Collie Dog Owners

Photo by Cristobal

1. Twice a year Rough Collies “molt” their undercoat. As with many long haired breeds, you must rake/brush this fur out. If you are a very neat person, then you had better know how to use a vacuum cleaner! (They are not a good house pet if someone in the family has allergies ..get a poodle if you want a
   hypoallergenic doggy). If the “tons of hair” molting bothers you, you might prefer a Smooth Collie. However, when it comes to year round shedding, collie owners say that the Smooths actually have a bigger problem than the Roughs in that aspect! Either way, you must brush both kinds of collies frequently to keep their coat beautiful.
2. Collies must be kept well groomed. A good brushing every day will keep your collie beautiful! If you are a busy person, you should figure in at least half an hour to an hour a week if you want your dog to look good and, at bare minimum, a monthly brushing is essential to at least prevent matting (where the hair bunches together in knots… this can lead to serious health problems). Bathing a Collie (needed perhaps a couple of times a year for a regular pet collie) is a fair amount of work, and unless you have a special high-power doggy blow dryer, they can take hours to dry. More frequent bathing will make him smell fresher, ease brushing, and reduce the chance of problems from allergy. You should NEVER bathe a collie if he is matted–a wet mat turns to harsh felt, and you’ll never get it out then! (Well, short of shaving the poor thing!)
3. Collies bark. Bored collies bark even more! Some collies may stand in your yard and bark almost unendingly. He may not even be barking at anything- he’s barking because he’s a Collie. They are not usually noisy in the house, however, because they have a
   tendency to be very low-active when indoors.
4. Collies herd — everything! Kids… ducks… and almost near anything that will move. Some Collies even nip at the heels of the ‘herd.’ They won’t hurt anything, but if there is a nearby mom who has the
   tendency to call her lawyer whenever her kid cries, a Collie (or any other of the herding breeds) may not be the best choice!
5. In the warmer parts of the country, summers are too hot for a Collie. An air conditioned home with brief outings is okay, though. Some people advise to clip collies’ coats shorter in the summer — but others state that you should never clip a collie because their fur provides protection against the heat as well! Others say that keeping them thoroughly brushed out removes enough hair to make them comfortable. Remember to always provide shade and cool, fresh water anytime your collie is outdoors.
6. Collies are very sensitive and will ask for attention. They don’t do well in families that treat a dog like a pet rock with fur. They must be provided with plenty of attention and loving–every day of the week!
7. Collies are partners. A Collie will meet you, look into your eyes, accept your introductory rub of his chest and chin, and decide you’re his for life. Feed him, care for him, and you’ll never be alone while he lives.
8. Collies are smart. Make that extremely smart… more like
   genius!! They make mistakes but generally not the same mistake twice. Just one look into their gorgeous eyes will let anyone know how brilliant a collie is!
9. Collies are extremely trainable. They were bred specifically to be obedient to man. Most don’t need too much training because they’ll figure out what you want almost before you ask (some puppies nearly housetrain themselves!)… but if you should get the training urge, your Collie is willing and ready!
10. Collies are athletic and make good outdoor companions. Just be sure not to over-exert them in hot weather, however!