How to Care for a Collie

Collies originated in Scotland and made their debut as a show breed in England during the 1860s. Excellent herders of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, collies also make wonderful family pets. They have a sweet, playful temperament and get along well with children. Plenty of exercise off leash is essential for this active dog.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dental Kits (for Dogs)
• Dog Beds
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Food
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Toys
• Dog Training Aids
• Dog Treats
• Nail Clippers For Dogs
• Dog Shampoo

1. Vaccinate your collie and follow up with yearly booster vaccinations to maintain her immunity to diseases. Consult your veterinarian about flea-control products and worming your adult dog.

2. Feed your collie high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat. Crude protein should be no less than 26 percent, and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less. Consult your veterinarian about the best food and feeding schedule for your dog.

3. Brush a collie with a rough coat (long hair) weekly. Smooth coats (short hair) require infrequent brushing.

4. Bathe your dog every couple of months. The collie is an average shedder and sheds in spring.

5. Check and trim her nails every two to three weeks.

6. Train your puppy early so that she knows the boundaries of your yard and won't need to be chained up.

7. Provide obedience training with a gentle hand. Collies are extremely obedient but can be a bit stubborn during training and may refuse to learn something if treated harshly.

8. Give your collie plenty of daily exercise. Keep in mind that these dogs are sensitive to the heat and need plenty of shade and water while outdoors.

9. Be prepared to have your collie become part of the family. If left alone, collies may exhibit bad behavior such as barking and digging.

10. Understand the health problems that collies are prone to. These include progressive retinal atrophy, arthritis, bloat and collie eye anomaly, which can cause blindness.

11. Get ready to enjoy a good 14 to 16 years with your dog, as this is the collie's average life expectancy.

Tips & Warnings

• Collies do well with other pets.
• The key to success with a collie is interaction with people. Collies love to be with people - especially kids.
• Expect a male collie to reach 24 to 26 inches and to weigh between 60 and 75 lbs. at maturity. Females will grow to 22 to 24 inches and will weigh between 50 and 65 lbs.
• Collies tend to nip at heels because of their herding instinct.
• Collies love to chase cars. Use a watchful eye to stop this behavior in a young dog.

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on 8/8/2006 Collies are family dogs, best inside with those they love another pal when you're away. Mental activities as well as daily or every other day good exercise is a must, walks and dog parks work wonders. They love to chew. They housetrain well and mature earlier than most breeds their size. They are not destructive unless overly bored or stressed. A true herder, they love to chase, stalk, and nip. They will play games, but keep it interesting. Lovers of children, people, other breeds of dogs and very tolerant of other animals, all with propers socialization. Barking and talking like Chewbacca are normal behaviors, but don't let it become a neighborhood menace. A Collie that seems to bark at nothing (or relentlessly) needs more time with you and more to do in its life. Train patiently and without harsh force, they are sensitive to your body language and voice. Remember that Collies can carry a gene for Invermectin (Heartgard) sensitivity, avoid these insecticides for you dog. Their life is their family and home, ever loving, watchful and ready for you.

on 8/8/2006 Make sure you exercise him. He is a sheepdog. A local farm may train your dog to herd their sheep. It should make him happy.

on 6/30/2006 Collies are family dogs, they are best kept inside with those they love or with another pal when you're away. Mental activities, as well as daily or every other day good exercise is a must, walks and dog parks work wonders. They love to chew. They housetrain well and mature earlier than most breeds their size. They are not destructive unless overly bored or stressed. A true herder, they love to chase, stalk, and nip, which can be taught against. They will play games, but keep it interesting. They are lovers of children, people, other breeds of dogs and very tolerant of other animals, all with propers socialization.

Barking and "talking like Chewbacca" are normal behaviors, but don't let it become a neighborhood menace. A collie that seems to bark at nothing or relentlessly needs more time with you and more to do in it's life. Train patiently and without harsh force, they are sensitive to your body language and voice. Remember that Collies can carry a gene for Invermectin (Heartgard) sensitivity, avoid these insecticides for you dog. Their life is their family and home, ever loving, watchful and ready for you.

on 6/30/2006 What these dogs love best is agility! It tires them out sooner than a walk, and they always are a happy dog after. Agility is not hard to teach, but you have to make sure your dog loves it! Make it fun and enjoyable for your dog. Start with the tiniest jumps first, your dog my not be to sure of it's own abilities.

on 6/30/2006 These dogs love to be trained! Their breed loves to work, and training them is like enjoyable work (which they can't get enough of)! To bring out the best of a Collie you need to train it and keep it's mind active. You need to exercise it a lot. These dogs are great pets and part of the family, so if you train it, not only will it make the dog happy, but it will make you proud. Also, all the little kids love to see the tricks!