Collie
Collie Types and Breeds
– Australian Kelpie: Developed in Australia from collies brought from Scotland and northern England. Short-haired, usually black, black-and-tan or red-and-tan, with white limited to chest and toes.
– Australian Shepherd: Derives its name from sheep imported from Australia. Used as both a drover and guardian of sheep and cattle. Shaggy mid-length coat in every color, including merle, with eyes of different color.
– Bearded Collie: Largely a pet and show breed, but still of the collie type. Has a flat, harsh, strong and shaggy outer coat and a soft, furry undercoat. Coat falls naturally to either side without need of a part.
– Blue Lacy: Grey or red all over, short hair, floppy ears. Derived partly from the English Shepherd.
– Border Collie: The most well-known breed for herding sheep throughout the world. Originally developed in Scotland and Northern England. Ears semi-erect or floppy, fur silky or fairly long, but short on face and legs.
– Cumberland Sheepdog: An extinct breed similar to the Border Collie and possibly absorbed into that breed. Erect or semi-erect ears, dense fur, black with white only on face and chest.
– English Shepherd: Developed in the U.S. from stock of Farm Collie type originally from Britain. Floppy ears, thick fur, red, black or black-and-tan, with white over shoulders.
– German Coolie: Developed in Australia, probably from British collies, but may have included dogs from Germany and Spain. Erect ears, short fur, black, red, black-and-tan or merle, often with some white on neck or over shoulders.
– Huntaway: Developed in New Zealand from a mixture of breeds, probably including some collie. Larger and more heavily built than most collies, floppy ears, most commonly black-and-tan with little white.
– Lurcher: Not an established breed, but a cross of collie (or other herding dog or terrier) with Greyhound or other sight hound. Variable in appearance, but with greyhound build: Floppy ears, tall, slender, with small head, deep chest, and herring gut; smooth, silky or rough coat, often brindled.
Famous Collies
– Blanco: Pet of Lyndon Johnson.
– Kep: Pet of Beatrix Potter, depicted in the book ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.’
– Lad: Pet of Albert Payson Terhune, chronicled through several short stories, most famously in the collection ‘Lad, A Dog.’
– Pickles: Known for his role in finding the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy in March 1966, four months before the 1966 FIFA World Cup kicked off in England.
– Pal: Played Lassie.
Collies in Fiction
– Lassie, a fictional Rough Collie character created by Eric Knight, featured in a short story expanded to novel length called ‘Lassie Come-Home’
– Lassie went on to star in numerous MGM movies, a long-running classic TV series, and various remakes/spinoffs/revivals
– Bessy, a long-running Belgian comics series featuring a collie based on Lassie, set in a Wild West setting
– Fly and Rex, herding dogs in the movie ‘Babe’
– Colleen, a female collie in the TV series ‘Road Rovers’
– Nana, a female Border Collie in the movie ‘Snow Dogs’
– Shadow, a collie from Enid Blyton’s book ‘Shadow the Sheepdog’
– Fly, the sheep dog featured in Arthur Waterhouse’s Fells trilogy for children: ‘Raiders of the Fells,’ ‘Rogues of the Fells,’ and ‘Fly of the Fells’
– The Dog, a Border Collie in the comic strip ‘Footrot Flats’
– Shadow, a collie character in the book ‘Nop’s Trials’ by Donald McCaig
Collies in Pop Culture
– Collies are often featured in movies, TV series, and comics due to their intelligence and loyalty
– The collie type is not always specified, but illustrations often resemble Rough Collies or Border Collies
– Collies are commonly portrayed as herding dogs or as beloved family pets
– Their appearance and traits make them popular choices for fictional dog characters
– Collies have become iconic in popular culture, representing loyalty and bravery
Collie References and Resources
– Dogsportal and List of dog breeds are related resources for further information on dogs
– The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘collie’ and ‘colly’
– ‘Dogs in Britain’ by C.L.B. Hubbard provides a description of native and foreign dog breeds in Britain
– ‘Herding Dogs: Their origins and development in Britain’ by Iris Combe explores the history of herding dogs
– ‘Stockdog Savvy’ by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor is a book about working stockdogs
– The Westminster Kennel Club provides breed descriptions for Rough Collies, Smooth Collies, and Shetland Sheepdogs
– The College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University discusses multi-drug sensitivity in collies
– The ancestral relationships of contemporary British herding breeds are explored in a study by Iris Combe and Pat Hutchinson
– Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds provides information on Aussie history and collie origins
– Collie Fan website offers information on collie colors and history