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Smooth Collie
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Smooth Collie
The Smooth Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding. It is a short-coated version of the Rough Collie of Lassie fame. Some breed organisations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.
The early history of the Smooth Collie, like that of many dog breeds, is a matter of speculation. Even the origin of the breed's name is unclear, variously claimed to describe the early shepherd dog's dark colour ("coaly") or derived from the name of a breed of sheep with black faces once commonly kept in Scotland ("Colley") or derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "useful." The word could also trace to Gaelic or/and Irish - in which the words for "doggie" are, respectively, càilean and coileán. This would be more consistent with the breed's origin in the Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlands than an Anglo-Saxon term.
The modern history of both the Smooth and Rough Collie began in the reign of Queen Victoria, who became interested in the shepherds' dogs while at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. In 1860, she purchased some of the dogs for her own kennel. With the Queen's interest, it became fashionable to own Smooth Collies. Thus began the breed's transformation from working farm dog, similar to the modern Border collie, to the dog bred as a pet and for the sport of conformation showing that we know today.
The smooth and rough are classified as separate breeds in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia. The latter is a fairly recent development, however, with the Kennel Club (UK) allowing the interbreeding of the two varieties until 1993.
The Smooth Collie today is considered a variety of the same breed as the Rough Collie in the United States, Canada, meaning that they can interbreed and some statistics are kept only for "Collie" rather than for both varieties individually.
A breed society, the Smooth Collie Club of Great Britain, was established in 1955. The breed was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1974.
The Smooth Collie is of medium to large size: dogs stand some 56–61 cm (22–24 in) at the withers, bitches about 5 cm (2 in) less; weights are in the range 18–25 kg (40–55 lb) for bitches and about 21–30 kg (45–65 lb) for dogs.
It is slightly longer than it is tall, with a level back and a deep chest. The features of the head, particularly the "sweet" expression, are considered very important in the show ring. The breed has a long muzzle, flat skull, and semi-erect ears.
The outer coat is flat, short and harsh-textured, the undercoat soft and dense. Three coat colours are recognised: sable (sand-colour, ranging from pale gold to rich mahogany); tricolour (mostly black, with tan and white markings); and blue merle (silvery grey marbled with black, with or without tan markings), all marked with white areas on the chest, neck, feet, legs and tip of the tail.
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Smooth Collie
The Smooth Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding. It is a short-coated version of the Rough Collie of Lassie fame. Some breed organisations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.
The early history of the Smooth Collie, like that of many dog breeds, is a matter of speculation. Even the origin of the breed's name is unclear, variously claimed to describe the early shepherd dog's dark colour ("coaly") or derived from the name of a breed of sheep with black faces once commonly kept in Scotland ("Colley") or derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "useful." The word could also trace to Gaelic or/and Irish - in which the words for "doggie" are, respectively, càilean and coileán. This would be more consistent with the breed's origin in the Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlands than an Anglo-Saxon term.
The modern history of both the Smooth and Rough Collie began in the reign of Queen Victoria, who became interested in the shepherds' dogs while at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. In 1860, she purchased some of the dogs for her own kennel. With the Queen's interest, it became fashionable to own Smooth Collies. Thus began the breed's transformation from working farm dog, similar to the modern Border collie, to the dog bred as a pet and for the sport of conformation showing that we know today.
The smooth and rough are classified as separate breeds in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia. The latter is a fairly recent development, however, with the Kennel Club (UK) allowing the interbreeding of the two varieties until 1993.
The Smooth Collie today is considered a variety of the same breed as the Rough Collie in the United States, Canada, meaning that they can interbreed and some statistics are kept only for "Collie" rather than for both varieties individually.
A breed society, the Smooth Collie Club of Great Britain, was established in 1955. The breed was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1974.
The Smooth Collie is of medium to large size: dogs stand some 56–61 cm (22–24 in) at the withers, bitches about 5 cm (2 in) less; weights are in the range 18–25 kg (40–55 lb) for bitches and about 21–30 kg (45–65 lb) for dogs.
It is slightly longer than it is tall, with a level back and a deep chest. The features of the head, particularly the "sweet" expression, are considered very important in the show ring. The breed has a long muzzle, flat skull, and semi-erect ears.
The outer coat is flat, short and harsh-textured, the undercoat soft and dense. Three coat colours are recognised: sable (sand-colour, ranging from pale gold to rich mahogany); tricolour (mostly black, with tan and white markings); and blue merle (silvery grey marbled with black, with or without tan markings), all marked with white areas on the chest, neck, feet, legs and tip of the tail.
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