Collie

Yes, the Collie is the Lassie dog. This breed was originally bred to be used to herd livestock, be a watchdog, and be a companion, but today the Collie is mostly a companion. It's very popular as a family dog all across the United States and abroad. This is a tough dog that knows how to work hard, but it's also a tender dog that fits right into the family unit. The breed is smart, very trainable, bounding with pride, friendly, and just all around great to be with. Your family will love the long coats of these dogs as well as their big soft ears. Search for your Collie in the ads down below today.

Continue reading to learn more about Collies, including Border Collies, Rough Collies and Smooth Collies. Although there are multiple dog breeds that fall under the "Collie" name, we've decided to include all of them in this category.

Popularity: Quite popular.

Trainability: Collies are widely known for being intelligent, eager to please and easy to train. They readily obey and can be quite sensitive to their master's voice. When training the Collie, it's best to achieve results via positive reinforcement rather than through speaking. When trained in an abusive or aggressive manner, this dog breed may shut down due to fear or simply refuse to cooperate. Also, it's relatively simple to quickly house-train this dog.

Size/Weight: Large sized dogs, weighing in at an average of 40-65 pounds.

Origin Location/Date: The Collie breed ascended from common herding dog to the popular breed it is today in the latter half of the 1800s in Scotland and Britain. This breed became very popular in the United States in the 1900s after it was written about by author Albert Payson Terhune. It became even more popular after viewers came to love the dog named "Lassie" in books, movies and on television.

Energy Level: Collies need a lot of exercise to stay in healthy shape. They'll require frequent play, various types of activity and long walks daily. While this dog can sustain a fair amount of activity, it will need to be kept in the shade during the heat of the day, as its sensitive to the heat and sunlight.

Temperament: If socialized early in puppyhood, the Collie is a wonderful dog to have around small children and other pets in the household. This is a well-behaved, obedient and quite passive dog. You'll need to keep an eye on their innate herding behavior as puppies though. When young, this dog can possibly nip at people's heels in an effort to herd them. They usually grow out of this tendency as they got older though. Overall, the Collie is a devoted, well-mannered and friendly family dog that can be shy around strangers and is protective of the family they love.

Necessary Space: This dog can live adequately in smaller apartments as well as large homes. It's important to note that it will need ample exercise while living in both though, so long daily walks are a must.

Talents: The Collie is one of the most agile dogs around. It's got great stamina and when in peak fit working condition, it can run all day without the appearance of being tired at all. As a matter of fact, this breed of dog can keep its stamina over very steep and rough terrain.

Life Expectancy: 12-14 years.

Group: Herding group.

A few terms and phrases to describe the typical Collie puppy and dog: easily trained, easily house-trained, can be timid, intelligent, eager to please, proud, graceful, devoted, excellent runner, herding dog, well-behaved, well-mannered, great with kids, great with families, shy around strangers, protective and needs exercise.

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