The Collie is one of the world’s most popular dog breeds - and for good reason. These dogs are famously loyal, friendly, smart and affectionate. Easy to train, they make great first-time pets as well as great family pets. Outgoing and energetic, Collies love everyone they meet, from little and big humans to other dogs. Although they need daily exercise to keep them happy, most families will have little trouble meeting their needs, especially as they’re big fans of playtime (as long as you’re playing with them). Sure, they can be a little (lot) barky, but their loving, cuddly, easygoing natures make up for it.
Collie Facts
We’ve got Queen Victoria to thank for the popularity of the Collie - she fell in love with them while in Scotland and her enthusiasm for them spread through the population. How the Collie originally got to Scotland is unknown but it’s thought that their ancestors were brought over by the Romans. Over centuries, these Roman herding dogs interbred with local dogs, resulting in the sheepherding dog that ultimately became the Collie.
- Breed Group: Herding
- Height: Female: 55-61cm, Male: 61-66cm
- Weight: Female: 23-30kg, Male: 27-34kg
- Life Span: 12-14 years
- Coat: 2 types - double and short (smooth) or long (rough)
- Colour: Sable and white, tricolour, blue merle, or white
What Does a Collie Look Like?
Flashback alert but if you’ve ever seen the TV show Lassie, that’s a Collie. Well, that’s a long, rough-coated Collie - there are 2 types. There’s also a short, smooth-coated Collie. The long, Rough Collie is most well-known, thanks to its distinctive full, beautiful coat. Both Collie types’ coats come in a range of colours: sable and white, tricolour, blue merle, or white. Their coats are finished off with a long, fluffy tail.
It’s not just their coats that make Collies instantly recognisable - their elegantly pointed head and long tapering muzzle is too. A Collie’s ears are unique too, as they’re upright but fold over slightly on top, even when they’re alert. Adding to their inquisitive, friendly look is their almond-shaped, usually dark eyes.
Collie
Collie Temperament: Famously Family Friendly
If you’re looking for a family dog, the Collie might just tick all your boxes. Collies are famously friendly dogs and complete extroverts. They love people, including children and babies, and meeting new friends, including other pups. Outgoing, Collies thrive on the love and attention of their family and they’ll give it back to you in spades - they’re super affectionate. Although they’re loyal to their humans, Collies will happily love up to everyone they meet, even strangers.
Not only does their temperament lend them well to being family pets, these are dogs that love to play. Throw them in the garden with the kids and they’ll happily run around for hours, chasing a ball or any type of flying toy.
Herding dogs by nature, Collies need a job to do. Without enough mental and physical stimulation, they’re prone to getting lonely or bored. A lonely or bored Collie is a noisy Collie - they can be big barkers. Make sure you tire them out with plenty of walks and playtime.
Their instincts can also be seen in some of their behaviours, like trying to herd anything that they judge is moving too slow, including other pets and even children, and can include heel nipping. Training can help curb these behaviours.
Keeping Collies Healthy: 3 Issues to Watch Out For
Collies are generally healthy dogs but like all breeds are prone to certain health issues. Preventative care, like regular vet check-ups, dental care and flea and worm treatments, can help ensure they live a long, happy life.
Vision Loss
A lot of Collies experience Collie eye anomaly, an inherited disease that can cause blindness. It can be detected in a vet exam when your Collie puppy is as young as 6 to 8 weeks old. Although there’s no cure, there are treatments to help reduce its impacts. Collies with Collie eye anomaly normally adjust well to blindness and continue to live happily. Because Collie eye anomaly is a genetic condition that can be tested for, reputable breeders should always screen for this issue.
Bloat
Deep-chested dogs, like Collies, are at risk of bloat. This potentially life-threatening condition is when their stomach becomes full of gas and twists on itself, cutting off the blood supply to vital organs. Signs of bloat include pacing, panting, excessive drooling, a stomach that’s sore to touch or swollen, restlessness, and retching (trying to vomit but nothing comes up). If you spot any of these signs, take your Collie to the vet straightaway.
Skin Problems
Collies can develop severe skin diseases, like dermatomyositis and pemphigus foliaceus. Both inherited conditions, symptoms include hair loss and crusty skin, usually on the nose or inside the ears. There’s no cure for either condition but medication can treat them. Again, as inherited conditions, responsible breeders should screen for them in their breeding dogs to ensure your puppy is free of them.
Caring for Your Collie Dog
Sure, Collies are high-energy dogs who shed and bark (a lot) but their good points definitely outshine their not-so-good ones: they’re friendly, easy to train, great with kids, adaptable, and utterly adorable.
Grooming
Grooming your Collie depends on what type of Collie you have. Rough Collies, with their long and lush double coat, need more grooming than Smooth Collies. This helps to ward off any mats and tangles, and keeps their skin and fur healthy.
For a Rough Collie, brush them a few times a week with a slicker brush, pin brush and comb. A slicker brush helps remove dead hair, while the pin brush smooths it out. The comb gets rid of any tangles the brushes might have missed. Be extra thorough around tangle hot spots - behind the ears and front legs, under the belly, and behind their back legs. Expect your Rough Collie to blow their coat in spring and autumn. This is when chunks of hair will be shed. You might need to bump your brushing to daily and a deshedding tool will be essential. A Smooth Collie is far less maintenance. Give them a brush once a week and you’re done.
For both types, they can have a bath about once every 3 months. If you bathe them too often, you can strip their hair and skin of its natural oils. The last grooming tasks are regular nail clips, ear cleaning (you can get gentle ear cleaning wipes for this), and daily toothbrushing to keep plaque and tartar at bay.
Nutrition
To keep your Collie looking their best, you need to ensure you’re feeding them the best. Go for top quality dog food that’s suited to their life stage (puppy, adult or senior). Aim for the main ingredient to be meat and keep grains to a minimum.
Because Collies, like all deep-chested dog breeds, are at risk of the potentially life-threatening condition bloat, feed them twice a day and never exercise them 30 minutes before or after eating. A slow feeder can also help.
Exercise
Collies are energetic dogs, but their exercise needs are normally easily met by families. Although some Collies love to keep up with joggers, most are happy with daily walks combined with playtime. Go for about 1 hour of exercise a day, ideally with you exercising alongside them. Collies adore playtime, but mainly because you’re playing too - this isn’t a breed you can throw in the garden to entertain themselves.
As well as 1 or 2 walks, playtime should include running, playing ball and mental activities, like training and ‘jobs’. Collies are great at putting toys away and bringing you stuff you ask for, like your shoes. Once the day’s work is done, expect your Collie to cuddle up next to you on the sofa in preparation for tomorrow’s adventure.
Training Your Collie
Collies are known for their smarts, their love of learning, and how easy they are to train, which will make training time an enjoyable experience for you both. Start with puppy classes. As extroverted as adult Collies can be, these lovable dogs become this way thanks to positive early socialisation. Collies can actually be quite timid dogs. Puppy classes are a safe way to expose your pup to a range of people, dogs and situations. Early socialisation ensures your Collie grows up to be a well-rounded, well-mannered dog.
Obedience training is also important for Collies, especially to help them overcome their built-in herding tendencies. Plus, they thrive on learning new things that stimulate their brain and body. Obedience training can also help this loud, barky dog learn when it’s ok to bark and when it isn’t.
It’s important to only use positive reinforcement training methods with Collies as they’re sensitive dogs. Basically, pile on the praise, toys and treats when they exhibit the behaviour you’ve asked for.