Rough Collie

The Rough Collie is the long-coated Scottish herding dog that became famous as Lassie — a lean, wedge-headed shepherd under a very heavy coat.

History

It worked sheep in the Scottish highlands and was transformed by Victorian fashion after Queen Victoria took an interest, with breeders selecting for the long coat and refined head that define the modern dog. The smooth-coated variety is the same breed in a different coat.

Temperament

The breed is known for being gentle, sensitive and highly people-oriented, good with children and quick to learn. It is also inclined to bark and to be startled by noise; it responds badly to harshness.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and enjoys herding, obedience and agility. The double coat is a substantial commitment — brushing several times a week, more during a heavy seasonal moult, with the dense undercoat the part that mats.

Health

Known tendencies include an inherited eye anomaly specific to collies, and a drug sensitivity carried by many collie-type dogs that breeders test for and vets need to know about. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.