Rough Collie puppies

About the Rough Collie

The Collie is a farm dog from Scotland and northern England that drove and gathered sheep long before Victorian fashion and later film made them famous. This is a large but light framed dog of 22.7 to 34 kg standing 56 to 66 cm, with a long clean wedge of a head, almond eyes and either the familiar rough coat or the short smooth variety. Temperament is the breed's strongest suit: sensitive, biddable, alert to everything, and easy in company with children given normal supervision.

Energy is moderate but they need genuine daily aerobic work and, above all, company. The rough coat wants a weekly brush right down to the skin with a heavy annual shed, and the smooth variety still has an undercoat to strip out. Barking is the complaint owners raise most often, usually from a bored dog left in a garden. They suit families who want a soft, trainable dog. Ask about MDR1 status before any drug is given.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Rough Collie puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Collie eye anomaly, an inherited eye defect checked by an ophthalmologist exam at 6 to 8 weeks old and detectable by DNA test
• MDR1 multidrug sensitivity, detectable by DNA test, which changes safe dosing of ivermectin and several common drugs
• Progressive retinal atrophy, detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Dermatomyositis, an inherited skin and muscle disease of young dogs, confirmed by skin biopsy
• Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs

Your Rough Collie puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Rough Collie.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 34 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 34 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Rough Collie

Previous: Rottweiler · Next: Russian Toy

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Rough Collie breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/collie/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: WisewynD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.