Collie

The name Collie refers to a breed of herding dog originating in Scotland, the origin of the name is uncertain, although it probably originates in Older Scots (coal), meaning black.

The Lassie movies, books, and television shows, which starred Rough Collies, helped to popularize Collies in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in many other countries. The Collie Club of America is one of the oldest breed-specific clubs in existence in the United States (founded in 1886). However, there are four different dog breeds with "Collie" in their name:

• Collie (including both Rough Collie and Smooth Collie varieties)
• Border Collie
• Bearded Collie

The farm collie was a generic term for a wide range of herding dogs common in North America until the middle of the 20th century.

Shetland Sheepdogs (commonly known as "Shelties") are sometimes mistaken for Collies due to their similar shape and fur, but are a completely different breed of distinct origin.

The highlands of Scotland were the natural home of the Collie, where the sheepdogs had been used for centuries by shepherds, but the modern form of the breed was developed in England in the late 1800s. This early form of the breed was usually referred to as the Scotch collie (or Scottish collie) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Scotch collies were much heavier and bigger boned than today's Rough and Smooth dogs.

The modern Collie of both Rough and Smooth varieties are available in four distinct colours. Sable and White dogs are generally the most recognizable, the choice of the Lassie television and movie producers. The sable colour on these dogs can range from a light blonde color to a deep reddish-brown, with any hue in between possible. Tri-Color dogs are in the main black and white, with sable markings. Blue Merle collies are best described as Tri-Color dogs whose black has been diluted to a mottled gray-blue color. White collies are usually mostly white on the body with a head coloration of any of the three previous.

The collies differ so greatly in nature that they have been given the own pages on this site.