Rough Collie Facts

Rough Collie Profile

In life, they say, you take the rough with the smooth. This applies to many things: peanut butter, gemstones, car paint, and endoplasmic reticula, to name a few. But there’s always one that’s just substantially more pleasing than the other. When it comes rough collies, just like all the prior examples, the smooth variant has to take a backseat.

Rough Collie Facts Overview

Rough collies are, ironically, remarkably soft and lovable dogs. They’re excellent as both working and family animals, using their smarts and their good looks to charm and work well with people.

These medium-to-large dogs are more adaptable than most and fill roles from bodyguards to actors to gymnasts, which makes them one of the most popular breeds on the market, but they do tend to come predisposed to certain ailments, as almost all purebreds do too.

Interesting Rough Collie Facts

1. They’re Scottish

Like all collies, rough collies originated as working dogs, and this one was a loyal Scottish sheepdog. The word collie stems from the Scots language, and may come from the word for “Useful”, which these dogs most definitely have been.

They are native to Britain, and evolved there as a domestic breed, alongside the other collies, which have been used up and down the Isles for over 200 years

2. They’re smart

When an animal is used for something that they are innately good at, like a sniffer dog for sniffing stuff, they don’t need to be all that bright, they just have to do what they were going to do anyway, but maybe a little better and around humans (this is also why cats are barely considered domesticated – they were just bred to do cat things next to us).

But when a dog is bred to do something complex, like work alongside humans to round up sheep without eating or maiming them, this requires a lengthy evolutionary relationship between human and dog that improves the ability of both animals.

Domestication is the human-centric word for symbiosis, and symbiosis never happens in just one direction, so as dogs became more human-like, we necessarily became more dog-like in return. And, knowing dogs, this is a good thing.

Breeds like the collies are notoriously smart – especially in emotional intelligence – they’re strong-willed and have exceptional character, too. And this has allowed them to branch out from Scottish sheepdog, into almost all forms of doggy assist roles. ¹

3. They do it all

These are medium-sized dogs, reaching up to around 30 kg at the high end, and so they’re light enough to be agile while still big enough to be intimidating as guard dogs.

They are competitive in agility and obedience, they play games, they function well as rescue and guide dogs, and have been used in search and rescue roles as well.

Lassie was also a rough collie (actually, Lassie was 9 rough collies, as the show lasted almost 20 years), so they’re fairly good actors, too. ²

Collies are possibly the most intelligent breeds of dog, and while it’s hard to find a contender for the outstanding border collie in terms of brain power, the rough collie would be a strong one. This makes them just as easy to train, but they have one thing over on the border collie in terms of attitude, at least when it comes to being a pet.

4. They’re not as hyper

Border collies are almost competitive in their intelligence. They have a tremendous amount of energy, mentally and physically, that needs to be burned off each day in order for them to stay sane. This makes them outstanding shepherds, but can make it difficult to look after them responsibly.

Not so much with the rough collies, as they’re more laid back in general and more readily fit into the domestic household role as a result.

5. They have health issues

Rough collies are heavy enough to be affected with hip dysplasia, and they’re predisposed to other issues, as well.

Rough collies are prone to dental diseases, bacterial and viral infections, eye issues, and a particular form of heart disease called Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

These are purebred dogs, so they are prone to all sorts of the same inbreeding risks and subsequent genetic disorders that purebreds face. ³

6. They don’t handle the heat very well

The glorious coat of the rough collie is an obvious handicap in hot weather, and so this breed does better when it’s cooler outside. They can tolerate the heat, but owners need to be wary of the warning signs of overheating.

Dogs can’t sweat, so their entire evaporative cooling system relies on that slither of ham-like meat that droops out of their mouths. The longer it’s drooping, the hotter the dog is feeling. But on the other hand, their thick, double coat insulates in both directions, so it’s not as hot as it looks, and can actually block a lot of the sun’s heat from reaching the body.

The risk comes when there’s exertion involved, which generates heat from the dog that has nowhere to go because of the heat from the sun, so think twice before trimming their coat! ^{4 5}

7. They make annoying noises

Aside from the most obvious hair-related drawbacks relating to a dog with a coat this long, one of the most common complaints about this breed is the piercing bark. They can also be hard to console once they’ve decided they’re upset about something.

They’re also very sensitive, so they can become upset quite easily.

These complaints typically come with a disclaimer that the breed as a whole is amazing, and there are no regrets, but they’re worth considering before committing to owning one. ⁶

Rough Collie Fact-File Summary

Scientific Classification

1. Emily Sowulewski, “How Smart Are Rough Collies?”, Collie Chatter.
2. , “Lassie”, IMDb.
3. , “Collie (Rough)”, Lassen Veterinary.
4. , “Grooming Your Rough Collie”, Rough Collie Breed Council.
5. MaryNH (2009), “Dogs and heat. To clip or not to clip.”, BC Boards.
6. jacksonsjob, “What do you wish you knew before getting a rough collie? ”,reddit.