The Collie is an excellent sports dog. What's more, it can be taught the skills that are natural in other breeds. Hence, a collie can work like a Setter or Pointer as well as the Golden Retriever or the Water Spaniel. Collies are expert hunters, have a great sense of smell, and can kill vermin. In addition, they are faithful friends and fierce watchdogs. It is not only agile but also easy to manage.

The Greatness of the Collie

Not much is known about the history of the Collie. Its appearance shows that it was once related to the wild dog. Buffon says that the collie is a real dog of nature, a model for the entire species of dogs. He believed that the Collie has superior instincts and more intelligence than all the other breeds put together. Buffon goes to the extent of saying that a collie is born trained perfectly to give service to human beings.

At dog shows, the Collie proves that it is a world-class dog. The smooth-coated breed of Collie is a very hardy dog, useful, swift-footed, and well adapted to work on the hills. This breed is not as sweet-tempered as the black and white breed of Collie and takes its time to make friends. The show Collie is the loveliest and most elegant breed available. A descendant of the old working Collie, this breed is now in a class of its own.

What a Dog Show Expects of a Collie

The Collie should have a flat skull, and the width between its ears should be moderate, tapering gradually toward its eyes. The depression on the top of its head should be slight. The width of a Collie's skull should be in proportion with the overall length of its muzzle and skull. A Collie's head should be proportionate with the rest of its body. Its cheek should be neither prominent nor full.

The Collie should have a muzzle of fair length, which should taper to its nose, and show no sign of weakness. The dog could be of any color, but its nose should be black. Its teeth should be even sized, healthy, and level. The judges at the show, however, don't mind if the teeth are slightly uneven. Its jaws should be powerful and clear-cut.

The Collie's eyes are its most important features. They give the dog its character and personality. The dog's eyes should be medium sized, slightly slanting, almond-shaped, and brown in color. In Merles, however, the eyes could be white and blue. The Collie's eyes should brim with intelligence and look alert when it is listening.

It should have small ears that are of moderate width at their bases. The ears should not be placed too close to each other. They should be place atop the skull, not at the sides of its head. When the dog is relaxed, it ears should be slightly held back. When it is alert, the ears should be brought forward, half-erect, with its tips slightly drooping.

The Collie's neck should be powerful, muscular, slightly arched, and of moderate length. Its should have a strong body with a deep chest, fairly broad at the shoulders. The shoulders should be sloping and the loins should be strong. The Collie should have a straight front.

It should have muscular and strong fore-legs, neither out nor in at its elbows. The forearm should be a little fleshy and have a fair quantity of bone. Its pasterns should reflect flexibility, not weakness. Its hind-legs, at the thighs, should be muscular; below the hocks, they should be sinewy; and the stifles should be well bent. It should have oval feet, well padded soles, and arched toes, set close to one another.

The Collie's legs should be fairly lengthy, giving it a racy, not cloddy, appearance. The looks of an ideal Collie indicate endurance, an active nature, and intelligence. The ideal Collie dog is 22 to 24 inches at the shoulders while the bitch is 20 to 22 inches. While dogs should ideally weight between 45 and 65 lbs, bitches should weigh between 40 and 55 lbs.

The only difference between the smooth Collie and the rough Collie is their coats. Ideally, a Collie's coat should be tough, thick, and smooth.

The Collie is an active, smart dog. Its deep chest is indicative of great lung power. Its sloping shoulders, strong neck, and well bent hock are all built to enable great speed. It wears an expression of great intelligence.