General Character:
The Collie is a lithe, strong, responsive, active dog, carrying no useless
timber, standing naturally straight and firm. The deep, moderately wide chest shows
strength, the sloping shoulders and well-bent hocks indicate speed and grace, and the face
shows high intelligence. The Collie presents an impressive, proud picture of true balance,
each part being in harmonious proportion to every other part and to the whole. Except for
the technical description that is essential to this Standard and without which no Standard
for the guidance of breeders and judges is adequate, it could be stated simply that no
part of the Collie ever seems to be out of proportion to any other part. Timidity,
frailness, sullenness, viciousness, lack of animation, cumbersome appearance and lack of
over-all balance impair the general character.
Head:
The
head properties are of great importance. When considered in proportion to the size of the
dog the head is inclined to lightness and never appears massive. A heavy-headed dog lacks
the necessary bright, alert, full-of-sense look that contributes so greatly to expression.
Both in front and profile view the head bears a general resemblance to a well-blunted lean
wedge, being smooth and clean in outline and nicely balanced in proportion. On the sides
it tapers gradually and smoothly from the ears to the end of the black nose, without being
flared out in backskull (cheeky) or pinched in muzzle (snipy). In profile view the top of
the backskull and the top of the muzzle lie in two approximately parallel, straight planes
of equal length, divided by a very slight but perceptible stop or break. A mid-point
between the inside corners of the eyes (which is the center of a correctly placed stop) is
the center of balance in length of head.
The
end of the smooth, well-rounded muzzle is blunt but not square. The underjaw is strong,
clean-cut and the depth of skull from the brow to the under part of the jaw is not
excessive. The teeth are of good size, meeting in a scissors bite. Overshot or
undershot jaws are undesirable, the latter being more severely penalized. There is a
very slight prominence of the eyebrows. The backskull is flat, without receding either
laterally or backward and the occipital bone is not highly peaked. The proper width of
backskull necessarily depends upon the combined length of skull and muzzle and the width
of the backskull is less than its length. Thus the correct width varies with the
individual and is dependent upon the extent to which it is supported by length of muzzle.
Because of the importance of the head characteristics, prominent head faults are very
severely penalized.
Eyes:
Because
of the combination of the flat skull, the arched eyebrows, the slight stop and the rounded
muzzle, the foreface must be chiseled to form a receptacle for the eyes and they are
necessarily placed obliquely to give them the required forward outlook. Except for the
blue merles, they are required to be matched in color. They are almond-shaped, of medium
size and never properly appear to be large or prominent. The color is dark and the eye
does not show a yellow ring or a sufficiently prominent haw to affect the dog's
expression. The eyes have a clear, bright appearance, expressing intelligent
inquisitiveness, particularly when the ears are drawn up and the dog is on the alert. In
blue merles, dark brown eyes are preferable, but either or both eyes may be merle or china
in color without specific penalty. A large, round, full eye seriously detracts from the
desired sweet expression. Eye faults are heavily penalized.
Ears:
The
ears are in proportion to the size of the head and, if they are carried properly and
unquestionably break naturally, are seldom too small. Large ears usually cannot be lifted
correctly off the head, and even if lifted, they will be out of proportion to the size of
the head. When in repose the ears are folded lengthwise and thrown back into the frill. On
the alert they are drawn well up on the backskull and are carried about three-quarters
erect, with about one-fourth of the ear tipping or breaking forward. A dog with prick
ears or low ears cannot show true expression and is penalized accordingly.
Neck:
The
neck is firm, clean, muscular, sinewy and heavily frilled. It is fairly long, carried
upright with a slight arch at the nape and imparts a proud, upstanding appearance showing
off the frill.
Body:
The
body is firm, hard and muscular, a trifle long in proportion to the height. The ribs are
well-rounded behind the well-sloped shoulders and the chest is deep, extending to the
elbows. The back is strong and level, supported by powerful hips and thighs and the croup
is sloped to give a well-rounded finish. The loin is powerful and slightly arched. Noticeably
fat dogs, or dogs in poor flesh, or with skin disease, or with no undercoat are out of
condition and are moderately penalized accordingly.
Legs:
The
forelegs are straight and muscular, with a fair amount of bone considering the size of the
dog. A cumbersome appearance is undesirable. Both narrow and wide placement are
penalized. The forearm is moderately fleshy and the pasterns are flexible but without
weakness. The hind legs are less fleshy, muscular at the thighs, very sinewy and the hocks
and stifles are well bent. A cowhocked dog or a dog with straight stifles is penalized.
The comparatively small feet are approximately oval in shape. The soles are well padded
and tough, and the toes are well arched and close together. When the Collie is not in
motion the legs and feet are judged by allowing the dog to come to a natural stop in a
standing position so that both the forelegs and the hind legs are placed well apart, with
the feet extending straight forward. Excessive "posing"is undesirable.
Gait:
Gait
is sound. When the dog is moved at a slow trot toward an observer its straight front legs
track comparatively close together at the ground. The front legs are not out at the
elbows, do not "crossover," nor does the dog move with a choppy, pacing or
rolling gait. When viewed from the rear the hind legs are straight, tracking comparatively
close together at the ground. At a moderate trot the hind legs are powerful and
propelling. Viewed from the side the reasonably long, "reaching" stride is
smooth and even, keeping the back line firm and level.
As
the speed of the gait is increased the Collie single tracks, bringing the front legs
inward in a straight line from the shoulder toward the center line of the body and the
hind legs inward in a straight line from the hip toward the center line of the body. The
gait suggests effortless speed combined with the dog's herding heritage, requiring it to
be capable of changing its direction of travel almost instantaneously.
Tail:
The
tail is moderately long, the bone reaching to the hock joint or below. It is carried low
when the dog is quiet, the end having an upward twist or swirl. When gaited or when the
dog is excited it is carried gaily but not over the back.
Coat:
The
well-fitting, proper-textured coat is the crowning glory of the rough variety of Collie.
It is abundant except on the head and legs. The outer coat is straight and harsh to the
touch. A soft, open outer coat or a curly outer coat, regardless of quantity is
penalized. The undercoat, however, is soft, furry and so close together that it is
difficult to see the skin when the hair is parted. The coat is very abundant on the mane
and frill. The face or mask is smooth. The forelegs are smooth and well feathered to the
back of the pasterns. The hind legs are smooth below the hock joints. Any feathering below
the hocks is removed for the show ring. The hair on the tail is very profuse and on the
hips it is long and bushy. The texture, quantity and the extent to which the coat
"fits the dog" are important points.
Color:
The
four recognized colors are "Sable and White," "Tri-color," "Blue
Merle" and "White." There is no preference among them. The "Sable and
White" is predominantly sable (a fawn sable color of varying shades from light gold
to dark mahogany) with white markings usually on the chest, neck, legs, feet and the tip
of the tail. A blaze may appear on the foreface or backskull or both. The
"Tri-color" is predominantly black, carrying white markings as in a "Sable
and White" and has tan shadings on and about the head and legs. The "Blue
Merle" is a mottled or "marbled" color predominantly blue-grey and black
with white markings as in the "Sable and White" and usually has tan shadings as
in the "Tri-color." The "White" is predominantly white, preferably
with sable, tri-color or blue merle markings.
Size:
Dogs
are from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 60 to 75 pounds. Bitches are from
22 to 24 inches at the shoulder, weighing from 50 to 65 pounds. An undersize or an
oversize Collie is penalized according to the extent to which the dog appears to be
undersize or oversize.
Expression:
Expression
is one of the most important points in considering the relative value of Collies. Expression,
like the term character is difficult to define in words. It is not a fixed point as in
color, weight or height and it is something the uninitiated can properly understand only
by optical illustration. In general, however, it may be said to be the combined product of
the shape and balance of the skull and muzzle, the placement, size, shape and color of the
eye and the position, size and carriage of the ears. An expression that shows sullenness
or which is suggestive of any other breed is entirely foreign. The Collie cannot be judged
properly until its expression has been carefully evaluated.
Smooth:
The Smooth Variety of Collie is judged by the same Standard as the Rough Variety, except
that the references to the quantity and distribution of the coat are not applicable to the
Smooth Variety, which has a short, hard, dense, flat coat of good texture, with an
abundance of undercoat.
Approved May
10, 1977
Colors
and Markings
Below is a list of
the colors and markings available for this breed. Please refer to the breed standard for
descriptions and the difference in types.
Description:
The name of the color and/or markings.
Type:
Standard or alternate. This is the classification of the color for show purposes. Please
refer to the breed standard for specifics regarding this breed.
Code:
This is the code entered on an application for registration of a dog.
Colors
Description |
Type |
Code |
|
Black
White & Tan |
S |
034 |
|
Blue
Merle |
S |
050 |
|
Blue
Merle & White |
S |
051 |
|
Blue
Merle White & Tan |
S |
052 |
|
Sable |
S |
164 |
|
Sable
& White |
S |
165 |
|
Sable
Merle |
S |
166 |
|
Sable
Merle & White |
S |
277 |
|
White |
S |
199 |
|
White
Merle |
S |
311 |
|
Markings
Description |
Type |
Code |
|
Black
& Tan Markings |
S |
039 |
|
Blue
Merle Markings |
S |
033 |
|
Sable |
S |
026 |
|
Sable
Merle Markings |
S |
032 |
|
|