Hi, everybody! BingoPB, here, and I am going to give you tips about Collies. This is from what I've read and my personal experiences with Collies. Here it goes.
Are you considering getting a Collie of your own?
Make sure you do your research on the Collie to make sure it is the right breed for you. Do not get a Collie expecting it to be like Lassie. Do not get a Collie expecting it to be like my dog, Peanut Butter either. Each dog is different, and both Collies were trained to behave the way that they do. This is true for ANY breed of dog.
Grooming
Grooming depends on the coat type. There are two coat types for Collies, Rough and Smooth. Rough Collies have long hair, and Smooth Collies have short hair. The Rough Collie has a couple of layers on its coat. The top coat is long and luxurious. The undercoat is rough, hence its name. Rough Collies shed seasonally and blow their coats twice a year. The shedding can be reduced with regular brushing. During the times it blows its coat, you can use an undercoat rake to get to the undercoat and keep it from shedding too much. Smooth Collies are easy keepers. They don't shed quite as much. Collies are known for not having dog odor. They don't have to be bathed unless absolutely necessary. I would not recommend bathing any dog more than every two weeks. If you bath them too often, you can cause their skin to dry out.
Feeding
Collies are good-sized dogs, but they do not need to eat as much as you might think. I feed my Collie once a day, before I go to bed. Do not trust the dog food labels when it comes to how much to feed your dog.You can ask your veterinarian on how much to feed your dog. They often suggest too much in order to sell more. I say quality should be more important that quantity. It's a good idea to feed your dog a high quality food. I feed my Collie Purina One True Instinct. It has proteins not common in dog foods. The type I usually feed him is turkey and venison. He really likes the salmon and tuna flavor as well. Of course, what you feed you dog is up to you in the end.
Personality and Temperament
Collies are lovable dogs. Aggression is typically not in the Collie's nature. They are great with children. There have been kids at my house, and Peanut Butter was wonderful with them. However, as with any dog, Collies should be supervised around small children. They're also good with other pets as well. Collies are very dependent on people. If you don't have a lot of time to spend with a dog, then the Collie is not for you. They are very intelligent and very trainable. Some are easier to train than others. That really applies to any dog. Every website I've read on Collies said that they tend to be vocal and like to bark. However, I think Peanut Butter is an exception. He's never been bad for barking. However, it would not hurt to train it out of your dog while its young.
Training
As with any breed, it is important to train your Collie. It's always good to teach them basic commands like "sit", "stay", "lie down", and "come". Collies are also great a learning tricks, too. The earlier you start training your dog, the better. Some dogs can be off leash trained. Peanut Butter will stay in my yard, and he never offers to leave. It is important to keep your dog secure. I have an electric fence. Never set an electric fence on high voltage. It should be enough to get their attention and nothing more. Shock collars work well, too. Again, it should only be enough voltage to get the dog's attention. Never use a shock collar to discourage barking or to deal with aggression. It will only make the situation worse. If you want to off leash train your dog, start when it is young. Take it to a secure area with a fence. You can then move up to a beach or something like that. Make sure the beach allows dogs to be off leash. You have to teach your dog to come when call. Make sure your dog knows its boundaries. If it goes too far, call it back. Your dog may get busy and not listen at first. The best thing you can do is get excited when you call your dog back. When your dog comes back, be nice. Praise your dog for coming back. If you tell it off, it might not come back next time. Not all dogs can be off leash trained. If you don't trust your dog off leash, then don't let it off the leash unless you have it in a secure area.
Living situations
All websites I have read on the Collie say that Collies will do okay in apartments as long as they are sufficiently exercised. However, I would not recommend them for apartments. Collies like a lot of space. I do not recommend Collies for those who live in hot environments. Some of them are prone to sunburn. Collies do best in a cold to moderate climate. I live in a moderate climate, where summers are typically warm with a few hot days, and winters are typically cold, although the past couple of winters have been mild. I also live on an acreage, which is great for Collies. You don't have to have sheep or cattle for Collies to herd, as long as you keep your dog entertained in some way. Even if it's just backyard play, a Collie needs something to do. Otherwise, it will get bored, and it might dig holes in your yard. They should never be tied up or chained outside. Otherwise, you will have a noisy, unhappy dog.
I will close with this. Collies are wonderful dogs. I have enjoyed my Collie. Technically, Bingo counts. However, he might not have been a purebred Collie. We got him from a backyard breeder, which is the worst place to go to get a purebred dog. Peanut Butter came with papers, so he is a purebred Collie. Before getting a Collie, or any breed, do research and choose your next best friend wisely.
Are you considering getting a Collie of your own?
Make sure you do your research on the Collie to make sure it is the right breed for you. Do not get a Collie expecting it to be like Lassie. Do not get a Collie expecting it to be like my dog, Peanut Butter either. Each dog is different, and both Collies were trained to behave the way that they do. This is true for ANY breed of dog.
Grooming
Grooming depends on the coat type. There are two coat types for Collies, Rough and Smooth. Rough Collies have long hair, and Smooth Collies have short hair. The Rough Collie has a couple of layers on its coat. The top coat is long and luxurious. The undercoat is rough, hence its name. Rough Collies shed seasonally and blow their coats twice a year. The shedding can be reduced with regular brushing. During the times it blows its coat, you can use an undercoat rake to get to the undercoat and keep it from shedding too much. Smooth Collies are easy keepers. They don't shed quite as much. Collies are known for not having dog odor. They don't have to be bathed unless absolutely necessary. I would not recommend bathing any dog more than every two weeks. If you bath them too often, you can cause their skin to dry out.
Feeding
Collies are good-sized dogs, but they do not need to eat as much as you might think. I feed my Collie once a day, before I go to bed. Do not trust the dog food labels when it comes to how much to feed your dog.You can ask your veterinarian on how much to feed your dog. They often suggest too much in order to sell more. I say quality should be more important that quantity. It's a good idea to feed your dog a high quality food. I feed my Collie Purina One True Instinct. It has proteins not common in dog foods. The type I usually feed him is turkey and venison. He really likes the salmon and tuna flavor as well. Of course, what you feed you dog is up to you in the end.
Personality and Temperament
Collies are lovable dogs. Aggression is typically not in the Collie's nature. They are great with children. There have been kids at my house, and Peanut Butter was wonderful with them. However, as with any dog, Collies should be supervised around small children. They're also good with other pets as well. Collies are very dependent on people. If you don't have a lot of time to spend with a dog, then the Collie is not for you. They are very intelligent and very trainable. Some are easier to train than others. That really applies to any dog. Every website I've read on Collies said that they tend to be vocal and like to bark. However, I think Peanut Butter is an exception. He's never been bad for barking. However, it would not hurt to train it out of your dog while its young.
Training
As with any breed, it is important to train your Collie. It's always good to teach them basic commands like "sit", "stay", "lie down", and "come". Collies are also great a learning tricks, too. The earlier you start training your dog, the better. Some dogs can be off leash trained. Peanut Butter will stay in my yard, and he never offers to leave. It is important to keep your dog secure. I have an electric fence. Never set an electric fence on high voltage. It should be enough to get their attention and nothing more. Shock collars work well, too. Again, it should only be enough voltage to get the dog's attention. Never use a shock collar to discourage barking or to deal with aggression. It will only make the situation worse. If you want to off leash train your dog, start when it is young. Take it to a secure area with a fence. You can then move up to a beach or something like that. Make sure the beach allows dogs to be off leash. You have to teach your dog to come when call. Make sure your dog knows its boundaries. If it goes too far, call it back. Your dog may get busy and not listen at first. The best thing you can do is get excited when you call your dog back. When your dog comes back, be nice. Praise your dog for coming back. If you tell it off, it might not come back next time. Not all dogs can be off leash trained. If you don't trust your dog off leash, then don't let it off the leash unless you have it in a secure area.
Living situations
All websites I have read on the Collie say that Collies will do okay in apartments as long as they are sufficiently exercised. However, I would not recommend them for apartments. Collies like a lot of space. I do not recommend Collies for those who live in hot environments. Some of them are prone to sunburn. Collies do best in a cold to moderate climate. I live in a moderate climate, where summers are typically warm with a few hot days, and winters are typically cold, although the past couple of winters have been mild. I also live on an acreage, which is great for Collies. You don't have to have sheep or cattle for Collies to herd, as long as you keep your dog entertained in some way. Even if it's just backyard play, a Collie needs something to do. Otherwise, it will get bored, and it might dig holes in your yard. They should never be tied up or chained outside. Otherwise, you will have a noisy, unhappy dog.
I will close with this. Collies are wonderful dogs. I have enjoyed my Collie. Technically, Bingo counts. However, he might not have been a purebred Collie. We got him from a backyard breeder, which is the worst place to go to get a purebred dog. Peanut Butter came with papers, so he is a purebred Collie. Before getting a Collie, or any breed, do research and choose your next best friend wisely.