The Smooth Collie is a breed of dog originating from Scotland, descendants of the herding dogs used by the Romans there during the last days of the Western Roman Empire, in the 5th century AD. Over the next 1300 years, these dogs would dutifully serve their purpose in anonymity, until in 1860 Queen Victoria takes notice of them during one of her visits at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Queen acquired some of these collies for her own kennel and so gave rise to a new fashion everyone just had to own one. From then on, the Scotch Collie as it was known at the time began its transformation into the many breeds of collies we know today.
While less recognizable to some than its cousin, the Rough Collie (Lassie, anyone?), the smooth variety is in fact the more common of the two. In some countries such as the US, these two are considered varieties of the same breed, while in others like the UK they are classified separately. After all, there is only one major difference between these two breeds one has a short, smooth coat of hair, while the other has a much longer and rougher one.
The Smooth Collie is a fairly large dog, measuring from 22 to 24 in (56 to 61 cm) for females and from 24 to 26 inches (61 to 66 cm) for males in height at the shoulder. A typical member of the breed weighs in at anywhere between 45 lb (20 kg) and 75 lb (34 kg). It is almost as tall as it is long, with a straight back and broad chest, a long muzzle and either semi-erect or fully upright ears. Their tail is moderately long with an upward twist at the end. They have a short, one-inch coat covering their entire body, forming a mane of sorts around the neck and chest. The outer coat is straight and rough to the touch, but the undercoat is soft and very smooth as their name suggests.They come in either sable, tricolor of white, black and tan or blue merle varieties.
The Collie is an extremely intelligent dog, easy to train and utterly loyal. It is friendly with other household pets and family friends, often wishing nothing more than to enlist them as playmates. This however does not mean that they make poor guard dogs on the contrary, they are highly attentive and will scare off most intruders with their sleek, muscular physique. They require a strong, but calm hand, gentle training, and a solid set of rules or they will become stubborn and lazy. Grooming them is simple, as they need only a thorough brushing every week or so.
If youre looking for an athletic and agile partner for your long jogging sessions, a loyal watchdog for your home and kids, or just a smart and sociable friend to help around the house, the Smooth Collie is everything you could have hoped for and more just make sure you can keep up with him for the next 15 years!
