THE COLLIE DOG Articles | Dogs

By: Guy Starbuck

Well, the Collie makes a terrific sporting dog, and for sure, can be coached to execute the Setter’s and the Pointer’s work, including that of the Retriever and the Water Spaniel. He can be instructed to carry out the responsibilities of other varieties. He is skilled at hunting, having a fine sense of smell, is a superb slayer of pests, and a most loyal sentry, protector, and friend.

Not much is known with sureness regarding the Collie’s origins, but his shrewdness and his external look would appear to suggest an association with the feral wild dog. According to Buffon, he is deemed the real dog of character, the standard and typical of the entire canine race. He believed the Sheepdog to have highly advanced intuitive and intellectual abilities as compared to all other canine varieties, and that, coupled with a disposition where education has not much role to play, he is the sole animal born wholly qualified to be of assistance to man.

At dog shows this dog variety consistently outshines others.

He is believed to be the best mannered, and definitely the most athletic. Next, to come in approval rating is the soft-coated type, an extremely tough, practical dog, wonderfully suited for hill labor and normally very swift. He is not as affable in nature as the black & white one, and does not befriend easily. However, no other dog is as elegant and physically handsome as today’s show Collie.

A product of the ancient laboring kind, he, at present, is virtually a unique breed.

It should have a flat skull, reasonably broad between its ears, and slowly narrowing towards its eyes. There must just be a tiny indentation at stop. The skull width essentially is based on the joint length of the muzzle and skull; and the total must be taken into account in relation to the dog size. The cheek must not be round or conspicuous.

It should have a reasonable length muzzle, narrowing to its nose, and should not reveal frailty or be lippy or snipy. No matter what the dog’s color is, it must have a black nose. It should have healthy, even and decent size teeth; extremely slight irregularity is acceptable.
The jaws

It should have sharp and strong jaws. Its eyes are an extremely vital feature, and lend the dog a certain look; they must be of average size, set fairly obliquely, almond shaped, and of a fairly brown shade barring in the instance of merles, when its eyes are often (one or both) china, white, or blue; expression brimming with wisdom, with a sharp, watchful gaze when listening. It must have tiny ears and somewhat broad at its base, and set not very close together but high on its skull and not placed to the side of its head. When relaxing, they must generally be held folded back, but when stirred, brought in front and held partially-erect, with tips somewhat flopping in the listening stance.

It must have a powerfully built, sturdy neck of decent length, and fairly arched. It should have a robust body with well-developed ribs, deep chest, quite wide behind its shoulders, which must be inclined and healthy loins. The dog must be upright in front. Its forelegs must be erect and brawny, being straight at the elbows, with a good deal of bone; it must have a rather fleshy forearm, the pasterns displaying suppleness without flimsiness. The hind-legs must be strapping at the thighs, well developed and lean below its hocks, with nicely curved stifles. It should have oval shaped feet, nicely padded soles, and its toes curved and set close to each other.

In overall character he is an agile lively dog, his deep-set chest exhibiting tremendous lungpower, his powerful neck, his slanting shoulders and nicely curved hocks signifying swiftness, and he has an air of great wisdom. His legs should be fairly long, making him appear nippy rather than sluggish. In brief, a Collie should exhibit stamina, activity, and cleverness, with unrestricted and genuine movement. As regards shoulder height, dogs must be about 22-24 inches and bitches about 20-22 inches. With respect to weight, dogs must be about 45-65 lbs. and bitches around 40-55 lbs. The soft collie is only different from the coarse one with regard to its coat, which must be strong, thick and fairly silky.