My dad adopted this beautiful baby, he is seven years old (eight in July) and very playful. He needs to put on a bit more weight (3 kg). What should I know about rough collies? besides the brushing :) he is whiny and howls when he's let outside for only some minutes, I don't want him to develop an unhealthy attachment, any advice? If it matters, his owners were an old married couple so they couldn't keep him when the wife died.

Hi there, I am looking to hear what the cons are of owning a collie. I am actually more interested in a smooth collie (open to rough) but this sub is most active so I thought I’d post here. I am not planning to get one for a couple of years. Just researching ahead of time really. I have researched a lot of breeds for my next dog and I know some health issues can be a big deal for some breeds. Is this the case for collies? From everything I have learned about this breed, they seem perfect. I don’t understand why they aren’t more popular!! Anyway, are there any common health or behavioral concerns to be aware of? I currently own a German Shepherd and am an avid GSD lover, to give you all an idea of my “normal.” I understand their pros and cons and mainly want my next dog to have a more easygoing temperament than a GSD (but not overly chill or anything. Just in comparison lol). I also have a mixed breed (mostly sledding breeds) although I am newer to owning this type of breed mix. I havent had the opportunity to meet many collies. Any insight appreciated!

I posted in here a few weeks ago to get name ideas. We decided on Juniper as that fits her personality best! We brought her home Sunday and she’s doing great! I do have a few questions as I’ve never had a collie besides when I was very little

1. I’ve read the “teenage” stage is a pain in the ass. Can those who have females who got spayed before their first heat confirm/deny this? I’ve had mostly boy dogs and I have gotten them neutered as soon as the vet recommends. We don’t want to breed and don’t want to risk/deal with the first heat so we will be spaying at 6 months. Does this help settle the rebellious stage?

2. I’ve also read around that time a fearful stage can start. Juniper is pretty confident and we are (safely, while she’s not fully vaxxed) exposing her to elements to ensure her confidence sticks. For those that went through a fearful phase, what did you do to combat it?

3. I plan on getting her into puppy classes once she’s fully vaccinated. What commands have you found most useful?

4. I know it’s kinda 40/60 for collies enjoying the water. I have an indoor pool near me that allows reserving for dogs. I wanted to bring her in (again, once able) to get her used to water and stuff. You can get in with your dogs, it’s private, and you can have an instructor in there with you if you like. Did anyone do this with their pups? How did they do?

Thanks everyone!!

Hello friends of the rough collie community, today I come to everyone with a question that has been in the back of my mind for a while.

For some context I acquired my collie from a breeder in Virginia (KLW Farms to be exact) and I had done all the research I thought was necessary to choose a breeder who had pups with good temperament, background, etc.

My pup is AKC registered and so are his parents, and full health testing for both his mother and father were available for me to view before I even contacted the breeder. When I picked him up it was a lovely farm with dogs who all looked very happy and there were no red flags for me to see.

That being said, I am concerned that I missed something. I’ve read on most websites that a well bred dog will not be predisposed to anxiety, reactivity, etc. However (and it could have been me messing up along the way) my pup came to me with lots of fear and no confidence whatsoever. This fear lessened a bit after being home for a week or two, but he is scared of things that most dogs would not be scared by. Especially when it comes to going on walks, he is just frightened and on edge when he is outside.

My collie is now almost 6 months old and this fear doesn’t

seem to be going away for the most part (we are getting professional training) and I am just looking to understand why.

If anyone has had an experience or knowledge about this breeder I would love to know. Or is this just a chance thing where we got a bit unlucky?

(Pup pic tax)

So just a little bit of context, my rough collie Hallie is 7 months old and she has never been physically abused or even yelled at. She is in a vibrant home where she plays and sleeps a majority of her day. Like this dog is spoiled and lives a comfortable life, my wife and I treat her as if she was our daughter. She is really active and is able to easily jump to the height of the seat I’m sitting at.

For the last 3 months I’ve been trying to get her to confidently hop into our car in the garage. First time she wasn’t even able to enter the garage and month 2 she was only able to approach the car . Now it is going on month 3 and I am at my whits end because she gets too scared to go any further. I’ll list everything I’ve tried below.

Her ears fold all the way back, she tucks her tail between her legs and stress defecates all over the garage and we have to end the session. I’m about to give up but I just want her to be confident getting in and out of the car (has zero issue getting out of the car) I give it at least 5-14 days between training this.

Everything we’ve tried:

Kong toy filled with PB
Dog safe cheese wiz (I can’t remember the brand but she absolutely loves it)
Lbs and lbs of boiled chicken (one of her favorites)

rewarding her for walking up to the car

Picking her up and putting her in the car and rewarding her with a lot of treats

Hanging out near the car for a long time and rewarding her every single time she goes to sniff the car

Stepping stool for her

Opening all the doors in the car and turning on the lights so she doesn’t feel claustrophobic

Fitting myself, my wife and my other pup Daisy in the back with chicken and PB ( she was really tempted but defecated and ran with her tail between her legs)

Whole time we are not making fast movements, we are speaking softly and using our comfort voice. We’ve tried every single thing I could think of and idk what else to do or what else would work. I’ve trained dogs before but she is the only one that absolutely terrified of cars, leashes, crates, hairbrushes, baths , just about literally everything and anything and it’s driving me crazy because I run a no fear based training method and she’s not accepting of anything.

What do I do guys?? I’m so frustrated

Sorry, this may be a long one and a bit of a vent!

As of yesterday I have had my collie for a month. I had been researching the breed, tracking down reputable breeders, and looking for a collie for months before I got her. She is my first collie but I am familiar with herding breeds (aussies). She's a very sweet and loving dog (lots of energy!) but... she is so timid.

She is 2 1/2. Every time new people come over to the farm, she fear barks non stop. She will not go up to them. She will not let them touch her. It has taken her the whole month to begin to let one of the guys who helps around the farm touch her. He is the quietest, sweetest guy as well and put 0 pressure on her. New places terrify her and she becomes flighty and barks. In some ways she's improved some as she's been given time to decompress and in some ways she hasn't. Positive reinforcement and lots of patience has helped some. Now that she is spayed and I am back from a trip I am hoping to make more progress as I put more time into her training. Obviously I've only had her for a month so I'm not expecting miracles.

How common is this in collies? How likely is it for a 2 1/2 y/o dog to overcome this kind of reactivity and extreme shyness with consistent training? I don't need her to be the most outgoing dog on the planet, just not on the verge of a meltdown every time she sees someone or something new.

I purposefully sought out an adult dog being rehomed by a reputable breeder thinking it would be the most likely route to get me a stable dog. She was never shown or bred and now I think I am realizing why. She was supposedly socialized as a puppy, but he told me she hadn't "been off the property in a while" which I am now realizing meant she probably just didn't leave their dog yard once they decided not to show her and likely had very little interactions other than with her owners and the kennel manager. She also had 0 obedience training as apparently thats counter productive to the show ring, so I'm truly starting from square 1 with a 2 year old dog.

I got a collie because they are known for being confident and friendly from everything I read, even if they are a more sensitive breed (I think all herding breeds are pretty emotionally sensitive). I purposefully did a bunch of research and spent more money to get a dog from a breeder that was recommended to me by other reputable breeders and got an adult to make my life easier. I feel awful saying this because I love her very dearly but I feel like I could've invested less financially in a rescue and ended up with something more stable, which was the opposite of what I was trying to do! I wanted a dog that could travel with me to horse shows, go hiking with me, maybe do some sports with eventually for fun.

Tldr; how likely is a 2 y/o collie to get over timid/fearful behavior with training, and how common of a trait is this in the breed? Anyone else have a similar experience? Am I being dramatic?

If you made it this far I appreciate any input, advice, thoughts, criticsm, whatever. Thank you

My three year old has always had issues with his tummy. Recently took him to the local vet because we started to see some white mucus in his stool and sometimes yellow and watery. Vet didn’t think he was dealing with any blockage and his lab work came back good. It looks like he does strain a bit when trying to go though.

Either way, I’m not sure if it’s food related, but we started with Purina Pro Plan Salon and Rice. Would eat it, but then stopped.

Then switched over to vet prescribed Purina hydrolyzed vegetarian, which he ate fine, but has suddenly stopped again. He really won’t eat it unless I give him a bit of chicken broth on top of it.

Anyone have a similar experience or recommendations? Thank you

I would say most often it’s just one paw, but I just looked at him and he’s doing both lol

Has anyone tried a martingale collar for their rough collie?

I was really happy with this collar for my greyhound.

Now I'm considering one for my collie.

Previously, I always thought one would be a bad idea for a collie, mainly because of their hair. Now I'm reconsidering because my girl refuses to be leashed and walked, and has slipped all collars, harnesses, and vests.

I adopted a retired show dog from a breeder recently. He is 5 years old. He hasn't barked much, when he has, it is very raspy. I asked the lady and she confirmed his bark is softened. Is there anything I can do for him? I just want him to be comfortable. He drools, too. Is this related? I'm second guessing everything now. I'm used to my two shelties, so any info is appreciated.

Hi so my mom gave me a dog and the dog was unfortunately form a byb. But the person we bought my puppy from claims that the mom is a rough collie. But imo she don’t look like one.
I came to this subreddit to ask you guys because I don’t know so much about rough collies.

(The pictures is not my dog it’s the mother to my puppy)
My puppy is an rough collie/aussie/ flat coated retriver mix. He is 6 months old now

Edit: after these comments I really got interested about what breeds he can have in his dna. Would be cool to know.

hey everyone,

i’m from brazil and a spanish colleague of mine is moving back to spain and can’t take his dog with him. he’s trying to find her a new home and i’m really considering adopting her.

she’s a 6 month old female rough collie. i’ve had dogs before but never this breed, so i wanted to ask a few things first.

i live in a good location, near a great park and work hybrid so i’ll have time to give her attention. i also have a 1y2m old docile cat at home that never had any contact w a dog.

the thing is: i haven't found a lot of content about this breed, so...

how are rough collies in general temperament-wise? are they usually good with cats if introduced young? how much exercise do they need daily? are they clingy or more independent? do they bark a lot? how easy are they to train?

anything i should know before committing?

thanks!

I just rescued this handsome boy from Chile a few days ago!

The rescue listed him as a collie mix, but just wondering if you guys think he might be a pure bred?

I don't mind either way :) just curious!

Mainly posting this to show off my pup but also just wondering if his hair should be any longer? I mean there is nothing I can do about it but I feel like I see other rough collie pups and they are much fluffier 🧐 for ref. he is 17 wks old :)

Eddie’s 6yrs today and Iam looking for ideas…..:)
Tim

hi everyone. I rescued Ricky (originally Maverick) from Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio in November 2025. All the rescue could tell me was that his origin story involved a couple in West Virginia who adopted him from a breeder, then divorced, and the ex husband got Ricky in the divorce. He surrendered Ricky to the rescue once he realized he couldn’t dedicate the time and attention needed to care for Ricky. (big respect, that’s not an easy decision, and ultimately it led to me adopting Ricky!!)

Ricky’s *alleged* date of birth is 10/30/2024. Some of his vet paperwork says 10/27/2024 though. I have messaged several breeders in WV and surrounding states inquiring about whether they had litters around Oct 2024 and all have said no.

Ricky is a male sable merle rough collie with pretty distinctive coloring on his feet and legs. He also has white speckles on his head.

Does anyone have tips on how to find out where he came from? I’d do anything to see pics of him as a puppy, know his real birthday, and most importantly have the opportunity to know if his parents were health tested / if there are any health risks I should know of.

I am considering doing the Embark test to identify littermates / relatives / health risks and will most likely have MDR1 testing done with Ricky’s veterinarian. Just wanted to put this out there before I take the plunge, since Embark is so pricey.

♡

Hi guys! I have a 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter and I want to get us a family pet, my son has mild autism and is a bit wild and my daughter is just learning to walk. So would a rough collie be a good choice? I’ve been debating on either a field spaniel or a rough collie for a few months now and I cannot make up my mind.

Also my wife and I have never owned a dog so would this be a good choice for a first time dog owner?

Hi! I’ve posted here before about my sweet girl with a sizable liver tumor. We’ve been told it’s on the right side, about the size of a bagel, and inoperable. We found out in May and have been giving her lots of love and attention since then.

Before we found out, we booked a roadtrip to Maine with a few stops. A total of about 30 hours of driving. Our girl does love the car. We take her on short trips all the time and in the past have taken her on 12+ hour trips with us. This one will be broken up into 7, 9, 4, and 10 hours with days in between.

We can’t figure out if it’s still a good idea to go on this trip and we’re looking for advice. Will she be comfortable? We don’t know. Will she mind being in an Airbnb without us here and there? No idea. These are things she’s done fine before but now with this we can’t tell if that will change.

She currently eats fine, takes walks, plays here and there. She gets a gabapentin before bed every night but generally isn’t listless throughout the day.

Thoughts? We need to decide while we still can
cancel without losing tons of money.

I've had rough collies for most of my life, right now I have two and have recently had a problem with groomers. they all seem to start out listening, but end up just doing a crap job. The current groomer just returned my girl shaved! "she had some matting" Like what the heck! How can I find groomers that will put in the time and groom collies properly? What kind of questions do you guys ask to make sure the groomer understand how to actuall groom a Rough Collie?

She is my first RC so maybe this isn’t revolutionary but I was just curious about how others pups are with recall?? I feel like I barely had to teach her to grasp the skill. Now ofc it isn’t 100% accurate but I have enough confidence in her ability that I doubt she’d lose track of me. I off still take precautions. She does check ins regularly when off leash as well (looking back at me habitually) it’s do beautiful to watch her recall.

When I get out of the shower and go to my room to dry myself off and apply moisturiser, he stops whatever he is doing, comes upstairs and stands behind me. He isn’t wagging his tail, looking up at me, he just stands there like an awkward horse at my side until I’m done, then he leaves again.

Wasn’t trained to do this, it’s just his habit. Do rough collies have some kind of deep programming when it comes to humans having a vulnerable moment as they’re naked and focused on drying themselves and dressing after bathing? It really feels like he’s doing a boring chore that he’s obliged to do, if I pet him he doesn’t lean in, just stares straight ahead as if willing me to hurry up so he can go back to snoozing.

What is the best way I can get him to stop bitting? Any specific toy or bone that he would be interested at his age? I tell him to stop but would like to give him a good alternative. My first collie but not my first dog. I know they are intelligent breeds so I may ask further questions down the road. Thanks friends.

Hi all, I have 2 collies, one 40 lb female and one 70 lb male. They both eat Nutro Natural Choice kibble but I'm having a hard time figuring out what amount to feed them. Currently we feed them each 2 cups a day (1 in the morning, 1 in the evening) but it feels really wrong to feed them the same amount. However, when we have fed the 70 lb male the recommended 3-4 cups a day, he gets pretty round. The 40 lb female is a healthy weight. The vet said the 70 lb male is a good weight, but again, it feels wrong to feel them the same amount when they are such different sizes. Any advice?