Group: Herding

Weight: male: 60-75, female 50-65 lbs

Height: male: 24-26, female 22-24 inches

Overview

This breed is originally from the highlands of Scotland. Here they were used as sheepdog and with the herding and guarding of flocks. Before these dogs were barely known elsewhere in the world, but today they are very popular all over. It is said that Queen Victoria liked the Collies so much and kept a few at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Due to the fact that she was so fond of them, they gained a lot of recognition across the world.

Temperament

The Collie is a well-mannered, quick and sharp minded dog with a sweet nature. They are easy to train, and have a wonderful grasping ability. This breed makes wonderful family dogs, and also gets along very well with other animals. The Collie is very possessive, gentle and defensive of the people they love. These dogs are totally loyal to their owners. In addition to being a wonderful family pet, they are also wonderful companion of children. Collies also love to play games such as tug of war and hide and seek. Collies are extremely sensitive dogs, but they love to socialise with other animals and people.

Care

The Collies with coarse hair requires additional attention and grooming, more so as the smooth Collies. Their coats shed filth quite often so they need thorough cleaning on a weekly basis. Smooth Collies on the other hand are very easy to groom, but should still be bathed and brushed when required. This breed shed twice during the year, and these dogs are not ideal for those with too little time.

Training

Collies are very supple and also easy to train. They command appropriate training full of action and challenges. These dogs require a physical workout of about 60-80 minutes per day. Training should be varied; otherwise these dogs will become bored quickly. If you are interested in getting a Collie, you should have enough patience and enough time to spend with these dogs.

Health problems

The Collies are very healthy in general, but are prone to a few serious and ordinary diseases. Some of the severe problems they suffer from are progressive retinal atrophy where the cells of the retina start dying at a faster rate. Some other diseases they struggle with are Collie eye anomaly, grey Collie, Dermatomyositis, gastric torsion and Collie nose. Apart from all of these conditions, they also suffer from hip dysplasia.