Anyone here have a collie?

[Kalou]

I am going to be getting a collie later on when I move to a bigger place with a backyard.

Any advice? Not many people I see around with collies so any info would be great!

[Melinda]

my niece just adopted a collie/shepherd mix, she's about 4 months old now, really smart as a whip dog, show her something (trick) 4 times and she catches on immediately and doesn't forget, but ....she is a heck of a nipper, always at my great nephews heels when he tries to walk.

[Goldfields]

I have shelties and all I will say is to get yourself some good quality grooming equipment for your Collie. I used to wonder whether people at shows talking about Mason Pearson brushes(made in England) for instance weren't just big noting themselves seeing they are expensive, but no, they really are a lovely brush to use. For mine I have a M & P bristle and nylon brush, a German Pin brush, a big steel comb , a small one for face, ears etc.., a spray bottle to mist the coat before you groom, another steel comb with a handle that I use to get hair out of my brushes, and of course sharp hair dressing scissors for tidying up hairy feet, and thinning scissors for neatening them up if they have a lot of hair around the ears. No doubt there are loads of things you could use. I don't know about Collies but some shelties have very fine hair behind their ears that can go into knots if they aren't groomed often enough, and they must also be kept clean under the tail. If they have very thick petticoats/breeching, you can carefully cut what they call a poop track down the middle.
I think they are magnificent dogs, Collies, we only opted for shelties because I wanted something smaller. At least if you aren't buying your dog till later on you would have time to spread the expense of all its gear over as much time as you like.

[NoahGrey]

http://www.bordercollie.ca/Breed-Information.html

Collies are part of the herding group. Need LOTs of excerise and a fenced area won't do.

[Etown_Chick]

They herd. Everyone. All the time.
I've collie-sat and found it annoying, but others love them.

[Gail P]

This is my collie Noah. He's 8 now. Before him I had a pair of sisters. My neighbours have a couple now but in the past have had as many as 15 at one time.




I've always loved my collies but now that I'm into mushing I wouldn't get another one just because I prefer the high energy/high drive of the border collies for racing.

Originally Posted by Etown_Chick

They herd. Everyone. All the time.
I've collie-sat and found it annoying, but others love them.

Most don't actually. Like so many other breeds, their instincts have dulled with years of breeding for conformation purposes rather than instinct/ability.

As for exercise, yes they need it but they are far more laid back than my border collies. No where near the energy level.

Amount of grooming will depend on the individual dog's coat. Some need more than others. I'm lucky with Noah, I rarely groom him and he doesn't mat up behind the ears or inner thighs. When he's blowing undercoat I groom it out well and then he needs very little grooming otherwise. One of the collies I had before needed much more grooming to prevent/remove mats. My favourite grooming tool for Noah is my shedding slicker. There are various different styles of slicker brushes available but the shedding slicker is one of the varieties with a curved head and 2 different length of pins. When the undercoat is coming loose it just strips it out (and collects it in the brush so it's not blowing around). I have an undercoat rake that will take the coat out but it doesn't collect it and it seems to be blowing everywhere. I also have a metal comb that I use a bit, but the shedding slicker by far gets the most use.

One thing to be aware of with this breed is the potential for eye problems. If the dog comes from a breeder (a good one) there should be eye checks done on the parents to screen for CEA (collie eye anomaly). Some also can have very tiny eyes. If adopted from a shelter you can have the eyes of your dog checked by a veterinary opthamologist yourself if you wish.

And, they bark. When I only had the 2 collies I never really noticed it that much but now that I have other dogs I notice how much more Noah barks in comparison. And the neighbour's dogs too, their collies bark more than their other dogs. They particularly like to bark at her miniature horses when they get running around.

[NoahGrey]

Originally Posted by NoahGrey

http://www.bordercollie.ca/Breed-Information.html

Collies are part of the herding group. Need LOTs of excerise and a fenced area won't do.

i don't know if you missed my post, however i posted a important link

[Kalou]

Thanks Noah I will take a look at the link.

I'm hearing that collies bark a lot, is that something that can be trained out of them?

Thanks!

[DoubleRR]

Originally Posted by NoahGrey

i don't know if you missed my post, however i posted a important link

She appears to be considering a Smooth Collie, [the short coated version of a Rough Collie] not a Border Collie. Not the same breed or energy level, as Gail can attest.
Once when I traveled to a dog show with my Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I met two Smooths on their way to the same show. Nice dogs, well behaved, but hours of training behind them. A good breeder with health clearances on their stock is a must.
Yes, you can tone down the barking--not train it out though. I have a mini long haired dachshund--most of whom bark at everything. Mine does not--and if I am around only barks once to alert.