Gray Dawn- Treader
Don\\\'t Tread- on me
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 | | Barked: Mon Sep 10, '07 3:17pm PST |  | |  | | My mistress, Cookie (my GSD "sister"), and I think that Collies are a GREAT breed. (Altoght Cookie naturally prefers GSDs.) Almost nothing would please me more than to point out some untrue "facts" often said about Collies. (I'm not a Collie myself, but I am what some people mistakingly call a “miniature Collie”. But, We’ll get to that later.)
First of all, many people say since Collies are big, they need a big yard and house to live in. Collies like and enjoy a big yard, but it’s not something that they need. According to Chelsea Collies (a REPUTABLE breeder), Collies love long walks, but can thrive on a small city lot. There’s really just one thing Collies need to be truly happy: Human Companionship. Collies are true family dogs.
Here’s a more common assumption: Collies need to be brushed once a day or more, and need baths every few days. Ha! They may LOOK like it, but looks can be deceiving. Collies really only need to be brushed once a week, sometimes less. In fact, when not in the shedding season, you can wait 2 weeks before brushing your Collie again.
Here’s one that’s kinda about Collies: Shelties (sometimes called “Miniature Collies”) are exactly the same as Collie except for the size. Baloney! Collies and Shelties are 2 different and discinct breeds. (Shelties “look” a lot like Collies because they have Collies in their ancestry.) Sure, Collies and Shelties are very similar, but there ARE differences. And, pal, those differences are as plain as night and day. First of all, the size. Shelties are MUCH smaller than Collies, although there have been some very close to the size of a Collie. That’s not the only difference, though. While a Sheltie’s body may look just like a Collie’s body, the BIG difference is the head, which is shaped different. Collies have long, slender noses. Shelties do NOT. Many people think that the above “facts” are true. But, as I’m sure all you Collies could testify to, they are NOT.
Now, you’re probable thinking, “What are you, a Collie expert?” Not really, but we have read a lot about Collies and Shelties. So, we could tell you a lot of things. No, my mistress has never owned a Collie, although she plans to someday. However, she has met 2 Collies (and got to pet them). Both seemed to LOVE the attention they got from her. They seemed to love meeting people. They seemed gentle, fun-loving, and well-behaved. My mistress has never met a dog (besides her own dogs, of course) that she liked more. When my mistress first met a Collie, she was surprised about how narrow the nose looked. She thinks it makes them look smart. I think so too. She would LOVE to meet more around town (we live in St. Marys, Georgia). She does know of some 3 other Collies that live here, but she has never met them. They were in a St. Marys magazine, in an artcile about shelter pets (the first story too). 2 were rescued from a puppy miller “breeder” who had 300 Collies, and killed 100 of them just because she didn’t want them anymore. One of the remaining 200, one died later, and the rest were rescued and found homes. The 3rd Collie was from the Humane Society in Kingsland. He had been abandoned and tied to a road sign. Boy, would my mistress LOVE to meet them! Collies are not right for everyone, but you can admire a breed and not own it. You know, Shelties are popular (in the Top Twenty on most popularly owned breeds list). I think the reason for this is that people hear about the Collie misconceptions mentioned above (and believe them), and figure that since Shelties look like Collies, that Shelties would make a better pet because thy’re smaller. It’s possible anyway. Please leave a comment if you think I’m wrong on something, or just want to tell me that I did a good job, or anything else.
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. As far as the collie coat, it is much more easy to maintain than it looks. I am very careful about keeping myself clean, I don't like to step in mud unless I'm on a hike! Both breeds are a treasure.
The Dog Show: Who's Your Mama?
9
