Collie

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This article is about Collie dogs. For other uses of the word "Collie", see Collie (disambiguation).

Collie refers to various breeds of herding dog originating primarily in Scotland. The exact origin of the name is uncertain, although it probably originates in Early Scots col(l) (coal), meaning black. Another explanation sometimes put forward is that collie was a regional word in Anglo-Saxon for "something useful." The fictional Lassie, star of movies, books, and television shows, was a rough collie, which helped to popularize Collies in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in many other countries. Lad of Sunnybank also deserves credit for making the collie popular and was a real dog written about by Albert Payson Terhune. The Collie Club of America [1] is one of the oldest breed-specific clubs in existence in the United States (founded in 1886). However, there are three different dog breeds with "Collie" in their name:

The farm collie was a generic term for a wide range of herding dogs common in North America until the middle of the 20th century.

Shetland Sheepdogs (commonly known as "Shelties") are sometimes mistakenly called Miniature Collies, but they are a completely different breed of distinct origin.

The highlands of Scotland were the natural home of the collie, where the sheepdogs had been used for centuries by shepherds, but the modern form of the breed was mostly developed in England in the late 1800s. This early form of the breed was usually referred to as the Scotch collie (or Scottish collie) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Scotch collies were heavier and less fine-boned than today's rough and smooth dogs. The ancestors of the modern Collie were first exhibited as "Scotch Sheep-Dogs" in the 1860 Birmingham (England) dog show.

A blue merle Smooth Collie.

Collies come in two varieties of the breed based on coat length in America; in the UK these are shown as separate breeds. The rough collie is the collie seen in films and on television (e.g., Lassie). The downy undercoat is covered by a long, dense, coarse outer coat with a notable ruff around the neck, feathers about the legs, a petticoat on the abdomen, and a frill on the hindquarters. The smooth collie likewise has a double coat, but the outer one is short and dense, albeit there is a notable ruff around the neck. Both rough and smooth varieties are available in four distinct colors. Sable collies are generally the most recognizable, the choice of the Lassie television and movie producers. The sable color on these dogs can range from a light blonde color to a deep reddish-brown, with any hue in between possible. Tri-colour dogs are mostly black and white with tan markings. Blue Merle collies are best described as tri-colour dogs whose black has been diluted to a mottled gray-blue color. White collies are usually mostly white on the body with a head coloration of any of the three previous. A lesser-known variant of blue merle colouring is that of the "phantom merle" - a seemingly tri-colour dog, with only perhaps a slight merling of one or two areas of fur, which actually carries the gene for merling, which is a dominant dilution gene. If bred to another dog with a merle gene, the resulting pups may be "double-dilute", which can result in devastating and lethal neurological conditions. In America, a dog with the phantom merle coloring is described as being "cryptic for merle."

As modern-day "Lassies", both rough and smooth collies have become successful assistance, and therapy dogs. At least one guide dog school, Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida, currently trains smooth coated collies as guide dogs, and a number of collies are currently partnered with disabled individuals around the United States.

Contents

  • 1 Health
  • 2 Temperament
  • 3 Famous Collies
  • 4 References
  • 5 External links

[edit] Health

A rough tri-colour puppy.

The collie is typically a very healthy breed, and is known to inherit few health conditions that are both serious and prevalent. Some health conditions of note include Collie eye anomaly, PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), gastric torsion, dermatomyositis, grey collie syndrome (a type of neutropenia), collie nose (discoid lupus erythematosus), and demodicosis.[1] Seizures, canine hip dysplasia, microphthalmia, and cyclic neutropenia are also occasionally seen.[2] The Collie Health Foundation (http://www.colliehealth.org) maintains a website and database on disorders affecting collies.

Some Collies suffer from a special gene defect due to a mutation in the multidrug resistance gene, MDR1. This is also known as "the Ivermectin-sensitive collie". All dogs with this mutation must be descendants of a dog which lived in Great Britain in the middle of the 19th century. This mutation is found worldwide and can even cause the death of a dog, if it gets the wrong medicine (based on Ivermectin, Doramectin, Loperamid and many more pharmaceuticals). Therefore all Collies and breeds akin to them (such as the Shetland Sheepdog) should either be tested or receive a different class of heartworm preventive drug, such as milbemycin oxime (Interceptor brand by Novartis).

Collies typically live an average of 12 to 14 years.

[edit] Temperament

Collies are known to be generally sweet and protective. They are generally easy to train due to a high level of intelligence and a willingness to please. Some collies are a bit clingy, but this is often seen as an overdeveloped sense of loyalty. They are excellent herding dogs and benefit from the companionship of a family or other dogs. Collies are very playful and gentle around children. They can also exhibit a strong herding instinct, especially around children.

[edit] Famous Collies