Rough Collie

A Rough Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding in Scotland. It is 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. more...

There is also a smooth-coated variety; some breed organizations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.

Appearance

Collies come in four basic coat colors: sable and white, where the "Sable" ranges from pale tan to a golden mahogany; white (which some breed standards disallow); tricolor, which is primarily black edged in sable; and blue merle, which is a mottled gray. All come with white chest, legs, and tail tip and many have white blazes on their faces.

The desired size and weight varies among breed standards; male collies can stands 55.8 to 66 cm (22 to 26 in) at shoulder; the bitch averages 5 cm (2 in) shorter. The male can weigh 20.4 to 34 kg (45 - 75 lb) and bitches 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 - 4.5 kg) less.

The mascot of Texas A&M University, Reveille VII, is a Rough Collie.

Temperament

By all accounts, this is an intelligent dog who loves to work, but in contemporary times has little herding instinct, since its bloodline consists of 50% bird-hunting dogs and 25% wolf-hunting dogs, which dilute the influence of the 25% herding dog.

History

Both Rough and Smooth collies are descended from a localised variety of herding dog originating in Scotland. Originally, there were numerous forms of these dogs. After the industrial revolution, dog ownership became fashionable, and these early collies were crossed with the Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound), to get a more "noble" head, which is today one of the true characteristics of the rough collie. Continued breeding for show purposes drastically changed the appearance of the dogs; it was in the 1960s a much taller dog than today. Earlier dogs were also more sturdy in build.

They are friendly, unaggressive dogs. The coat needs to be brushed frequently to keep it in a show condition, but it doesn't require extensive care. They are mid-sized dogs, suiting them to live in small houses and apartments.

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