Collie
With their long sable-colored coats, Collies are one of the most recognizable dog breeds.
Genus, Species & Subspecies – Canis lupus familiaris
Common Names – Collie, Rough Collie, Long-Haired Collie
Collies are usually even-tempered and not aggressive. They are typically good with children and other dogs and animals. They are intelligent and often eager to learn.
Collie litter sizes range from eight to 12 pups, and may contain as many as 16.
To separate this breed from the Border Collie and the Smooth Collie, they are referred to as Rough Collies or Long-Haired Collies. They can stand up to two feet at the shoulder and weigh up to 75 pounds.
They are double-coated, with an outer coat of long, dense fur and a downy undercoat. The fur on the face is short, and they have a long, wedge-shaped snout.
There are many recognized coat colorations, but the most common is “sable” with white on the chest, underside and neck, and brown on the back and face. The brown may range from a light tan to a dark mahogany.
Collies were bred to be working dogs, specifically sheep herding dogs, with origins traced back to Scotland and Wales. The breed stretches back at least as far as the 1700s, but its origins are somewhat mysterious.
The breed received a renewed popularity in the mid-1900s due to the “Lassie” series of novel, films and television shows, which were named for the intelligent Rough Collie featured in the stories.
As of 2022, the Collie is the 39th most popular dog breed in the United States according to the American Kennel Club. The dog breed has historically been popular in Britain, but recently has faced a steep decline, leading the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom to declare the breed “at risk”.
References:
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/collie/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Collie
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/most-popular-dog-breeds-2022
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2023/february/vulnerable-breed-warning/
Safari Ltd Collie Toys: