Utah Collie Rescue, Inc.

About Collies


[ Colors: Sable - Blue - Tri - White ] [ Coat Type: Rough - Smooth ] [ Personality ]
Not all collies look like the most common sable and white rough collie which TV and Movie goers have seen and come to love. While the sable and white rough collie is the most popular due to the media (and “Lassie” TV and Movies), it is not the only color or coat type of Collie!Collies come in two varieties of coat type and four different colors. And even then, the colors also have variations.

Colors
Collies come in four colors: 1–Sable and White 2–Blue Merle 3–Tricolor 4–White The sable and white color is the most common. These colors are similar for other herding breeds as well. The Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie), Australian Shepherd, and Border Collie also come in the above four colors, except white (white Aussies are considered ‘deadly whites’ and can be born with multiple physical problems such as blindness). These breeds can have some other color variations the collie does not, such as red and red merle Aussies and Border Collies, and bi-black and bi-blue Shelties (’bi’ meaning they have only black and white, or only blue and white, but no brown).

	Sable and White RoughThe rough coated sable and white collie is the ‘Lassie’ type collie. The gorgeous long flowing coat is sleek and shiny. Most often the collie will have a full white collar, but this is not always the case. They also have a small white tip on the end of their tail. Collies can also be ‘factored’: white factored, or sable factored, are terms you may hear in the collie world.

Blue Merle SmoothThe Blue Merle color is a silvery-grey with black spots scattered throughout. If any blue appears in the dog’s coat he will be considered a blue merle, even if he mostly looks like a tricolor. This blue smooth is’white factored’, his Mom was a white, and so he has more white than the general blue collie.

	Tricolor RoughThe Tricolor collie has three colors: black, brown, and white. Some of the other herding breeds such as Shetland Sheepdogs and Australian Shepherds can come in what is called a bi-black. It is similar to the tri, but the bi-black has only black and white, no brown. The tri colored collies are very handsome and some people look like they are wearing a tuxedo.

White SmoothThe white collies always have color on them. Their heads, and sometimes their bodies, will have markings from one of the other three colors. This white collie has blue merle markings. They can be sable or tricolor also. The white collies are not as common as the other three colors.
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Coat Type
Collies come in two different coat types. Rough Coat (long hair) Smooth Coat (short hair) The more widely seen Rough coat, which is a long flowing coat; and the less common short Smooth coat. Both varieties of collie do shed, and their coats need regular maintenance.

Rough Coated Collie
The rough coat is very long, and can sometimes sweep the ground. These dogs are gorgeous and elegant. Their coats take more work than the smooth coats. They require regular bathing and grooming. If you do not know how to groom a collie, this may best be left up to a professional. A rough coated collie who is not regularly groomed and brushed will develop a matted coat. Mats can be very painful to the dog, and must be removed by a professional. Washing or bathing a matted dog will only tighten the mats and make them worse. Never bathe a matted dog!If you are considering adopting a rough collie, always be aware of the more extensive time and effort the coat takes to maintain. While sitting and brushing the rough collie can be very relaxing, rewarding, and a bonding experience for some, if you are not willing or able to spend the time to care for the rough coat, a smooth coated collie may be better for you.Rough coated collies do shed. Some say they shed less than the smooth, but some say since the roughs are being brushed so often, the shedding is just less noticeable.
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Smooth Coated Collie
The gene for the smooth coat is actually the dominant gene. So if the dog has a rough gene and a smooth gene, the dog will be smooth coated. The dog must have two rough genes to be rough. The smooth collie is not as widely seen as the rough. The smooth coat does not take as much maintenance as the rough coat. However, the smooth coat does take regular brushing.Smooth coated collies do shed, and they shed a lot. They tend to ‘blow’ their coats in the spring and fall, but they also will shed all year long. Various brushes are available for grooming the smoothie, and regular brushing will keep the shedding down.
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Personality
Collies are generally very sweet, loving family dogs. They can range from being higher energy to being couch potatoes, depending on the dog, the amount of exercise they get, and their genetics.Collies are a herding breed. They were raised and bred originally in Scotland in order to follow and work with sheep for long hard days. They have good stamina and are very intelligent. They excel in various dog sports including, but not limited to: agility, obedience, herding, and flyball.Collies are generally known to be good with children and other dogs. Of course each dog is unique based on their genetics and their history. Please do not expect to adopt a collie, who may have had a difficult past, to mesh into your home in one day. Collies, like all rescued dogs, may have issues the new adopters must take into consideration before the household reaches a smooth and comfortable level.Being highly intelligent herding dogs, they can learn very quickly. This can be good in things such as obedience and agility, but a bored collie can quickly figure out things to occupy her. They can tend toward chewing, digging, and their favorite pastime: barking. All herding dogs are barkers, and collies are no exception. Many collies love to be vocal. Not only will they bark, but they will moan, grunt, yap, and even howl.Is the collie the right breed for you? That is hard to say. If you are considering adopting a collie, please read as much information as you can on the internet and in books, and talk to as many people as you can find who own collies. If you find you love the look of the collie, and you think a collie would fit well into your home and your lifestyle, you can work with the rescue to find the best match for you, and for the dog.Collies are not apartment dogs. The females can be 60 to 70 pounds, and some males can reach upwards of 100 pounds. Females are typically 22 inches at the shoulder, while males 24 inches at the shoulder. Collies need room to run and play. They make great jogging companions, hiking companions, and camping companions. They love to be active!

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Established December 2006 collierescue@utahdogs.com