DESCRIPTION

The Collie is a lovely, active, and agile sheepdog made famous by the movie star, Lassie. It is considered one of the most beautiful breeds because of its elegant appearance. This breed presents a picture of true balance, each part being in harmonious proportion to every other part and to the whole. The Collie comes in two coat varieties, Smooth (less common) Coated and the Rough Coated; the only difference is the length of the coat. It is a devoted, affectionate true family dog that enjoys human companionship.

TEMPERAMENT

The Collie is sensitive, sweet, kind and loyal. It makes a perfect family dog, an excellent children's companion, playful and gentle. It is usually good with other pets and friendly with other dogs. Basic obedience training should be taught at an early age. The Collie is easy to train; it is a quick learner. Housebreaking is relatively easy for this breed. Sometimes it can be willful, this dog must be trained gently or it will refuse to cooperate. The Collie is a good-natured, friendly, energetic dog breed. It can be wary of strangers, stubborn and indolent. It has a fairly good sense of protectiveness for its master, especially for children. This breed is not aggressive, but it tends to be suspicious of people it does not like.

GROOMING

It must be groomed regularly with a brush and comb. Some skilled trimming of the coat is required. The ears and eyes need to be cleaned and inspected regularly. Some of these dogs develop an irritation of the ear but there are special lotions which can provide relief for this. This breed is a heavy shedder.

HEALTH

CEA (Collie eye anomaly, a recessive defective gene which can cause blindness) and PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy). Other health concerns include hip dysplasia, skin infections, dermatomyositis, ivermectin sensetivity, and gastric torsion or bloat. Bloat is a health issue to most dogs, being the second largest killer of dogs other than cancer, but Collies can be particularly susceptible to it because of their deep chests.

EXERCISE

Regular walks or free exercise is necessary to keep a well balanced dog. Play sessions are equal workouts.

TRAINING

Basic obedience training should be taught at an early age. Collies are a quick learner who will give their best results by you using the tone of your voice. Housebreaking is relatively easy for this breed.