Rough Collie | Dog Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

The Rough Collie (the Long-Haired Collie or the Scottish Collie) is a sheepdog which, due to its beauty and good character, has become one of the most popular of show dogs and pets. He is also known simply as a collie.

An aristocratic sheepdog valued for its courage, devotion and intelligence. Therough collie is a watchful, intelligent and attractive dog that attracts attention with an elegant and noble appearance, a slender and light figure. With a friendly, cheerful and active character, gentle towards children and his fellows. Never fearful or aggressive. Very attached to its owner. It will be the ideal companion for the whole family.

Other names: Collie, Scottish Collie, Long-Haired Collie

[foogallery id=”43829″]

The great popularity of the breed is due to its extraordinary beauty. With a long, narrow muzzle, lush silky hair and a light, elegant gait, he looks aristocratic.

The Rough Collie is a medium sized dog. Strongly built and looks very presentable. The height at the withers is 56-61 cm for males of this breed and 51-56 cm for self, and the weight is 22 – 30 kg for males and 20 – 29 kg for females.

• Head: Long seen from the front or in profile. Flat, stoplight, on the sides, the taper is smooth from the ears to the tip of the nose, with no protrusion of the zygomatic bones and no pinching of the muzzle. The tip of the muzzle is smooth and rounded.
• Jaws: Solid and scissor-like, regular and complete, the upper incisors overlapping the lower incisors close to the other large teeth. The lower jaw is strong and well defined.
• Ears: Small, neither too far apart nor too close together, arched, half-turned, upper third curled forward.
• Eyes: Medium sized, almond shaped. Dark brown or blue / with blue spots (for marbles). The expression is full of intelligence. When attentive, the gaze is lively and alert.
• Torso: The body is slightly longer in relation to the height at the withers. The neck is powerful, muscular. The back is straight, the chest is deep. The limbs are muscular and strong. The shoulders are oblique and well arched, the loins are slightly arched, the ribs are arched. The tail is fluffy, long, looking down, the tip is curved.
• Legs: Powerful, oval-shaped with large pads; the fingers are bent. The hind legs are slightly less arched.
• Coat: Accurately repeats the contour of the entire body. Rough on the surface and soft on the undercoat. Long, very thick. Abundant mane and collar. The hair is smooth both on the muzzle and on the tips of the ears.

Although at first glance the Rough Collie may attract attention for its beauty, the truth is that it is really its temperament that manages to win the hearts of people.

It is a very affectionate animal, and it also has a great intelligence and sensitivity. Although he is playful and active, he always controls his actions and is extremely soft to the touch. It is a very docile breed of dog which on very rare occasions is aggressive, and in no case if it receives an adequate education, otherwise it can be shy and reserved.

The Rough Collie is a very sociable dog, and he likes to be accompanied by his family, other people and other animals. He needs a high level of exercise and activity, as well as love to be happy. With proper education and socialization, the Rough Collie will be the perfect animal for any family, as it also adapts perfectly to any lifestyle.

Despite the strong body, Rough Collie dogs have a predisposition to certain diseases:

• Epilepsy – accompanied by seizures, convulsions, involuntary urination.
• Dermatitis – accompanied by itching and inflammation of the skin.
• Vitiligo is a violation of melanin production.
• Entropion is the turn of the century. Requires surgical intervention.
• Collie eye syndrome is an inherited disorder characterized by abnormalities in the development of the dog’s eyes.
• Ectopia of the ureters is a congenital, often hereditary, disease in which the flow of urine into the bladder is impaired.
• Pemphigus foliaceus is an autoimmune skin disease.
• Distichiasis (additional eyelashes) is a developmental anomaly in which an additional row of eyelashes appears behind normally growing ones.
• Deafness is most often congenital.
• Dysplasia is a deformation of the joints.
• Dislocated elbow.
• Aspergillosis is an infectious pathology of a fungal nature.
• Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia is a disease of the immune system when it destroys its own red blood cells.
• Gastrointestinal disorders – diarrhea, volvulus, bloating.

The long, thick coats of the Rough Collie require brushing once a week, although twice a week is sometimes best, especially during shedding seasons. Be sure to keep your pet’s ears and eyes clean, and don’t forget to trim its nails. Bathe your dog once or twice a month.

• The first mention of rough collie dogs dates back to the fourteenth century and belongs to the poet Chaucer.
• A collie named Dick earned military fame, having discovered 12,000 mines during the service. Including a huge land mine under the Pavlovsk Palace in Leningrad. Despite three wounds, the dog lived to a ripe old age and was buried with all the honors.
• The lack of aggression in collie dogs is due to the fact that wolves were exterminated in the British Isles. Therefore, unlike other herding dogs, the collie did not have to fight with predators, the dogs only grazed livestock.
• Rough collie wool is medicinal, products made from wool of Scottish Shepherd Dogs (socks, belts …) not only save from the cold, but also relieve pain, heal from diseases.
• During the Russo-Japanese War, collies were used as orderlies, and during the Great Patriotic War, they delivered secret documents.

This dog breed is said to have come from the cross between the dogs that accompanied the Roman invaders in 50 BC and the native Scottish dogs. Its name probably comes from a type of black sheep, the Colleys, which were raised in the Scottish lowlands.

In the 1860s, Queen Victoria became fascinated with these dogs on her journey to her Scottish estate of Balmoral, taking some of them with her upon her return to Windsor Castle. Known at the time as the Scottish Shepherd, the collie entered dog shows at the Birmingham Dog Society Show for the first time, quickly becoming a much sought after dog.

In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, the Rough Collie became one of the most popular dog breeds in the Western world. This is due to the fame acquired by Lassie, the canine character created by Eric Knight, and who was the main character in novels, radio soap operas, films and television series. This popularity declined thereafter, but even today the collie is still a well-known and highly regarded dog as a pet.