ROUGH COAT COLLIE Breed Standards
Both Rough and Smooth coat are descended from a localised variety of herding dog originating in Scotland and Wales. The Scottish variety was a large, strong, aggressive dog, bred to chase highland sheep. The Welsh variety was small and nimble, domesticated and friendly, and also herded goat. When the English saw these dogs at the Brimingham market, they interbred them with their own variety of sheepdogs producing a mixture of short and long haired varieties. After the Indrustrial revolution, dog ownership became fashionable, and these early collies were believed to have been crossed with the Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound) to get a more "noble" head, which is today one of the true characteristics of the Rough Collie. Though it is not known conclusively if the Borzoi cross made it into the mainstream of the breed. Other crosses possibly occurred with the Irish Setter. The Irish Setter cross may have genetically resulted in the introduction of the sable colour to the Rough Collie breed. This cross also made the dogs taller and straighter, as well as heavier. When Queen Victoria acquired a Rough Collie, after seeing one at Balmoral Castle, they were transformed into something of a fashion item. Continued breeding for show purposes drastically changed the appearance of the dogs; in the 1960s, it was a much taller dog than it is today. Earlier dogs were also more sturdy in build and capable of covering up to 100 miles in one day. In the UK the Rough Collie is no longer used for herding, having been replaced by the workaholic Border Collie. Though in the United States and a number of European countries, there has been a resurgence in the use of the Collie as a working and performance dog.
The Collie Club of America is one of the oldest breed-specific clubs in existence in the United States (founded in 1886). The Collie Club in England dates from 1881
Four coat colors are recognized for Rough Collies: sable and white, where the "sable" ranges from pale tan to a golden mahogany; white; tricolour, which is primarily black edged in tan; and blue merle, which is a mottled gray. All have white coat areas, in the collar, parts of the leg, and maybe tail tip. Some may have white blazes on their faces. Rough Collies have more pointed faces than their look-alike Sheltie 'cousins'. The downy undercoat is covered by a long, dense, coarse outer coat with a notable ruff around the neck, feathers about the legs, a petticoat on the abdomen, and a frill on the hindquarters.[
The desired size and weight varies among breed standards; male collies can stand 55.8 to 66 cm (22 to 26 in) at the shoulder; the Female averages 5 cm (2 in) shorter. The male can weigh 20.4 to 34 kg (45 - 75 lb) and the female 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 - 4.5 kg) less. According to the American and UK Kennel clubs Breed standards, UK Rough Collies are slightly smaller than their USA counterparts
One of the characteristic features of the Rough Collie is its head.This is light in relation to the rest of the body, and resembles a blunted wedge tapering smoothly from ears to black nose. The muzzle is well rounded, and never square. There is considerable variation in the colour of the head, however. The eyes are medium sized and attentive. The ears are generally bent, the bottom part vertical and the tips sloped forwards, although the dog can lay them back, or hold them vertical when alert.
