The Collie (rough)
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 by Mike CronkBasics:
Country of Origin: Scotland
Group: Herding
Lifespan: 8-12 years
Height: 22-26 inches
Weight: 50-75 lbs
Color: Sable and white, blue merle and tricolor
AKC Rank 2006: 37
The Collie (rough)
The heavy coat of the Collie was certainly desirable in the cold, rugged weather conditions of Scotland, especially when they were left outside herding sheep. When I operated the Pet Motel on route 29 in the late 1970s, I boarded a beautiful Collie named Brandy who lived behind the kennel on Dominion Drive. The owners boarded Brandy frequently and he soon learned the way to the kennel on his own. I would be at work and here he would come, looking for attention and happy to see me. After months of phone calls, having him picked up by the owners every time he wandered out to see me, they offered him to me. I jumped at the opportunity. He was so handsome, had a great disposition, and was show quality in appearance. I have never met a Collie that could match his good looks or disposition. Great dogs! Of course, I grew up with Lassie on T.V. so I’m sure I looked at him in the same light
This dog is a case of the double-coat to the max. I kept Brandy’s undercoat as thin as possible—no trimming at all and very few baths. His primary coat seemed to stay clean with brushing and he always smelled good and fresh. If you aren’t into brushing, I recommend 6-8 week visits where we can really thin out that undercoat and keep it from matting. Neglect will certainly lead to matts in short order—especially at the chest, rear end and behind the ears. Can and should they get haircuts? Oddly enough, yes. As a matter of fact, short-coated collies exist naturally and are called Smooth Coated Collies. My personal preference is to keep them well brushed out, but sometimes they are so thick from neglect that clipping is the only recourse.