The Smooth Collie, a short-coated relative of the Rough Collie of "Lassie" fame, is a herding dog breed with a rich history and a versatile nature. Sharing ancestry with other collie breeds from the Scottish Lowlands and northern England, the Smooth Collie has evolved into a distinct variety known for its intelligence, trainability, and devotion. While often considered a variety of the same breed as the Rough Collie, important distinctions exist, making the Smooth Collie a unique and appealing choice for many dog owners.
The early history of the Smooth Collie, like that of many dog breeds, is a matter of speculation. The name "Collie" itself has uncertain origins, with theories ranging from descriptions of the early shepherd dog's dark color ("coaly") to connections with a breed of black-faced sheep called "Colley" or even Anglo-Saxon or Gaelic/Irish roots. Some historical indications point to the ancestors of Smooth Collies arriving in Scotland with the Romans around 2,000 years ago.
Regardless of the name's origin, these dogs were simply known as shepherd dogs. They varied from county to county, with different areas having their own preferred strains. All dogs worked to earn their keep in their families during this time, and those that didn’t work were culled off. Appearance meant nothing to shepherds, so long as the dog has eyes to see, ears to hear, legs to run, and a brain to perform its duties. For centuries, shepherds bred their hard-working dogs to meet these criteria alone, without exaggeration, since exaggeration detracts from function.
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, elevating it beyond a simple herding dog. However, Queen Victoria didn’t share her love of the breed until later in the 17th century.
During the early 1900s, Albert Payson wrote about the adventures of the Sunnybank Collies, whose descendants are still alive and in breeding programs today. Children particularly loved the stories of these dogs. In 1940, Eric Knight released Lassie Come-Home, which began the pop culture phenomenon that was everything Lassie. Lassie had books, movies, a TV series, and various merchandise.
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Today, the Smooth Collie is considered a variety of the same breed as the Rough Collie in the United States and Canada. This classification allows for interbreeding between the two coat types, and some statistics are kept collectively for "Collie" rather than individually. However, in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the Smooth and Rough Collies are classified as separate breeds.
Breed standards emphasize the importance of certain physical characteristics, particularly the "sweet" expression of the head. The Smooth Collie is slightly longer than it is tall, with a level back and a deep chest.
The Smooth Collie is a medium-sized dog with a distinctive appearance. Males typically weigh between 45 and 75 pounds and stand 22 to 26 inches tall, while females weigh 40 to 65 pounds and stand 20 to 24 inches tall. The body is compact, solid, and well-proportioned, never racy or refined. The breed standard dictates that the length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, should be slightly greater than the height at the withers.
Head: The head is dolichocephalic (long and narrow) and tapers to form an elongated wedge shape when viewed from the front, top, or in profile. The topskull is long and flat, tapering smoothly towards the muzzle. The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and set somewhat obliquely. Eye color ranges from medium to dark brown, although merle dogs may have blue or bicolored eyes.
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Ears: Somewhat small to medium in size, set high on the skull and close together. When alert, the ears are semi-erect, with the top third naturally breaking forward.
Muzzle: Strongly developed, somewhat full and broad in comparison to the overall head length, full, and gently tapering to form an elongated wedge with a rounded, blunt end.
Coat: The defining characteristic of the Smooth Collie is its short coat. The outer coat is flat, short, and harsh-textured, while the undercoat is soft and dense.
Color: Collies come in a huge range of coat colors! Just a few of the colors are Sable, TriColor, Blue Merle, Color-headed White. The breed standard recognizes sable, tricolor, merle (blue or sable), and white as standard colors. White Irish markings, occurring on the chest, neck, lower legs, feet, and tip of the tail, are common.
Tail: Set low on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail may be straight, straight with a slight curve at the end, or form a gentle curve.
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The Smooth Collie is generally a sociable, easily trained family dog. They are known for their intelligence, sensitivity, and eagerness to please, making them highly trainable. Training this breed requires a light touch, as they are sensitive to correction and shy away from harsh treatment. Positive reinforcement methods are highly recommended.
Collies have sensitive and cheerful temperaments. They are very intelligent and love human company. Barking can become a problem in Collies who are left alone for long periods and are not sufficiently trained early on.
Although not an aggressive breed, they are alert and vocal, making them good watchdogs if well-trained. However, this can also lead to excessive barking if not properly managed. Socialization is essential for collie puppies. Social puppies are typically not afraid of meeting new people or experiencing new places outside of their homes. As a result, collies are much easier to train and therefore, live alongside.
Collies are herding dogs. For a collie, it is natural to try to round up moving things, including other animals and children, vehicles and bicycles. It is best to discourage this behavior unless you will be teaching your dog to herd properly. Collies can get pushy when trying to herd thus frightening people, especially small children. A collie may bark and even nip when the herding instinct is aroused. While this isn’t aggressive behavior in a collie, it looks pretty aggressive to the one being herded. To stop your collie from herding behavior, spend some time working with your dog on a leash until you have complete control.
Smooth Collies are agile and active dogs that need regular exercise. They are not over the top with energy, the Smooth Collie is an active dog that needs daily exercise. Without exercise, they may become bored. A bored, Smooth Collie may be destructive or bark excessively, so finding ways to entertain your dog every day is necessary. Puzzles and games are a great way to tire your dog out when the weather isn’t pleasant, but these dogs do best with plenty of outdoor activity and space. They thrive on activities like:
Although their coat is lower maintenance than the Rough Collie’s coat, Smooth Collies still require routine grooming. They have a thick double coat that needs routine brushing to maintain. During shedding periods, they will need frequent brushing to help release the undercoat. Keep them brushed in places like behind the ears and elbows, as these areas are prone to getting small mats. Spayed female Smooth Collies typically shed heavily once every year, while intact females are likely to shed a couple of months after each heat cycle.
Collies are clean dogs, which are said to lack “doggie odor.”
Overall, collies are a relatively healthy breed. With proper care, collies usually live to be between 10-14 years old. However, like all breeds, Smooth Collies are prone to certain health conditions. Responsible breeders screen their dogs for these conditions to minimize the risk of passing them on to their puppies. Some of the health concerns to be aware of include:
Collies are susceptible to bloat so it is important to allow multiple feedings a day as opposed to one big meal.
Smooth Collies are versatile dogs that excel in various activities. They are used both as family pets and in obedience competition, agility, herding trials, and other dog sports. Some are still used as working sheepdogs. Due to the active nature and high intelligence of this breed, many collies do very well in dog sports and competitions such as obedience, agility, rally, and herding.
Smooth Collies can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, search and rescue (SAR), assistance dog and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests.
Smooth Collies are known for their love of children. They can be protective but don’t tend to be overprotective, although you can expect your Smooth Collie to shadow your children.
When training, collies respond best to positive reinforcement. Collies are very in touch with their owners' emotions so when training, be sure to stay positive. A negative reaction during your collie's training can cause a fearful dog. But never fear! Collies love training and have been known to be easy to train because they are very smart and aim to please their owners.
Your Smooth Collie will need to eat high-quality dog food with formulas that meet WSAVA standards. If your Smooth Collie is more active than the average dog, like if they are used for herding work or long daily runs or hikes, you should look into getting your dog on a high-energy dog food.
Shedding aside, there are few differences between male and female Smooth Collies. Male dogs may be more loving, while females may be more independent. They usually are both loving dogs, and you can count on loyalty from both.
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