COLLIE ORIGINS
By Pat Caldwell
T he Collie was used extensively as a herd- ing dog and hailed from the highlands of Scotland and North- ern England. Th e true popularity of the breed came about dur- ing the 1860s when Queen Victoria visited the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with the breed. From that point on Col- lies became very fashionable. Th e Collie’s character has been further romanticized and portrayed as the ideal family com- panion by such authors as Albert Payson Terhune ( Lad of Sunnybank ), Eric Knight
( Lassie Come-Home ) and in the 1950s television series “Lassie.” Th e working Collie of the 1800s evolved into the “show” Collie that we know today. Th e Collie was expected to do whatever it was called upon to do, depending upon the particular farmer’s needs. Th e Collie could herd any type of livestock, whether out in the pasture, in the barnyard, or on the road, as well as protect the stock, farm and fam- ily. Th e versatility of Collies made them valuable workers. In addition to gathering and moving stock at home, they also were used for droving, taking stock from farm to farm or to the city markets; frequently
the drover went on ahead and the dog brought the stock along behind, sometimes even working out of sight of the drover. Collies & Children One of his greatest assets is his natu- ral love of children. Even when not raised with children, the Collie can be charm- ing, playful and protective with most well behaved kids. Stories have abounded for years of children guarded and protected by the family Collie. Collie Varieties Th e Collie breed comes in two di ff erent varieties—the Rough and the Smooth. Th e two varieties are identical with the excep- tion of the coat. Th e Smooth has a short, dense and fl at coat, while the Rough Col- lie has a long, well- fi tting, harsh-textured coat. It is abundant everywhere except on the head and legs and it is the crowning glory of the Rough variety of Collie. Collie Character Not only are they beautiful, but they are intelligent, friendly, loyal, loving and sensitive. Th ey are real family dogs and are noted for being very people-friendly. Like- wise, they are easy to train. In addition to being very clean dogs, they are one of the easiest breeds to housebreak. Th ey are notorious people dogs, known for wanting to be with their owners. Th ey make great couch potatoes! While they are excellent
“ALTHOUGH THE COLLIE IS CONSIDERED A HERDING BREED, it was historically (and still is) MUCH MORE.”
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