Videos Collie Breed Information
Collie refers to various breeds of herding dog originating in Britain, especially the upland areas of the
north and west. The exact origin of the name is uncertain, although
it may derive from Early Scots
col(l) (coal), meaning black. The collie name
refers especially to dogs of Scottish origin, but the collie type
is far more widespread in Britain and in many other parts of the
world, often being called sheepdog or
shepherd dog elsewhere [1] . In the United States,
"collie" is most often used to refer solely to Rough Collies rather than the collective
grouping of all collie breeds.
1. Appearance
Collies are generally medium-sized dogs of between 10 kg and 25
kg (22-55 lb), fairly lightly built with a pointed snout and erect
or partly erect ears, giving a foxy impression. Cattle-herding
types tend to be rather more stocky. Collies are always alert and
are active and agile. The fur may be short, flat, or long, and the
tail may be smooth, feathered, or bushy. Some types are naturally bobtailed or tail-less, and
some tailed types were traditionally docked. Types vary in colouration, with
the usual base colours being black, black-and-tan, red,
red-and-tan, or sable. Many types
have white along with the main color, usually under the belly and
chest, over the shoulders, and on parts of the face and legs, but
sometimes leaving only the head coloured - or white may be absent
or limited to the chest (as in the Australian Kelpie). Merle colouration may
also be present over any of the other colour combinations, even in
landrace types. The most widespread patterns in many types are
black and white or tricolour (black-and-tan and white).
2. Temperament
2. 1. Working types
Working collies are extremely energetic and agile dogs with
great stamina, well able to run all day without tiring, even over
very rough or steep ground. They are intelligent, and are
instinctively highly motivated to work. These characteristics
generally make working strains unsuitable as pets, as few owners
are able to give them the mental and physical challenges they need
and, if not well fulfilled, they may become unhappy and badly
behaved [2] [3] [4] . However, in addition to herding work they are
well suited to active sports such as sheepdog trials, flyball, disc dog and
dog agility. Working strains have
strong herding instincts, and some individuals can be single-minded
to the point of obsessiveness. They are often intensely loyal.
2. 2. Show and pet types
Certain types of collie (for example Rough Collies, Smooth Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs and some strains of
Border Collie and other breeds)
have been bred as pet and show dogs for many generations. These types have
proved to be highly trainable, gentle, loyal, and well suited as
pets [5] [6] [7] . Their gentleness and devotion also make them
quite compatible with children. The temperament of these breeds has
featured in literature, film and popular television programmes. The
novels of Albert Payson
Terhune celebrated the temperament and companionship of collies
and were very popular in the United States during the 1920's
and 30's. More famously, the temperament and intelligence of
the Rough Collie was exaggerated to mythic proportions in the
character Lassie which has been the
subject of many films, books and television shows from 1938 to the
present.
3. Collie types and breeds
Herding dogs of collie type have
long been widespread in Britain,
and these can be regarded as a landrace
from which a number of other landraces, types, and formal breeds have been derived, both in Britain and
elsewhere. Many of these are working herding dogs, but some have
been developed into show and pet dogs, sometimes losing their working instincts
[8] .
Herding types tend to be more variable than the show and pet
breeds, as they are bred primarily for their working ability, and
appearance is of lower importance.
Dogs of collie type or ancestry include:
* Australian Cattle Dog.
Dog used in Australia for herding cattle. Dogs of this type are
also known as Queensland Heeler, Blue Heeler and Red Heeler.
* Australian Collie. Not
actually a breed, but a popular cross between two other collie
types, Australian Shepherd
and Border Collie.
* Australian Kelpie.
Developed in Australia from collies originally brought from
Scotland and northern England.
* Australian Shepherd.
Developed in the US, probably from dogs of British origin (of
Farm Collie type), but now found in
other parts of the world (including Australia).
* Australian
Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. Dog with stumpy tail used in Australia
for herding cattle.
* Bearded Collie. Now largely a
pet and show breed, but still of collie type, and some are used as
working dogs.
* Border Collie. The most
well-known breed for herding sheep throughout the world. Originally
developed in Scotland and Northern England. Not always suitable for
herding cattle.
* English Shepherd. Developed
in the US from stock of Farm Collie
type originally from Britain. Not
to be confused with the very different Old English Sheepdog.
* Farm Collie. Landrace herding dog
found on many livestock farms in Britain, in the US (derived from
British dogs), and perhaps elsewhere. In Britain, often simply
called "farm dog".
* German Coolie, Koolie, or
Collie. Developed in Australia, probably from British
collies.
* Huntaway. Developed in New Zealand from a mixture of breeds,
probably including some collie - but it is not of collie type.
* Lurcher. Not a breed, but a cross of
collie (or other herding dog or
terrier) with Greyhound or other sight hound. Traditionally bred for poaching, with the speed of a sight hound but
more obedient and less conspicuous.
* McNab (Shepherd). Developed
in the US partly from dogs of collie type.
* Old English Sheepdog.
Derived from "Shags", hairy herding dogs. Not to be
confused with the English
Shepherd.
* Rough Collie and Smooth Collie (sometimes considered
varieties of one breed, and originally called Scotch Collie). Now show and pet dogs,
these were created by crossing working collies with other dogs
(especially Borzois) and are of rather
different type to other collies.
* Shetland Sheepdog. A small
show and pet breed developed in England partly from herding dogs
originating in Shetland. These were
originally working herding dogs, not collies but of Spitz type (similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog). However they were
later heavily mixed with collies and toy
breeds, and are now similar in appearance to a miniature Rough Collie.
* Welsh Sheepdog. Landrace
herding dog from Wales.
The heeler types of dog are probably
related to collies, being usually shorter-legged dogs used
primarily for herding cattle.
4. Famous Collies
* Lassie
* Colleen from
Road Rovers
* Jessie, the dog from the satirical novella Animal Farm by George Orwell, is portrayed as a Border
Collie in the 1999
film version
* Laddie from The
Simpsons
* Flo & the other puppies in All Dogs Go to Heaven
* Blanco, pet of Lyndon
Johnson
* Reveille, official
mascot of Texas A&M
University
* Lad of Sunnybank, from the series of novels by Albert Payson Terhune
* Wilson of the 1984 Manga series (and 1986
Anime) by Yoshihiro
Takahashi, Ginga
Nagareboshi Gin, and ex-circus dog.
* Fly and Rex, Border Collies
from the movie Babe, and
the original book The
Sheep-Pig by Dick
King-Smith.
* Thunder and Lightning, Granny Aching's near-telepathic
sheepdogs in Terry
Pratchett's Discworld
novel The Wee Free Men
and its sequels.
* Laddie, an extremely dense but photogenic film-collie in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel Moving Pictures; a
satire on too-perfect film-dogs such as Lassie.
* Murray the dog of Paul Buchman & Jamie Buchman in the TV
series Mad About You
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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