Origin

This breed lived in Scotland and people who live outside did not know about them. Now this is one of the most popular breed in the world. There were many herding breeds in the olden days. They were actually the ancestors of the collie. One type of sheep is found in Scotland which has a black face. the sheep is called “Colley”. Most probably the collie is named after the sheep. They are very intelligent and so they have been mostly used for rescue work, search work, guides etc. The collie breed has also been bred with the Borzoi. In 1860 the collie was introduced for the first time in a dog show.

General Description

This breed is a medium sized breed with a graceful appearance. It has long coat like most of the sheep dogs. The Collie has a well build muscular body but it is not at all bulky. It has a broad chest which touches the shoulders. They have a flat and narrow head, its muzzle is thin, sharp and long with a black nose on the tip. They also have triangular ears which are folded in the front a bit. The Collie has almond shaped black eyes. They have straight boned limbs and a long fluffy tail which almost touches the ground. Collies are of two types, one is the rough and the other is the smooth. The smooth one has short silky coat and the other one has double coat. They are found in many colours like sable and white, blue merle etc.

Character

The collie is an active and hard working breed. This has a lot of strength and forms a great companion. They are capable of all hardships. They have a self confidence and are never shy and aggressive. This breed is very dashing, reliable and authentic. They are well suited for being a good family dog and at the same time they can also be a good worker. The collie is very good to children and other pets. Some may not love to mix with strangers. The collie should never be left without any work. This breed can also be easily trained.

Temperament

The collie is totally a balanced breed. They can become very good companions and they are too devoted and loyal to their families. They can also be protective of their families. The Collie is intelligent by nature. They are good to all. They are very good to children, other pets and even all strangers. Some may be very suspicious about strangers. This breed love human interaction very much and they love to be amidst the family always. They should not be left alone for a long time as that may get worse. We can say that this breed is a perfect family dog.

Training

The Collie is very intelligent and they love to learn. For this it is really easy to train the breed. They should not be trained with rough methods as they are a bit shy.

Health

This breed is generally healthy than others but it may be affected by eye issues, arthritis etc. Their life span varies from 4-16 years.