Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Rough Collie
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A Rough Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding. It is well known because of the works of author Albert Payson Terhune , and was popularized in later generations by the Lassie novel, movies, and television shows. There is also a smooth-coated variety; some breed organizations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.
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Appearance
Collies come in four basic coat colors: sable and white, where the "Sable" ranges from pale tan to a golden mahogany; white (which some breed standards disallow); tricolor, which is primarily black edged in sable; and blue merle, which is a mottled gray. All come with white chest, legs, and tail tip and many have white blazes on their faces.
The desired size and weight varies among breed standards; male collies can stands 55.8 to 6 cm (22 to 26 in) at shoulder; the bitch averages 5 cm (2 in) shorter. The male can weigh 20.4 to 34 kg (45 - 75 lb) and bitches 5 to 10 pounds less.
The mascot of Texas A&M University, Reveille VII, is a Rough Collie.
Temperament
By all accounts, this is an intelligent dog who loves to work, but in contemporary times has little herding instinct, since its bloodline consists of 50% bird-hunting dogs and 25% wolf-hunting dogs, which dilute the influence of the 25% herding dog.
History
Both Rough and Smooth collies are descended from a localised variety of herding dog originating in Scotland. [1] Originally, there were numerous forms of these dogs. After the industrial revolution, dog ownership became fashionable, and these early collies were crossed with the Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound), to get a more "noble" head, which is today one of the true characteristics of the rough collie. Continued breeding for show purposes drastically changed the apperance of the dogs; it was in the 1960s a much taller dog than today. Earlier dogs were also more sturdy in build.
They are friendly, unaggressive dogs. The coat needs to be brushed frequently to keep it in a show condition, but it doesn't require extensive care. They are mid-sized dogs, suiting them to live in small houses and apartments.
See also
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