It would seem, who does not know the collie. More recently, every yard had its own long-faced favorite of children. However, when people today try to have a collie puppy, they see dogs in advertisements and at shows that are simply dumbfounded by their appearance, and often by their behavior. What happened to the Scottish Shepherd, and what is the collie breed today?
The name "collie" is generalized for a number of shepherd breeds, but our fellow citizens are used to calling it the Rough Collie, or Scottish Shepherd Dog. Outwardly, the distinctive features of these dogs are the "signature nose" - an elongated wedge-shaped muzzle, hanging ears by a third and a fur coat with a mane and a fluffy tail elegantly framing the body. If you do not go into narrow cynological nuances, the breed standard today describes the same dog.
Collie by breed standard
The standard describes the general appearance of the Scottish Shepherd Dog. The Collie must attract attention as a dog of exceptional beauty, alert and active without any disproportionate body parts. The collie stands with an air of calm dignity, and his movements are fluid and graceful. Abundant coat, mane, combined with the lines of the head and the gentle expression of the muzzle should present a pleasing and elegant picture that is admirable.
As you can see, nothing has changed, it is the same elegant, intelligent, intelligent and beautiful dog. Collie color can be:
- sable - the well-known red color (from straw to deep dark red);
- tricolor - black body;
- marble blue (blue merle) - silvery blue with small black spots or marble pattern.
In any color, white collar (in whole or in part), white chest, legs and tip of tail are preferred. White markings can also be found on the muzzle.
Expression is an important consideration when considering the value of a particular dog as a Collie. Expression is achieved through perfect balance and consists of a combination of the muzzle, forehead, eyes (their size, color, shape and location), the correct set of the ears. All this should be harmoniously combined in such a way that the very dreamy, but at the same time alert, intelligent and lively expression appears. It is this that makes the modern collie the most beautiful representative of the entire canine family.
Rough collie personality and behavior
First of all, the collie is a herding dog. Its structure and behavior should embody strength and activity, be free from phlegmaticity and not have the slightest trace of rudeness.
"Scotsman" is elegant in everything and ideally matches any temperament of its owner, to a large extent adopting it. So, the elderly housewife's collie will be cautious on walks, stepping sedately behind her grandmother, carefully avoiding the puddles and carefully looking at the road. A married couple with playful children in the face of a collie will receive a wonderful shepherd nanny, not a single child will be out of sight. At the same time, the Scottish Shepherd will be an active participant in the noisy errands and fun activities.
The greatest number of questions for beginners in the maintenance of a collie is the care of the dog's coat. It is enough to comb the dog once every 1, 5-2 weeks and you will not see any dominance of wool on the floors in the house. During periods of molting, the dog also needs to be combed out. In general, this breed is healthy with proper feeding and normal rearing with an average walking exercise - 1-1.5 hours a day.
