Collie
Overview
Collie refers to various landraces and breeds of herding dog originating in Britain, especially the upland areas of the north and west. The exact origin of the name is uncertain, although it may derive from Early Scots coll ("coal" or "black"). The collie name refers especially to dogs of Scottish origin, but the collie type is far more widespread in Britain and in many other parts of the world. It is often called sheepdog or shepherd dog elsewhere. In the United States, "collie" is most often used to refer solely to Rough Collies rather than the collective grouping of all collie breeds.
Herding dogs of Collie type have long been widespread in Britain, and these can be regarded as a landrace from which a number of other landraces, types, and formal breeds have derived, both in Britain and elsewhere. Many of these are herding dogs, but some have been developed into show and pet dogs.
Temperament
Working types
Working collies are extremely energetic and agile dogs with great stamina, able to run all day without tiring, even over very rough or steep ground. They are intelligent, and are instinctively highly motivated to work. These characteristics generally make the working types unsuitable as pets, as few owners are able to give them the mental and physical challenges they need and, if not well-fulfilled, they may become unhappy and badly behaved. However, in addition to herding work they are well suited to active sports such as sheepdog trials, flyball, dog disc, and dog agility. Working collies have strong herding instincts, and some individuals can be single-minded to the point of obsessiveness. They are often intensely loyal.
Show and pet types
Certain types of Collie (for example Rough Collies, Smooth Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs and some strains of Border Collie and other breeds) have been bred as pet and show dogs for many generations. These types have proved to be highly trainable, gentle, loyal, and well suited as pets. Their gentleness and devotion also make them quite compatible with children. They are often more suitable as companions than as watch dogs, though the individual personalities of these dogs vary. The temperament of these breeds has featured in literature, film, and popular television programs. The novels of Albert Payson Terhune celebrated the temperament and companionship of collies and were very popular in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. More famously, the temperament and intelligence of the Rough Collie was exaggerated to mythic proportions in the character Lassie which has been the subject of many films, books, and television shows from 1938 to the present.
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