Originating in the 17th century Scotland, the Rough Collie is a breed that has a lot to say about itself. Back in the day, these dogs were used for herding, water rescue and protection. The name comes from the sheep breed called the Scottish black-face, which was very popular at that time. The dogs became very popular in the 1860s, when Queen Victoria had a soft spot for this breed. At the same time, the dogs were crossed with the Borzoi, but the two breeds separated, leaving the Collie as we know it today.
Another key element for the dogs popularity was the movie and TV show “Lassie” in which a Rough Collie was the main character. The Long-Haired Collie is a large, lean, but strong type of dog. The main part of the body and the main physical characteristic is the head. It should look like a blunt, lean wedge, with a smooth outline. The muzzle is tapering to the black, round nose, but with a slight stop. The eyes are always black, almond-shaped and have a sweet expression. The dogs jaws are strong and present a scissor bite.
The ears are small in size and should be thrown back when at rest or brought forward when the dog is alert. The bodys length should be a little longer compared to the height. An adult male Collie will weigh up to 34 kilos, compared to a female which is slightly lighter, standing at about 29 kilos.
The coat is long and abundant throughout the body, but short on the legs and head. Around the chest and neck, thee coat forms a mane, characteristic to the breed. The color palette includes sable and white, white and tan, tricolor black and blue merle.
One of the most important breed features is the high intelligence, this being the main reasons why these dogs have been used for a lot of tasks like guide for the blind, search and rescue, as long as acting as well. These dogs are very loyal, easy to train and mild-mannered. Having a playful and docile temperament, they are also great companions for children. The Collies are not known for being aggressive, but they can become suspicious about certain people. They are generally healthy dogs, but certain conditions may appear, such as the Collie eye syndrome. Some dogs may also need sunblock on their nose in the summer. As like many other dogs, the Collie will happily live in an apartment, as long as the proper exercise is provided. This is a breed sensitive to the head because of the thick coat and if the dogs living space is in the yard, be sure to provide plenty of shade and an abundance of water.
The dogs coat should be thoroughly groomed once a week. Although it may be a little difficult to be taken care of because of the long coat, the Rough Collie has a huge amount of intelligence and lots of love to offer to compensate for this.
