The Famous Collie

Collie resting in the grass

Dog Breed Info – The Collie

Breed Overview

The breed comes two ways. One is a “smooth coat” or short hair version. The “rough—coated” version was mainly used as a guard dog.

America’s social elite brought Collies from Europe. They could be found everywhere in the US. The breed was further popularized by the movie “Lassie” and by 1940 it was one of the #1 dogs in the USA.

This is an active, strong dog that combines strength, speed and grace.

Yes. Very trainable. Eager to learn and please. Use clicker training for a really good training session. It’s easy and the dog will enjoy it too.

Crate Training

Want to crate train your Collie puppy? It’s easy and if you’re interested, take a look and you’ll see what to do. Crate training your puppy will save many headaches and problems.

Potty Training

The Collie and her puppies are easy to house train, potty train, toilet train, housebreak or whatever you want to call it. If you have a puppy, decide if you want to crate or paper potty train it. For the best results, we have a page at Crate vs Paper Potty Training which will help you decide and from there you can get all the information you need to get the job done. Always praise the pup profusely when she goes potty in the RIGHT PLACE so she knows she has done a good thing. Either method will work for this breed.

If you have an older dog, take the dog outside every two hours until she gets the idea which door leads to her potty area. Older dogs catch on to the potty or housebreaking pretty fast once they are shown what to do.

The Collie, a born herder, tends to herd anything in front of it. This breed is quite trainable and wants to please but can be stubborn. They will actually shove an adult aside if the dog feels the adult is going the wrong direction, thus, obedience training is mandatory for this breed. Top

This is a loyal, gentle and devoted breed. It is intelligent and willing to please. The dog can be stubborn and nip at heels when playing and bark to excess at times if not disciplined.

If you happen to get a Collie with a separation anxiety problem, that can be dealt with by investing a few hours of work on your part and some “tough love.”

The Collie is a superb sheep herder

Friendly Toward Other Dogs?

Picks his own friends. Likes some dogs, not others. Remains wary at times.

Friendly Toward Other Pets

Good. A true “family dog” that gets along with the whole family, including existing pets.

Friendly Toward Strangers

Generally friendly to other people, but can nip and bark in some cases. Approach strangers with some care. I have two Collie bites. One each on my hand and leg.

Playfulness

Moderate. Somewhat playful, like chasing balls or jogging in the park with you.

Very loyal to family but not your lap dog. Affection is moderate to good though.

Very good with kids over 6 years. This is a heavy dog and can injure toddlers. Quite tolerant of children in general. Loves to get out and romp and run with the kids.

Good with Seniors over 65?

No. Too large and requires more exercise than a senior is likely to be able to provide.

Living environment

Home with a medium size fenced yard is best where the dog can chase balls and play fetch for exercise. Needs space to run around.

While the Collie can live outdoors in a temperate climate, they need to be an INDOOR pet due to their need to socialize and be around their family members.

The Collie catching a Frisbee. Great exercise!

Energy level

This dog is in the herding group and needs a good romp every day. Walks are fine, but he needs some run time too.

Yes, he can be a very good guard dog. They have a nasty bite and are highly protective of their property. Try sticking your hand into the car window with a 70 pound Collie inside. We have 2 Collies next door that hardly let their owners come into the house much less a stranger!

Smooth coat — needs weekly brushing. Dead hair must be removed.
Rough coat — very frequent brushing and you have to get deep down to the second layer of dead hair which is a lot of work but necessary. The long, rough coat is labor intensive. Top

The book on the left is a comprehensive owners guide for the Collie.

In the event you decide to go looking for Alaskan Malamute puppies, be SURE to find reputable breeders that really know what they are doing. Be sure the puppy has been well socialized and started in obedience training. It’s not often that Collie puppies turn up in dog pounds and shelters but you might check anyway.
Collie Breeders with puppies for sale.

Collie Rescue

In the event you are seriously considering the adoption of an older dog and are looking for a Collie Rescue group or groups in your state, here are several links that might help:
Petfinder – Collie Rescue – (Nationwide) If you find one to adopt, try to locate any dog health records that may exist for possible future reference.
Adopt A Pet This is an interesting site that may give you some ideas. Be sure to check locally for Collie Rescue groups.

This is basically a healthy breed. Don’t let the list below scare you! Your own dog will probably never have ANY of these problems. These are dog illness and medical problems this breed is prone to that have been listed by various veterinarians at different times over the past decade or so and some pertain to puppies and very young dogs that a breeder would deal with.

The information contained herein has been gathered from numerous books by veterinarians and is intended as general information only. Every dog and situation is different. You must see your vet. Our information is for general interest only and not intended to replace the advice provided by your own veterinarian.

Collie eye anomaly—Abnormal eye development. Watch your dog closely, as many will experience retinal detachment causing blindness, usually around 6 to 12 months old. If your Collie is bumping into things, get it to the vet fast. Also, look for abnormal blood vessels or vessels have a twisted appearance, or you find holes or shallow areas in the dog’s eyes which could be inadequate development of a fiber coating Any change in the eyes is reason to call the vet NOW.

Other health problems could occur with your Collie. If you notice any problems with your dog, take it to the vet immediately. This website is for general information only and is not intended to, in any way, be a medical guide.

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