watch dogs, they are not known for being aggressive. A Collie should never be ner- vous, shy or fearful. Th ey love to play, retrieve and to go for long walks. In essence, they make great companions for young or old. Collie Colors Collies come in four different col- ors. The color long associated with the breed, thanks in part to Lassie, is the sable color. This color can range from a light golden tan to a rich mahogany color. The tricolor is black, white & tan. Blue Merle can range from a pale, silvery blue coloring, to a darker gray color, with black body spots of various sizes. The fourth color is white, which is a predominantly white body, with either sable, tri or blue markings, usu- ally on the head. Typically all Collies are marked with the traditional white
collar, chest, legs, feet, tail tip and sometimes white facial markings, called a blaze. Collie Conformation Th e written de fi nition of the Collie breed type is called a “standard.” As such, a breed’s written standard, represents ideal for producing and evaluating breed- ing stock. Th e following is taken from the general characteristics portion of the Collie Standard. “ Th e Collie presents an impressive, proud picture of true balance, each part being in harmonious proportion to every other part and to the whole. Except for the technical description that is essential to this standard and without which no Standard for the guidance of breeders and judges is adequate, it could be stated sim- ply that no part of the Collie ever seems to be out of proportion to any other part.”
It is sometimes said that this ideal can never be achieved–only approximat- ed. To that end, the standard presents the ultimate pattern for which breeders strive and to which judges compare. Naturally, in a less formal sense, breeders are always the first judge of their breeding and how well a new litter conforms to the standard of breed type. In a more formal sense, conforma- tion is the competition that takes place at a dog show. The challenge to the judge is to determine the entry that best conforms to the standard. The judge must set about this sometimes difficult task based on his or her knowledge of the standard, experience as a judge and with the breed, and the presentation of the dog on that day. The picture below is the winner of the Collie national spe- cialty in 2013. 4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& + 6-: t
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