You got to figure that if Hollywood decides to dedicate an entire TV show to just how great a particular dog can be (Lassie) chances are, the breed of dog has got to be a pretty fantastic!
And the truth is…
If you thinking about adding a “medium” sized dog to your family, you’d be hard pressed to do better than getting a Collie.
But that doesn’t…
Mean that a Collie is going to be a good fit for every family. Which is why in this article, we wanted to take a moment and discuss some of the pros and cons of owing a Collie so that if you do decide to adopt one, you won’t be disappointed with your decision six months from now essaysservicesreviews.com.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it!
Collie Fast Facts
Country of Origin: Scotland
Original Purpose: Sheep herder
Height: 22 to 26 inches
Weight: 50 to 75 pounds
Lifespan: 8 to 12 years
Dog Classification: Herding group
Origin of the Collie
Collies are a somewhat old breed that dates back to around the 1800’s when the breed actually consisted of two “types”, the rough and smooth coated “Scotch” Collies. And while both “types” still exist today, most folks are really only familiar with the “rough” version simply because throughout history, the rough Collie has always seemed to get the larger share of the “spotlight”.
First…
When Queen Victoria first became excited about the breed during the late 1800’s when she first embraced the breed, then later when she entered two Collies into the Westminster Dog Show herself. This was also right around the same time that the American Kennel Club (AKC) decided to “officially” recognize the breed in 1885 and set the standard.
And while…
The Collie was beginning to become quite popular within the United States their portrayal in the literary works by Albert Payson Terhune, and the TV series Lassie certainly helped make the Collie one of America’s favorite breeds for many decades thereafter.
But let’s face it…
If the Collie wasn’t a great dog, it wouldn’t have mattered if the Queen of England loved them or that Terhune wrote a ton of stories about them or if every week we got to watch Lassie save another boy from a well!
At the end…
Of the day, the Collie became one of America’s favorite dog breeds because they’re beautiful dogs with a great personality and typically a joy to own one.
Physical Characteristics of a Collie
Your average Collie is going to weigh about 50-75 pounds (males on the heavier side of the scale) and as we’ve already mentioned before will come it two “versions”, the rough-coated Collie and the smooth-coated Collie.
The rough-coated Collie…
Is going to have a thicker coat with straight fur and a really thick undercoat, while the smooth-coated Collie is going to have shorter hair making finding their skin through all that fur a whole lot easier, even with a thick undercoat.
Now you may be thinking to yourself…
“Wow, that’s a rather random thing to say… I mean why would it matter how EASY it is to find the SKIN of my Collie?”
And we’ll give you that…
It is sort of a strange thing to say, but the problem is that Collies tend to prone to developing “skin” issues so if you do end up purchasing a Collie puppy or better yet adopting a Collie rescue you dog, you may actually find yourself examining their skin quite often… (more on that later).
What we can say for now is…
That they “type” of Collie that you choose will certainly impact their grooming needs. Rough collies need more attention to their coat, while a smooth collie only needs to be brushed once a week or so. Either way, you’ll definitely have to budget for a few visits to the groomers every year unless you’re a pro!
The coat of either type…
Of a Collie you choose will range in colors, ranging from sable and while to tricolor or blue merle to even in some cases almost 100% white!
Personality of a Collie
These are talkative dogs that bark quite often…
“What’s that Lassie? Timmy fell down a well?”
But that’s OK…
They’re not the kind of. dog that just goes around barking at everything under the sun. Most times, when your Collie barks it’s because there’s a very good reason for him or her to bark. Like there’s:
- Someone knocking on the door,
- Or they need to go outside to go to the bathroom,
- Or theirs a squirrel running up a tree,
You get the idea.
And while we probably…
Shouldn’t have to mention it but, Collies love kids. Which is probably why so many families love to welcome a Scotch Collie into their families.
And…
If you start training a collie puppy while their young, you’ll probably be amazed at just how fast they can learn. In fact, you should be able to teach this dog a lot of things you might not be able to teach other dogs. This is part of the reason you’ve seen Collies in so many movies.
Now there is…
One major downside to choosing to adopt a super popular dog breed… And that is the fact that over the years, people have had a tendency to poorly “manage” breeding them. As a result, many of them have become susceptible to certain hereditary medical conditions.
And unfortunately…
this is what we see with Collies nowadays. So, let’s not take a moment and discuss some of the health concerns you should be aware of if you do decide to adopt a Collie.
Health of the Collie breed.
On a whole, these dogs are pretty healthy, but just like the healthiest humans can sick or have some health problems, so can collies. The most common things that can go wrong with a collie’s health are:
- Skin problems and/or dermatomyositis,
- Hereditary eye disease.
Skin Problems are usually mild…
But they will cause your dog discomfort and you will definitely want to take them to the vet for treatment. Depending on the severity and how long your dog is plagued with it, this could cost anywhere between $100-2000.
Eyesight issues.
Some Collies may develop an eye anomaly that can cause them to suffer from other more serious eye issues such as retinal detachment. Most of the collies who have this eye anomaly live with it and don’t incur bigger problems. That said however, if your Collie does develop a condition that does require further treatment, don’t be surprised if you get handed a vet bill near or around $3,000 bucks (per eye)!
Other medical conditions that could affect may include:
Bloat or emergency gastrointestinal syndrome:
This is another thing that Scottish collies are at risk of getting because like Akitas, Boxers, and Great Danes, they have a deep chest. Dog bloat surgery cost is around $2000-6000, depending on where you live and how fancy your vet’s office is.
Which is why…
If you’re just getting in the initial process of deciding what “kind” of dog you should get, please include in your research what it might cost to ensure that particular dog as well.
You see…
Whatever “kind” of dog you do decide to get, like any living thing, they may develop some type of illness or suffer from an injure that may require the need for professional care. And this care can be quite expensive!
And the last thing…
You want to have happen is for your animal to become sick or injured and not be able to afford the care that he or she needs. This is why we here at IndulgeYourPet have taken the time to write our Best Pet Insurance article so that you can get an idea what it might cost for you to purchase a pet insurance policy as well as determine if the “cost” makes sense for you personally.
