The Collie

Overview

The Collie is a loving, joyful, and faithful family companion. They carry themselves with a self confidence that is unmatched; allowing them to make them selves comfortable and feel at home wherever they go. A Collie will never be satistifed just being the, “pet dog,” they want to be treated as an additional member of the family. They want to be included in daily coffee runs, a quick trip to the pet store, and the annual summer cookout. They are easy to own, easy to love, and fit into many lifestyles. You can’t go wrong with choosing a Collie.

Temperment

The Collie should be confident, lively, and friendly with strangers. They should carry themselves with pride and a sense of wisdom. Each Collie is very much an individual with a bold personality, a sense of humor, and an independent streak. They carry a lot of opinions and are not afraid to share them through barking, moans, groans, mumbles, and grumbles. Though not incessant with their barking, they are a vocal breed that likes to use their voice where they see fit. Never should they be nervous, timid, or aggressive.

Health

About 80% of Collies are affected by CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) and should have eye checks preformed by a certified ophthalmologist before leaving a breeders home. CEA typically does not effect a dogs quality of life, but can result in coloboma’s (which do not tend to effect vision,) and retinal detachment which does effect vision. Dogs with either a coloboma or retina detachment should not be bred.

MDR1 (Multi Drug Resistance) also exists in many collies. This also does not effect their quality of life as long as dangerous drugs are avoided- Ivermectin being the most common and dangerous to a dog effected by MDR1. Knowing wether your dog is effected is important and should be made known to your veterinarian.

PRA (Progressive Retina Atrophy) is the deterioration of the retina which leads to blindness. PRA affected dogs should not be bred and all breeding stock should be genetically tested before breeding. A dog can be clear by parentage if both sire and dam are clear of the disease.

CN (Cyclic Neutropenia or Grey Collie disease) is a lethal recessive stem cell disease. A dog carrying one copy of the gene will not be affected, but if be bred should only be to dog clear of any copies of the gene.

DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) is a degenerative muscle disease that typically occurs in affected dogs in their senior years. Testing is still developing for DM. A dog carrying two copies of the DM gene may not ever experience DM. There is a third currently unknown gene that is needed to know which dogs will actually develop DM.

DMS (Dermatomyositis) is an auto immune disease of the skin and muscle. It is caused by both genetic and environmental factors, so a dog genetically affected may not experience the environmental factors to trigger the disease. DMS testing is used as a tool to help lower the risk in Collies. Confirmation of being effected of said disease can only be confirmed through biopsy.

Grooming

Both Smooth and Rough Collies require regular grooming. Roughs need regular bath and blow outs, though weekly not necessary at minimum they should be groomed every 8 weeks. Roughs shed their guard hairs, or top coat, and tend to hold in their undercoat hence needing it brushed and blown out. Smooths tend to shed more and drop more undercoat. You will see puffs during coat change of new coat pushing out undercoat. They also need regular baths and brushing, but overall less maintenance than a Rough. Nails should be trimmed regularly along with dental maintenance in the name of regular brushing, access to raw bones (natures toothbrush,) or regular cleanings done by a licensed veterinarian.

Training

Collies are very easy to train. They are unbelievably smart and like to learn new things. Though like most herding breeds, they don’t like repetition when training and will get bored easily. A Collie wants to work WITH you and not for you. They respond best with positive reinforcement and rewards when learning new things. While they are sensitive and won’t respond to harsh methods, boundaries should still be made clear regarding all aspects of training.