Collie, the "Lassie" dog

One of the world's favorite dogs is the collie. Many people simply refer to it as the "Lassie" dog. Its duties before becoming the world's preferred pet were the herding of animals, mostly sheep.



This dog is of two types although both are considered to be 'real' collies. The dog in the Lassie TV series was a 'rough' collie. Those are the ones with the long hair and general look of Lassie. The other type are shorter-haired dogs but of the same general size and temperament.



This breed of dog is mild-tempered, kind and easy to train. They are good family dogs and are gentle to children. Puppies of this breed tend to nip at people's feet, which is a herding instinct which should be eliminated by proper training. Collies are usually not aggressive although they may be wary of strangers.



Collies are generally healthy animals with few inherent health problems. With sufficient exercise, they can be kept inside although they do quite well as outside dogs. Their life span is from fourteen to sixteen years.



They are easy to keep clean. Even the 'rough' collie (ones with long hair) tend to shed dirt with weekly brushing.



Originally, they come from Scotland. Now, however, they are well-known and much-loved worldwide. There have been successes in breeding with smaller breeds to create a more miniature size.