Your First Collie: Part 1

Published in

Purebred Collective

12 min readFeb 7, 2024

If you know what a Collie is, you’ve probably heard of the decades’ old Lassie series. Or maybe you haven’t, after all, the original movie (1943) was released around the time most of our grandparents were born. Wherever you heard about this breed, chances are you’re struggling to find any good non-conflicting information on them — no seriously, Google keeps showing me pictures of Border Collies instead. Thanks to Kilah Mincy of Ceilidh Collies, the resources of the Collie Club of America, and other sources (listed at the bottom of the article), I was able to put together this beginner-friendly guide.

BRIEF HISTORY

Collies emerged from the primitive shepherds’ helpers who may have arrived as early as the Bronze Age (before 1200 B.C.). They were used to herd livestock (even today) and are from the highlands of Scotland and Northern England.

The true popularity of the breed came about during the 1860’s when Queen Victoria visited the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with the breed. Collies have been portrayed as the ideal family companion by authors such as Albert Payson Terhune (“Lad of Sunnybank,”) Eric Knight (“Lassie Come Home,”) and the well-known 1950s TV series “Lassie.”

A rough Collie during the early days of development for the breed.

WHERE TO START

Before running out and getting any Collie you see, bear with me a moment here — if I were to ask you what comes to mind when you think of (for example) a Golden Retriever, you may tell me how friendly you’ve heard they are and how beautiful their golden coats are. If I ask to you tell me about a positive personal experience with other breeds, you might tell me how loyal your family’s Mastiff was, or how gentle the Great Dane you met out in public was.

Whatever the case was, these traits don’t describe just “dog”, they’re the things that make a particular breed unique and unlike others. These traits that make each breed distinguishable are only there because someone worked hard to get them there. And as soon as that work ceases, the dog–regardless of its purebred status or genetic makeup–begins to revert to the generic. That doesn’t mean you won’t get a good dog, in fact, a good dog can come from anywhere, but not everywhere can produce a good dog.

So let me share with you everything these dogs can offer when you take the time to research, read up on the breed (books/articles), and talk with various breeders or owners. I also really encourage that you meet the breed in the flesh which can most safely be done at dog shows or performance events, and for free at that! Your local breed club usually has a calendar and information on such events (in Las Vegas, our local kennel club is the Silver State Kennel Club). You can also look at the American Kennel Club’s event calendar if you’re in the United States. Additionally, there are breed-specific rescues centered around Collies that need volunteers and foster homes. While these dogs are not good representatives of the breed due to an often poor background, they can still give you an idea of what this breed is like.

Recommended Books

For those who enjoy reading and even collecting books, there is no shortage of them when it comes to dogs:

The New Collie by Collie Club of America
Collie Concept by Mrs. G. H. Roos, Jr.
How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by C. Rutherford, D. Neil
The Magnificent Collie by Pat Starkweather
Mother Knows Best by Carol Lea Benjamin
How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend by Monks of New Skete

Everything a Collie Is

Collies are herding dogs known for their fondness of children and their general ability to get along with other animals. While their name is similar to the Border Collie, they are hardly alike! They have a watch-dog’s instinct and a pitchy bark (when they want to) but this is manageable with gentle training and consistency.

Collies come in two different coat varieties — rough (long-haired) and smooth (short-haired). Smooth Collies have a short, dense and flat coat, while rough Collies have a long, well-fitting, harsh-textured coat that is abundant everywhere except on the head and legs. Both varieties are double coated which helps them stay warm in cool weather — shaving their hair with the intent to keep them cool in the heat can cause this coat to grow in improperly which makes them more difficult to groom and makes it harder for them to stay warm in cool temperatures (if it does grow back improperly), so shaving should be avoided unless medically necessary. Because rough Collies have longer coats, they have more demanding grooming needs via line brushing/combing which helps prevent matting that can pull at the skin and be painful for the dog. I get into this more in part 2!

Collies should weigh 50–75 pounds and be 24 to 26 inches tall (measured from the withers) depending on sex (male or female). While there are size exceptions in the breed, smaller than what’s described should not be the goal and size deviations (mini, toy, or otherwise) do not and should not exist.

Breed standards put emphasis on the dignity and expression of Collies. The expression (face) of a Collie should appear intelligent and the body slightly long compared with height.

A rough (left) and smooth (right) Collie.

Did you know?
Breed standards are written documents that describe how a breed should look and act: they are what makes each breed unique. They are like a breeder’s blueprint, and the more a building deviates from its blueprint, the less stable it may be.

HEALTH

Collies are fortunately not prone to many issues, however, there are a few notable conditions. Collies generally live 10 to 14 years, although they tend to live around 12.

Common

Uncommon

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (excluding American show lines)
Hip Dysplasia
Elbow Dysplasia

Rare

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Epilepsy
Von Willebrand’s Disease (VWD)

Unethical breeders may be ignorant of or dishonest about the health of their breeding dogs and past litters. Responsible and ethical Collie breeders should, at minimum, be screening their dogs for CEA, MDR1, and DMS. Collies bred by unethical breeders are most prone to having dermatomyositis (DMS), discoid lupus, seizures, and hip/elbow dysplasia (to varying degrees). Because purebreds in rescues are almost always from unethical breeders, rescued Collies are also at risk for these conditions. Dermatomyostis and discoid lupus will usually be apparent before adoption via scarring, pigment loss, etc.

The Collie Club of America requires breeders to include a written health record, including an inoculation schedule and an eye examination done by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. Some conditions have no genetic or screen testing available for it (if not a reliable one) yet, so ethical breeders will be careful when choosing who to breed with their dogs and extensively research pedigrees: something that unethical breeders may never do.

Merle

Breeders also should be DNA color-testing their dogs to ensure they do not breed two merle dogs together. Merle is a dominant gene (expressed as M/m), and it can be hard to tell a dog is carrying it with the naked eye. Due to this, a breeder can easily produce double merles (M/M) if not careful, which have a chance of being blind and/or deaf. Double merle dogs are usually almost fully white with subtle merle markings and often have pink noses, lips, and eye pigmentation. Additionally, dogs that have a high amount of white specifically on the head/ears are likely to be deaf too. Below is an example of a double merle Collie.

NEW PUPPY VS OLDER DOG

Just like rescues and shelters, breeders will sometimes have older puppies or adults available. They may be available for a few reasons:

If a buyer ends up backing out of the sale while the puppy is past 12 weeks.
A previous home didn’t work out and the puppy was returned.
The puppy washed as a breeding and/or show or sports prospect, meaning that it turned out not fit for shows, sports, and/or breeding for various reasons.
The breeder has decided to retire one of their adult dogs from showing/working and breeding (usually around 6–8 years old but sometimes younger).

Once a dog is returned to the breeder, the breeder evaluates what kind of training the dog may need. Dogs go to their new homes fully trained, housebroken, and (unless stated otherwise) cleared of health issues.

RESCUE VS BREEDER

Rescue

For those interested in adopting a Collie, The Collie Rescue Foundation offers a helpful website listing local rescue options. While many people are keen on adopting a dog, not everyone is equipped to do so. It’s crucial to understand that, although adoption fees are relatively low, typically in the hundreds, most rescued dogs come with behavioral or health challenges. These may necessitate extensive veterinary care or professional training, potentially costing thousands, even in areas with a lower cost of living. Before deciding to adopt, ensure you have the necessary resources, time, and finances. Rescued dogs often face issues that might not be fully resolvable but rather managed. Rescued Collies, for instance, are often very skittish or fearful, leading to behaviors like fear-induced urination or biting. Common issues in rescue dogs, not exclusive to Collies, include separation anxiety, resource guarding, fear aggression, leash reactivity, and canine obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you’re seeking a Collie specifically as a service or herding dog, finding a suitable candidate in a rescue can be challenging, given the high washout rate even among dogs bred for these purposes.

Did you know?
The NCPPSP Regional Shelter Study found that 69.7% of 1,984 surrendered dogs in 12 U.S. Animal Shelters did not know any basic commands while only 18.2% knew some basic commands prior to adoption. Additionally, the two most common reasons for surrendering a dog were bites (22.2%) and soiling the house (18.5%).

Breeder

Ethical breeders prioritize improving the breed and maintaining its historical characteristics as outlined in the breed standard, a comprehensive description of the ideal breed characteristics. They demonstrate their dogs’ worthiness for breeding through titles earned in competitions, sports, or working trials, which are both expensive and demanding. Not all puppies in a litter may be suitable for competition and breeding, and those are sold as pets under a contract. Prices for well-bred pet-quality Collie puppies typically range from $900 to $2,000, depending on the breed and the type of breeder (such as show, sporting, or working), and come with an AKC Limited Registration contract that prohibits breeding, ethical breeders should also require a general sales contract to be signed which protects not only you but the dog as well. It’s important to remember that the price alone doesn’t guarantee ethical breeding practices, some will charge a high amount of money despite having no health testing or titling on their dogs. Breeders focused solely on producing pets without working towards the breed’s improvement or preservation, and who neglect health tests and titling, are not practicing ethical breeding. This infographic lists criteria to help evaluate breeders, however, note that possessing just a few positive traits doesn’t automatically qualify a breeder as ethical.

Extra Tips

We do not recommend bringing up price w/ an ethical breeder until either in a follow-up contact or at the end of the first contact (if successful & there’s a connection w/ them).
Breed clubs & some ethical breeders have websites w/ useful information as well as breeder directories.
Breed health testing requirements can be found on ofa.org and/or breed club + any health-tested dogs whose results were publicly uploaded to the OFA database. You can do this by clicking the magnifying glass in the upper righthand corner & searching the dog’s registered name without titles.

Did you know?
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is one of few non-profit animal welfare organizations in North America that is unopposed to ethically purpose-bred animals via their statement which regards responsibly managed animal shows, fairs, and exhibitions of breeding and/or performing stock.

Breeder Communications

For those seeking a new canine family member outside of rescues, the initial mistake often made is turning to any available breeder, or using sources like Craigslist and pet stores. A better approach is to seek out an ethical breeder, as outlined on page 4, who aligns with your key criteria. Establish a personal connection with them and be prepared to wait.

Puppies are unique individuals; they are not interchangeable. Every breeder has unique breeding goals, what is considered the “perfect puppy” by one breeder may differ significantly from another’s.

When you’ve identified a breeder whose priorities match yours, make an effort to introduce yourself. This breeder will not only provide you with a puppy but will also serve as a guide and supporter. It’s crucial for the breeder to know you as well as you know them and their breeding program. Initiate contact by expressing your readiness for a dog; showing your understanding of the breed, acknowledging what makes this breeder’s program stand out to you, and detailing your plans for a dog. Asking detailed questions about their program demonstrates your seriousness. Discuss the price either at the end of a successful initial contact or in a subsequent conversation.

If an ethical breeder were to get something that says “How much?”, expect to get no response. Most ethical, successful breeders are not in any rush to sell their puppies nor do they have a shortage of people lined up to get one from them. so instead of them having to sell you reasons why you should buy a puppy from them, they’re more interested in hearing you give them reasons why they should sell a puppy to you.

CONCLUSION

Collies were once incredibly popular, and for good reason. They are overlooked despite their few health issues and lack of difficulty as a beginner or family dog — I would know, I got one as my first dog! Whether you decide to adopt or buy a Collie, remember that there is no such thing as a perfect dog owner. Even the most experienced dog owners encounter bumps in the road, especially during training. If you’re looking to become a breeder yourself one day, the first step starts with getting in contact with an ethical breeder and finding a mentor to guide you. The best you can do for your new pet is to strive for improvement and be patient.

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My rough Collie, Ceilidh’s Anyone Can Cook, aka “Remy”

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is health testing? How do I make sure the proof is legitimate?

Health testing is often confused with vet check-ups and generally go two ways: a physical exam by a vet specialist (such as an ophthalmologist) and/or a genetic test sent to a laboratory via a saliva swab or blood draw.

Health testing organizations provide owners/breeders with the results of their test or a certificate. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in particular has a database for the public to view, and owners/breeders receive official OFA certificates (online or in the mail). You can find out what a breed’s health testing requirements are on ofa.org/ and what OFA certificates generally look like on ofa.org/breeders/sample-certifications/

How do I know if a breed club is reputable?

The only reputable breed clubs are national breed clubs (ex. American Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, etc.) and parent breed clubs (ex. Collie Club of America). If you need to confirm a club, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) lists all reputable breed clubs under “Members” on their website (www.fci.be/en/).