Reasons Why Collies Are So Hard to Find

The Rough Collie came from Scotland and was originally bred for herding sheep.  However, their natural instincts made them perfect for farm animals and their gentle nature made them good with children. So, what has made the Rough Collie hard to find now in the first place? A little backdrop first.

Originally the Collie was black or what we now know as Tri-color (black, white, and tan).  Soon Queen Victoria discovered these beautiful dogs, and increased their popularity in England, across Europe and then the world!

In 1919 Albert Payson Terhune published his first book about a Collie, called “Lad A Dog”.  What followed were 19 other books about Lad.  Then in 1920 Eric Knight wrote a book about a Scotch Collie, (or a farm Collie), it was called, “Lassie Come Home.”  In 1954, the book was made into a television series, actually starring a male Collie named Pal, as Lassie!  The TV series aired for 19 years and the world fell in love with the Rough Collie!

Sadly, in the past year, the collie has been placed on the endangered species list!   Yes, these beautiful, intelligent dogs are not as popular as they used to be.  Why is that?

This has happened partially because designer dogs have become so popular!  People have forgotten that you must have purebred dogs to create designer dogs.  The poodle cross has become very popular because they don’t shed, and they are hypoallergenic.  What people don’t know is the benefits of the cross only extend to the first generation.  I can tell you as the owner of a 17 year old Shi-poo, that no, they don’t shed, but their hair grows and grows and requires constant attention to keep from matting.  Also, when a child approaches a Shi-poo quickly, as children often do, a Shi-poo will growl and snap!  They are not child friendly dogs!

Unfortunately, the Rough Collie has fallen in popularity. The Rough Collie or Lassie Dog has fallen in breed ranks to 38th place. But did you know that the phrase “What kind of dog is Lassie” is googled over 4,000 times per month. What does that tell us? That there are people out there who are Collie Lovers! Currently, the mascot of Texas A & M University is a Rough Collie named Reveille and there are still people like me who won’t raise any other breed.

Why are die hard Collie fans so loyal? Because in our eyes this breed has it all. The Rough Collie has beauty, brains, the ability to think for themselves and respond appropriately to a given situation which makes them a great service dog. They are intuitive, sometimes it seems like they can read your mind. This make them a great therapy dog.

They are protective of small children. I can’t tell you the number of times people have told me that their Collie kept their child away from a river or away from a busy road. They are gentle with children, they don’t growl or snap. If they are tired of being mauled, they just get up and move. This makes them a great family dog! They are loyal, once they find their person and bond, they are loyal to that person until the end. Some say that a Rough Collie is publicly glamorous yet privately ridiculous. The have their endearing quirks, but then, so do I. I guess this makes me a “Collie addict”, but I know I’m not alone in this Collie obsession.

If you would like to know more about our wonderful Rough Collies, comment below or send us a message.