How to Select a Collie

Some dog historians believe that collies go as far back as the Roman empire. More recently, this breed of herders comes from England and Scotland. During the late 1800s, England's Queen Victoria took a liking to the collie, thus giving the dog its rise to fame. Collies are great with children and very intelligent.

Things You'll Need

• Dog Balls
• Dog Beds
• Dog Blankets
• Dog Bones
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• High-quality Dog Food
• Rope Dog Toys

Instructions

1. Think about getting a collie if you're looking for a dog that loves people. Collies love being around people, especially children.

2. Reconsider getting a collie if you won't be home a lot, or if you plan to leave the dog primarily outdoors. Collies crave constant human companionship. If they aren't included in all family activities, they can become bored and may be prone to barking or digging.

3. Note that there are two types of collies: the rough coat, which has long hair, and the smooth coat, which has short hair. Both varieties can be sable (brown or tan with white markings); tricolor (black, sable and white); blue-merle (marbled blue-gray and black bodies with a sable face and white markings); or white with sable and tricolor or blue faces.

4. Look at the collie's features before choosing your dog. The chest, feet and tail tip should all be white. The body should be muscular but lean, and the dog should have a chiseled face with an alert and inquisitive expression.

5. Expect a male to reach 24 to 26 inches and weigh 60 to 75 pounds by maturity. Females will grow to 22 to 24 inches and will weigh between 50 and 65 pounds.

6. Understand the health problems that collies are prone to. These include progressive retinal atrophy, arthritis, bloat (common to the large, deep-chested breeds) and collie eye anomaly, which can cause blindness. Talk to the breeder to find out what type of screening has been done for these health problems.

7. Check potential breeders carefully and ask whether they're members of breed, specialty or obedience clubs. Affiliation with a club means you can check the breeder's references to make sure the breeder isn't a puppy mill - a place where puppies are constantly bred for financial gain without consideration of the integrity of the breed.

8. Be prepared to spend between $300 and $1,500 for a purebred collie.

9. Know that the average life expectancy of a collie is 14 to 16 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider adopting a collie from a pet rescue organization.

• Collies need lots of exercise off-leash.

• Try not to chain up your collie in the backyard. Most collies need lots of exercise, and they will quickly become lonely.

• Collies can nip at heels due to their herding instinct.

• Collies love to chase cars and will need a watchful eye when young to stop this behavior.

• Collies are sensitive to heat.