![Collie (Smooth) Dog Breed](/sites/default/files/styles/square_medium_440x440/public/2022-07/Collie-Smooth.jpg?itok=O3pSlEOK)
Family-friendly: | 4/5 |
Exercise needs: | 3/5 |
Easy to train: | 4/5 |
Tolerates being alone: | 2/5 |
Likes other pets: | 4/5 |
Energy level: | 3/5 |
Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
Shedding: | 5/5 |
This breed can suffer from:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Collie eye anomaly which is an inherited condition where the eye does not develop properly and can potentially lead to blindness.
- Retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy which is where deposits form in the eye which can cause damage to the eye and blindness in dim light.
- Multi drug resistance gene which is an inherited condition that makes a dog sensitive to particular drugs.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Eye screening scheme
Friendly and good tempered, the Smooth Collie is alert and active, needing plenty of mental stimulation and entertainment to make a good family dog. They enjoy training and can reach very high standards of canine competition if that is what you enjoy, but as long as you enjoy working them in some form, they won’t mind if they bring home rosettes or not! They can be sensitive and prone to excessive barking, and so need gentle, calm handling and consistent training.
Queen Victoria’s favourite Smooth Collie was a dog named ‘Sharp’, and he often featured in pictures with her. His grave is at Windsor Castle and is marked with a bronze statue.
Queen Victoria’s love of the Smooth Collie actually benefited both Smooth and Rough Collies, as they were often described simply as ‘Collies’ and with few photographs at the time, many assumed it was the Rough Collie she favoured.
Despite being wonderful pets, they’re currently on The Kennel Club’s list of vulnerable native breeds.
It’s thought that they got their name from ‘Colley sheep’ which they herded, whereas others believe that the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon term meaning ‘useful’.