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Anyone got experience of rough collies?

5 replies

quickdowntonson · 05/01/2013 10:08

We are hoping to get a rough collie puppy in april. Has anyone got experience of rough collies, and tips on training etc?
Any advice greatly appreciated!

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Plentyofpets · 06/01/2013 18:05

Make sure you go to a good breeder who health tests - including eye tests and hips, many don't and there are increasing health issues in the breed.

They are lovely dogs :)

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TataClaire · 07/01/2013 08:17

Rough Collies are my breed, have had them since 1998 and have shown and bred them, now just have my one old boy. They are a lovely breed, though not suited to everyone - picking the right breeder is absolutely vital, if you pm me I can tell you who to stay away from and what to look for.
I chose them over other breeds because they are a reasonable size, regarding exercise, once old enough, they take what you give them, but don't hold it against you if you can't go out one day. They are cute, playful, yet somehow seem have sixth sense about certain things, and mine seemed to know the difference between adults and kids and would tolerate a lot more from kids than they would from an adult tugging at them!
My female was able to detect my SIL's pregnancies every time before she even knew and stuck to her and those kids like glue when they visited!
They are very trainable and intelligent, so you have to be careful you don't inadvertantly train them to do things. They can be vocal, and almost 'talk' to you sometimes, which can be a little high pitched, but quite funny, and you can do anything with them from good old fashioned sheep herding to agility once they're old enough and you can start on obedience as soon as you get your pup home, as they're little sponges that love learning!
Re coat care, they do need regular attention, though not as much as people think, and from the moment you get them home, you should make it part of your routine, start with a puppy brush and make it a pleasureable thing for them and get them used to it while lying in their sides and back and be used to you moving their toes and paws, as when their older you may want to trim the hair that grows on their feet as it will look a lot tidier and bring in less wet in the bad weather.
As you can tell, Im a fan and could talk about them forever! Shout if you have any more questions! Grin

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ijustwant8hours · 07/01/2013 18:08

No tips, sorry, but I grew up with rough collies and they were lovely lovely dogs!

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JustAHolyFool · 07/01/2013 18:12

I've got a rough/border collie mix. Lovely lovely dog, super intelligent.

Make sure you have enough stuff going on to entertain it all the time. We bought this IQ test thing for the dog, doing stuff like hiding a ball and seeing how long it takes to find it. It was definitely fun for him, he loved doing that sort of stuff.

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paddythepooch · 07/01/2013 20:52

Watching this with interest. Our lurcher is a rough collie/greyhound mix. Beautiful dog inside and out. Lovely temperament, I would describe him as gentle and kindly. Clever too.

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