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Breeds / Large

Smooth Collie puppies

Friendly, alert and active, the Smooth Collie bonds closely with their family and loves training. They can be sensitive and quick to bark at visitors or anything unusual, so they do best with calm, consistent handling.

A Smooth Collie
Photo: Mwensley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

The facts

  • Size class Large
  • Country of origin Great Britain
  • Adult weight 18 to 29.5 kg
  • Adult weight in pounds 40 to 65 lb
  • Adult height 51 to 61 cm
  • Energy level Moderate
  • Grooming Moderate
  • Coat type Short, flat and harsh over a very dense undercoat
  • Typical lifespan 12 to 15 years
  • Good with children Usually good
  • Good with other dogs Usually good

Where these figures come from

About the Smooth Collie

The Smooth Collie is the short coated twin of the Rough Collie, bred to work sheep in the Scottish Lowlands and refined over the years with Greyhound blood and crosses back to the Rough. The Royal Kennel Club first awarded challenge certificates to Smooths as a separate breed in 1979, the two could be interbred until 1994, and Smooth parents can still produce Rough puppies. Dogs Australia and the FCI also list the Smooth as a breed of their own, while the AKC treats rough and smooth as two varieties of one breed, the Collie. Under the FCI standard males stand 56 to 61 cm and weigh 20.5 to 29.5 kg, females 51 to 56 cm and 18 to 25 kg, with a short, flat, harsh coat over a very dense undercoat in sable and white, tricolour or blue merle. The Royal Kennel Club lists the Smooth as a vulnerable native breed.

Purina UK suggests one to two hours of walking a day, along with training, games and varied routes, and warns that this is not a breed to leave mentally under-exercised. The coat needs a brush through once a week, although Purina rates shedding at five out of five, so expect hair. They suit a semi rural home with a well fenced garden better than busy town life, and Purina says they are better with older children, since some keep the herding habit of nipping small ones. Before buying, ask to see the parents' DNA results for MDR1, collie eye anomaly, degenerative myelopathy and PRA, plus their eye and hip scheme results.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Smooth 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.

Your Smooth Collie puppy's first six months

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 29.5 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

Other large breeds

Afghan Hound 22.7 to 27.2 kg Airedale Terrier 22.7 to 31.8 kg Akita 31.8 to 59 kg Alaskan Malamute 34 to 38.6 kg American Bulldog 27.2 to 45.4 kg American English Coonhound 20.4 to 29.5 kg

More on the Smooth Collie

On the list: first time owners

Previous: Small Munsterlander · Next: Smooth Fox Terrier

Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.

Sources

Photo: Mwensley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.