooth or rough coat. They respond extremely well to training, are outgoing and friendly, and are not excessive barkers. Their life expectancy is 12-14 years, but can live as long as 16 years. The Collie is lithe and strong, standing naturally straight and firm. The adult collie will grow to24-26 inches (male), 22-24 inches (female) and can weigh from60-75 pounds (male), 50-65 pounds (female).
The rough coat variety boasts one of the canine kingdom’s most impressively showy coats; the smooth coat’s charms are subtler but no less satisfying. Coat colors in both varieties are sable and white, tricolor, blue merle, or white. Collie fanciers take pride in their breed’s elegant wedge-shaped head, whose mobile ears and almond eyes convey a wide variety of expressions.
Overall Collies are famously fond of children and make wonderful family pets. These swift, athletic dogs thrive on companionship and regular exercise. With gentle training, they learn happily and rapidly. The Collie’s loyalty, intelligence, and sterling character are the stuff of legend.
The full-coated “rough” collie is the more familiar variety and what most people think of as a collie.
'Smooth' Collies are sleek and regal and require less grooming than 'rough' collies.