AKA: Scotch Collie, Old Farm Collie

Description: The Farm Collie is more popularly known as the Scotch Collie, and there are two varieties of the breed: the Rough Collie and the Smooth Collie. In general, about the only difference between the two is the coat the breed has. The Smooth Collie has shorter hair than that of the Rough Collie. The Rough Collie has a very long coat that there is a ruff around its neck, feathery hair on the legs, a petticoat on its abdomen, and frills on its hindquarters.

The Farm Collie has a long triangular head, with only a slight stop and the jaws forming a scissors bite. The head is a distinctive feature of the Farm Collie, as it is more pointed than usual. The ears are set high on its head in a triangular shape. The ears are generally bent, with the tips sloping forward. The nose is black and the eyes are almond-shaped.

The body is longer than the dog is tall, with a straight back and deep chest. The tail is carried down when relaxed, and carried high in a curve when the dog is alert or excited.

Dynamics: The personality of the Farm Collie will be influenced by how it is raised. But generally, the Farm Collie has a friendly and calm personality. It gets along with children well, and can be trusted with other household pets and other dogs. It is smart and intelligent and is very easy to train. Training should be firm and gentle. The Farm Collie is also loyal and protective. It is usually calm and mild but can be alert and vocal, which makes it a good watchdog. The Farm Collie requires human company, else they will become bored and become boisterous.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: males 45-70 pounds (21-32 kg) females 40-60 pounds (18-27 kg)

Height: males 21-24 inches (53-61 cm) females 19-22 inches (48-56 cm)

Color: Both varieties of the Farm Collie has four distinct colors (or combinations): sable (ranging from light-blonde to reddish brown, with any hue in between), tricolor (mostly black and whit with tan markings), blue merle tricolor (gray-blue and white with tan markings), and white (with a little head coloration of any of the other three color combinations mentioned).

Country of Origin: The Farm Collie, as its alternative name Scotch Collie depicts, originally came from Scotland Northern England. The original form of the Farm Collie was heavier and less fine-boned than today’s Rough and Smooth Collies.

Activities: The Farm Collie is an active and energetic breed, and it requires a relative amount of exercise. As a herding breed, it needs to have a job to do or some action. It also likes play sessions, but will usually content itself to watching over its family and the property. The Farm Collie can be used as a watchdog, for assistance and therapy, guide, dogs, herding, and as a companion dog.

Grooming: The Farm Collie needs to be thoroughly combed and brushed regularly. Shedding is mostly moderate, but is heavy during the shedding season.

Other Info: The Farm Collie has a life expectancy of 12 to 16 years. It is a generally healthy breed and it suffers from very little medical problems. This breed can live in an apartment as long as it is given enough exercises. The Farm Collie prefers to be on farms and have lots of space to run around.

Description: The Border Collie is a medium-sized dog with a body longer than it is tall. There are two varieties of Border Collie: one with coarse hair, and one with sleek hair. The coarse-haired variety has a mane and a tail brush. For both the varieties, the hair on the face, ears, and front legs is always short and sleek.

The head of the Border Collie is fairly wide, with a distinct stop. The nose is black and the ears, set high on the head, are usually half-perked. The eyes are dark brown, except in merles where the eyes can be blue. The teeth forms a scissors bite.

Dynamics: The Border Collie is an intelligent and energetic dog. It can be easily trained and is highly talented in obedience competitions, agility, and Frisbee. It is generally a happy and contented dog, though it may get aggressive with other male dogs. Most of the time, it gets along well with other breeds, though. The Border Collie is also good with children and other household pets. It has to be socialized well since puppyhood to help overcome shyness.

The Border Collie is serious in its work and is very eager to please. It is intelligent and active enough to do have extensive daily exercises and some work to do. Attention must be given to the Border Collie because bad behavior may arise when it gets bored and has nothing to do. It may be snappish and nip at the heels of people, due to its herding instincts. There may also be a time when it would challenge an owner’s authority. This breed can become dominant, although not every Border Collie has this problem.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: males 30-45 lbs (14-20 kg), females 27-42 lbs (12-19 kg)

Height: males 19-22 inches (48-56 cm), females 18-21 inches (46-53 cm)

Color: The coat of the Border Collie can be black and white, tricolor, red and white, black and gray, or all black. White is not the main color.

Country of Origin: The Border Collie comes from Northumberland, on the Scottish and English border. It is descended from old British herding breeds and some spaniel.

Grooming: In grooming the Border Collie, regular combing and brushing is needed to keep its coat shining. Bathe or dry shampoo only when needed. The coat and the ears has to be checked regularly for ticks.

Activities: The Border Collie needs both exercise and work in its daily life. Work and physical exercises come natural to them. Herding is a natural hobby for this breed. The Border Collie has a habit of crouching down and almost hypnotizing the herded animals with their stare. This breed is also used for bomb and narcotics detection, competitions and performances, police work, search and rescue, and as guide dogs for the blind and handicapped.

Other Info: The Border Collie has a life expectancy of 12-15 years. It a generally healthy breed but are still prone to hip dysplasia, PRA, and Collie Eye Anomaly (an eye disease common to Collies). It may also be allergic to fleas and prone to epilepsy and deafness. The Border Collie is not suitable for apartment life. This is a very active and workaholic breed that it needs a lot of space and area to spend its energy on.

AKA: Highland Collie, Mountain Collie, Hairy Mou ed Collie, Beardie

Description: The Bearded Collie, or the Beardie, is an ancestor of the Old English Sheepdog. It is an agile herding dog with a shaggy coat all over its body. The head of the Beardie is broad, and the muzzle short. Its eyes are wide and harmonious with the color of its coat. The ears lie close to head. Its tail is long and is carried low or wagging (if the dog is excited).

Dynamics: The Beardie is an exuberant and playful dog. It can be seen as an affectionate and happy-go-lucky one. It is a great companion to children. Male Beardies tend to more bold and outgoing, while the females are calmer and more submissive. The Beardie has to be with people and shouldn’t be left with nothing to do. The Beardie has a lot of energy and is very lively.

Beardies also tend to think a lot and can be headstrong, so obedience training is a must. The Beardie is a natural herder, but it is not made to be a watch dog.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: 40-60 lbs (18-27 kg)

Height: 20-22 inches (51-56 cm)

Color: The color of the Beardie’s coat changes several times. As a puppy, the Beardie is generally black, brown, fawn or blue. It then fades to light gray or cream as it grows. When it reaches maturity, the coat darkens to their adult coat in any of the four colors black, brown, blue, or fawn.

Country of Origin: The Bearded Collie originated from the Kingdom of Scotland, when the Polish Sheepdog (an ancestor of the Beardie) was introduced in 1514. The Beardie was used for herding sheep and cattle for centuries. It almost disappeared in the early 20th century but was rescued by mating a pair in 1944.

Activities: The Beardie needs a lot of exercise. It enjoys running and playing.

Other Info: The Beardie’s life expectancy is about 14-15 years. It is generally healthy but hip dysplasia is possible and the dense coat may hide external parasite infestation. The Bearded Collie is not suitable for apartment life. It is a very active dog and will grow up best in homes with a yard or big space. The Beardie prefer to be outdoors and should not be confined.

Grooming: Daily grooming is important. Mist the coat lightly before brushing it. Take special care when the Beardie is shedding and tease out the mats before they get bad. Check regularly for ticks, and bathe when necessary. The eyes, ears, and paws should also be checked regularly.

Description: The Afghan Collie is not a purebred dog. It is a cross between the Afghan Hound and the Border Collie. They were a hunting dog in their native land. They have long body and a shiny coat from their head to their tail.

Temperament: They are very active, sociable, very friendly, intelligent easy to learn things . Also, they are independent, cheerful and clever dog.

Activity: This breed requires long walk daily. They always love to play.This breed usually performs well in obedience trials and agility competitions

Grooming: They need a great deal of grooming. Their hair should be brushed many times a week to avoid tangles. The hair of a Afghan Collie should be parted along the back and their ears should always be clean to prevent infection.

Breed Group: Designers group dog

Color: lack, blue, slate-colored, reddish-brown, all shades of grey with white markings on the nose, chest, legs, and feet or neck. The white markings are not permitted beyond the shoulder

Height: 53 – 56cm (20 ¾ – 22in) for dogs and 51 – 53cm (20 – 20 ¾ in) for bitches

Weight: 500-2,500g (1-5 1/2lb)

Country Of Origin: Western World in Afghanistan

Dynamics: They are very intelligent easy to train but doesn’t like to be pressured. They are calm and very friendly to others or even among other pets. Also very active and playful always.

AKA: Scottish Collie

Description: The Collie is an active and agile long-coated sheepdog that comes as a rough variety or a smooth one. The rough variety has an abundant double coat that forms a mane around its neck and chest. The smooth variety has a one-inch coat that doesn’t need that much grooming. The hair on the head and legs of both varieties, however, are similarly short and smooth.

Its head is lean, blunted, and wedge-shaped, with the top of it flat. The muzzle is long, smooth, well-rounded, and blunt. The ears are slightly erect, the tips folding forward. It has a black nose and the eyes are almond-shaped and dark. In the case of blue merle collies, however, the eyes are blue or merle.

The body of the Collie is trim and muscular. It is slightly longer than it is tall. It has a strong and fairly wide chest, and its tail hangs down to the hocks.

Dynamics: The Collie is a nobly intelligent dog. It is easy to train and can be house-trained in about a week (when it is about 10-12 weeks old). The Collie is sensitive, kind, and loyal. It is known to be a breed that is very devoted and protective of its loved ones. It is excellent with children and are good-natured and friendly dogs.

The Collie is an energetic dog outdoors. A puppy may exhibit herding behavior (nipping at people’s heels and running around) but this is outgrown when it turns into an adult. The Collie tend to be suspicious of strangers and the people it does not like. It has a great sense of protectiveness, especially for its family’s children.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: males 60-75 lbs (27-34 kg), females 50-65 lbs (23-29 kg)

Height: males 24-26 inches (61-66 cm), females 22-24 inches (56-61 cm)

Color: Both the rough and smooth variety can come in sable and white, tricolor black-white-and-tan, blue merle or predominantly white with sable, tricolor or blue merle markings.

Country of Origin: The Collie originated in Britain. The Rough Coated Collie actually originated in Scotland. But it was Queen Victoria’s interest in the breed that sparked its popularity. The Collie was then mixed with the Borzoi, and the result was a Collie used as a show dog. The working Collie was branched out from the show type and is more popular as a Scottish Collie. The show type Collie has to have the Borzoi influence, and the flatter faces, in order to be accepted in the show rings. The Collie was first presented at a dog show in 1860.

Activities: The Collie needs a lot of exercise and their time outdoors. It enjoys some runs and romps off the leash. The breed has been used as sheepdogs for centuries, and are used as a rescue dog, guide for the blind, a movie star (Lassie), and a guard dog.

Grooming: Thoroughly brushing the coat of a Collie will keep it in good condition. Extra care should be given when it sheds its soft dense undercoat. Bathe or dry shampoo when necessary. The long-coated variety may have a big matt that needs to be cut out and not combed to avoid hurting the Collie. For the smooth variety, brushing should be done every one to two weeks.

Other Info: The Collie’s life expectancy is about 14-16 years. It is prone to PRA, eye defects, and hip problems that could lead to acute lameness and arthritis. But this breed is generally healthy. The Collie will be fine in an apartment, but it has to be taken out from time to time and exercised. It is relatively inactive outdoors. It is sensitive to the heat, especially its nose. It has to be provided with plenty of shade and fresh water in warm weather.