The History of the Collie
The history of the Collie is not well-defined. The Modern Dog Encyclopedia states that
the working Collie can be traced to the Roman period. Shepard's dogs were brought to England and
Scotland by Roman conquerors and from these dogs the Collie of today was bred.
In the early 19th century, there existed an intelligent working dog in Scotland. At this
time, the Collie resembled what we know today as the Border Collie. This dog was most
popular among farmers and shepards.
During the mid 19th century, Queen Victoria took an interest in the breed and popular interest
of the Collie grew. The breed grew into intelligence, fast learning and great beauty.
Born in 1863, Ch Old Cockie, was one of the most successful show and breeder of his day. All
Collie's of today can be traced back to Old Cockie through his grandson Ch Charlemagne.
World War I nearly led to the extinction of the Collie, but in the 1920s two influential kennels
were created, which brought the breed back into light. Westcarr and Ladypark Kennels brought world-wide recognition
to the breed.The first rough and smooth Colllies appeared in the show ring around 1870 and the first Collie Club was created in 1881.
Today the Collie comes in various shapes, sizes, variations and colors. The Sheltie is a miniature version of the
Rough Collie. The Smooth Collie has short hair, as opposed to the Rough Collie which has long hair. Colors include
Blue Merle, Tri-Color (white, brown and black), and Sable. There is also
the Border Collie and Bearded Collie.