COLLIE

by Dennis Fisher

This article is one of a great many articles written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning different  dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health matters, training problems and other subjects.  All these articles appear on Dennis Fisher's websites.   Visit  http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or http://www.freedogadvice.com  if you interested in a breed   other than German Shepherd Dogs

This  is  a fairly large breed, with males approximately 24 inches at the shoulder and weighing as much as 65 pounds.  Bitches are somewhat smaller.

A feature of the Collie – sometimes known as the Scotch Collie – is the beautiful, shaggy, full coat.  There is  a wide variation of colors within the breed with three, definite recognized colors: “Sable” which varies from light gold to a deep brown;  “Tricolors” which are mainly black with deep, brown markings on the had and legs; and “Blue Merles” that are an attractive shade of silver mixed with black in certain areas.

The Collie is very affectionate animals, particularly with immediate members of the family but are sometimes wary of strangers.

With regard to temperament, this is an animal that can be difficult and destructive if not kept constantly busy.  It was initially bred as a working animal and it retains the distinctive feature  of a working dog in that it  enjoys being active.

A good Collie can be a pleasure and a delight.   But many specimens of the breed and very noisy indeed – perhaps due to boredom.  Also, in spite of the working background, not as easy to train as one would imagine.

Perhaps the fact that some  Collies are  not as responsive to train as one like  is because of  indiscriminate breeding.  This  came about as a result of the popularity that the breed once enjoyed.

I remember, as a child, after seeing the “Lassie” movies, I desperately wanted a Collie. However, none were obtainable in my area.  But subsequently the breed became so popular that they were readily available.

The Collie appears to be prone to a number of genetic faults, one of which is defective vision.  Knowledgeable breeders are aware of this defect  and very judicious in their choice of breeding stock.