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Collie Rough:
Also known as Collie, Scotch Collie
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (Scotland)
 Extended
Breed Standard
The Rough Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for
herding in Scotland. It is also well known because of the
works of author Albert Payson Terhune, and was popularized in
later generations by the Lassie novel, movies, and
television shows. There is also a smooth-coated variety;
Appearance
Three coat colors are recognized for Rough Collies: sable and
white, where the "sable" ranges from pale tan to a mahogany;
tricolour, which is primarily black edged in tan; and blue
merle, which is mottled gray. All have white coat areas, in
the collar, parts of the leg, and sometimes the tail tip. Some
may have white blazes on their faces. The downy undercoat is
covered by a long, dense, coarse outer coat with a notable
ruff around the neck, feathers about the legs, a petticoat on
the abdomen, and a frill on the hindquarters.
The desired size and weight varies among breed standards;
male collies can stand 22 to 24 inches at the shoulder; the
Female averages 2 inches shorter. The male can weigh (45 - 100
lbs) and the female can weigh the same or more than a male. A
Collies average weight is about 50-60lbs.
One of the characteristic features of the Rough Collie is its
head. This is light in relation to the rest of the body, and
resembles a blunted wedge tapering smoothly from ears to black
nose. The muzzle is well rounded, and never square. There is
considerable variation in the colour of the head, however. The
eyes are medium sized and attentive. The ears are supposed to
be bent, the bottom part vertical and the tips sloped
forwards, although the dog can lay them back, or hold them
vertical when alert. Collies not for the show ring, many times
have ears which do not bend at all.
The double layered coat needs to be brushed frequently and
thoroughly to keep it in a show condition, but it does not
require extensive care. Rough collies should show no
nervousness or aggressiveness, and are good with children and
other animals. However, they must be well socialized to
prevent shyness. They are mid to large sized dogs, are suited
to live in small apartments because of their calm disposition;
as they are not high strung as the poodle, labrador and other
hunting breeds. The herding instinct is very much apparent in
some dogs, but other dogs do not show this as much. Rough
Collies are very loyal and protective to their owners. They
are a good family dog. They are eager to learn and to please
and respond best to a gentle hand. They relish human company
and should be let outside as they need to run and exercise. By
nature gentle and domesticated, they are fearless in danger
and will rush to defend their owners. Due to several booms in
the popularity of this breed, breeders more concerned with
profit than breeding good dogs have produced Collies that are
high-strung, neurotic or extremely shy. These problems are not
typical of well-bred Collies, and can usually be avoided by
acquiring a Collie either through an ethical breeder or a good
rescue organization.
Origin
The origin and history of the Collie dog breed is not entirely
known, but we do know that it included ancestors originating
in Scotland and northern England. Before this time, however,
the breed has an ancestry that spans thousands of years as the
Collie's ancestors had been used to herd sheep and cattle for
many centuries in both the Highlands of Scotland and
throughout early England. The word "collie" is thought to come
from the word for "black" or "coal" in Old English. The
Scottish Collie breed consists of both the Rough Collie and
the Smooth Collie. A division between long-haired and
short-haired variants also existed in the 19th century.
However, it is apparent that at one point the Collie was much
smaller than today's dog, like the many other working collie
breeds. The ancestor of the Collie was short, somewhere around
14 inches or so at the shoulders with a broader head, and
black or black-and-white. The dogs that came to be the Collie
had been used to herd and guard the flocks and herds of their
caretakers.
Although the Scottish Collie and its ancestors had been used
for several centuries as a working dog herding sheep and
cattle, it was in England in the 19th century that the dog
became popular as a pet and show dog rather than a working dog
breed. Queen Victoria took an interest in Scottish Collies and
the rest of the country soon followed suit. It was also at
this time that the dog became larger through cross-breeding
with breeds such as Borzois. At this point, Collie breeders
began to standardize the breed and keep written pedigree
records. Collies were shown in dog shows in England as early
as 1860 and made its way to the United states by 1880. By
about 1886, the Collie breed was fully standardized and
remains roughly the same today.
A surge in popularity occurred around the world in the 1940s
and 1950s with the release of the movie "Lassie Come Home" in
1943 and the subsequent television series that began in 1954
and ran for seventeen years.
Coat Colours
Both Rough and Smooth varieties are available in three
distinct colors:
Sable collies are generally the most recognizable, the choice
of the Lassie television and movie producers. The sable color
on these dogs can range from a light blonde color to a deep
reddish-brown, with any hue in between possible.
Tricolor dogs are mostly black and white with tan markings.
Blue merle collies are best described as tricolor or
black-and-white dogs whose black has been diluted to a mottled
gray-blue color.
As modern-day "Lassies", both Rough and Smooth Collies have
become successful assistance, and therapy dogs. At least one
guide dog school, the Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida)
currently trains Smooth Collies as guide dogs, and a number of
Collies are currently partnered with disabled individuals
Health
The Scottish Collie is typically a very
healthy breed, and is known to inherit few health conditions
that are both serious and prevalent. Some health conditions of
note include Collie eye anomaly, PRA (progressive retinal
atrophy), gastric torsion, dermatomyositis, grey collie
syndrome (a type of neutropenia), collie nose (discoid lupus
erythematosus), and demodicosis. Seizures, canine hip
dysplasia, microphthalmia, and cyclic neutropenia are also
occasionally seen. The Collie Health Foundation (http://www.colliehealth.org)
in the United States, maintains a website and database on
disorders affecting collies.
Some Collies (and other collie breeds) have a particular
allele of the multi-drug resistance gene, MDR1. This is also
known as "the ivermectin-sensitive collie", however the
sensitivity is not limited to ivermectin, a common drug used
to treat and prevent various ailments in dogs including
heartworm disease. More than 20 drugs are expected to cause
adverse reactions including milbemycin and loperamide. A study
by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis concluded
that all dogs with this mutation are descendants of a single
dog which most likely lived in Great Britain during the middle
of the 19th century.
The mutation of the MDR1 gene is found in Collies and related
breeds worldwide. Dogs with this mutation are predisposed to
various sensitivities and some may suffer a potentially fatal
neurotoxicosis.
Ivermectin is a popular choice in the
prevention of heartworm disease in dogs, an extremely serious
and potentially fatal condition. Despite the high prevalence
of sensitivity in Collies to this medication, the low dosage
provided is generally considered safe and preventative drugs
such as Heartgard are advertised as approved for Collies,
having a wide margin of safety when used as directed. A simple
test, recently developed at and provided by Washington State
University, can determine if a dog is a carrier of the
mutation which causes sensitivity.
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Collies typically live an average of 12 to 14 years |
