International Smooth Collie Forum

This article was published in an annex of one of Slovenia’s daily newspapers. Its aim was to present a breed to an average reader and make it more recognisable inside the country.

THE SMOOTH COLLIE

Not a mutt but rather a lesser known Lassie

Smooth Collies (aka Smooths) are not “mutated” representatives of a more popular variety of a Rough Collie (aka Roughs). They have their own standard and therefore are their own special breed. Sena, being registered under number 001, is the only Smooth Collie female in Slovenia and her owner Lea Bohnec from Lendava tells us that the recognition of the breed is usually very poor. In most cases people are convinced that Sena is some sort of cross, on the other hand it is interesting that children are the ones who more often than adults notice that this must be a shorthaired Lassie, although, they are most likely not aware of the breed’s existence.

Due to the famous Lassie, Rough Collies became famous all over the world and are considered as one of the most widespread and popular breeds out there. Smooth Collies are their total opposite-they are less spread and are hardly known outside of Great Britain.

The only difference between a Smooth Collie and a Rough Collie is the hair length. Smooth’s hair should not be more than 2-5cm long but other than that, for example the colour is the same for both of the breeds, the standard itself is the same. There are 3 different colours recognized, sable (which can be in all different shades from red chestnut to a light wheaten) and white, black tri-colour and merle in combination with silver-blue, black, white and sable colour. Perhaps the most recognizable attributes of a collie are in their white collar, white legs and feet, white tip of the tail, pricked but bent at the tip, ears, and of course long, pointy muzzle.

The height of Smooths appears shorter than that of Roughs. This is due to the long hair of Roughs which creates an optical illusion. Males stand up to 61cm at withers (approximately 5cm less for females), and weigh anywhere from 20-30kg (approximately 6kg less for females). When it comes to maintenance of hair, their short hair is definitely an advantage, especially nowadays when past sheep dogs are becoming more and more family dogs.

Our Interviewee, Lea, made sure that she found herself a healthy and genetically clear representative of the breed and is very happy with Sena. Even though it is common with rare breeds that one must travel great distances in order to get a puppy that one wishes, Lea says that it is well worth it and that the unpopularity of the breed is perhaps a positive thing.

“Popularity wise, Smooths have never come even close to the level of popularity of Roughs, says Lea. I see this as an advantage for the breed because the breed hasn’t gotten spoiled, temperament or health wise. It definitely doesn’t suffer from health issues and has never been over bred. These as well are some of the reasons why we are so pleased with our dogs”.

USEFULNESS WITH TRADITION

Smooth Collies are descendants of several generations of sheep dogs from Great Britain, better known as Collies. In general, they are very intelligent with strong working drives, therefore it is not hard to understand why they are as popular. It is believed that Scottish sheep dogs were brought to the island by Romans in the 5th century. They were used as conscientious helpers to shepherds but the actual origin and time of the breed’s development is mainly a matter of speculation. Even research of the origins of the word Collie does not bring us closer to the roots of this breed. There have been several studies conducted, one of them being that “Collie” is a derivation from the word “colley” which in the past had been a widely spread Scottish breed of black headed sheep, guarded by these dogs. Another study claims that Collie derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “usage/usefulness” or perhaps it might originate from the meaning “dark colour” which in the past had been the most common amongst dogs. Without a doubt, the Smooth Collie has Scottish origin due to the fact that they caught Queen Victoria’s attention in the 19th century during her stay at her summer residence in Scotland. She fell in love with the breed which then became popular throughout the island.

Rough Collie and Smooth Collie have been considered as separate breeds since 1993, though Europe and Australia are the only continents considering them as two separate breeds whereas in the USA they remain as one. Due to the fact that Smooths are rare, breeders are even more careful trying to keep the bloodlines clean.

FLEXIBILITY OF BODY AND MIND

Collies are full of positive character but with Smooths, the elegant movement, body flexibility and liveliness are even more pronounced. Owners must be aware that they are surrounded by an intelligent, loyal, non aggressive and well balanced dog. They are very susceptible for training but without any harsh approaches. They are loving family dogs which adore children. What makes them happy the most is when they are companions or guard dogs close to their owners and people in general. Therefore, it is ideal to have a Smooth living together with its family, in a house or apartment.

To have a happy Smooth, one needs to keep them mentally and physically occupied. They are ideal for different canine sports i.e. agility, obedience and working trials, S.A.R. and service or therapeutic dogs. Due to their highly adaptive abilities, they adjust quickly to the lifestyle of their owner. They are suitable for people of all ages, families with children, sports oriented people, as well as for people without any previous dog experiences.

Our interviewee Lea, does not hold back with praises about her Sena and Collies in general. “I can tell that this was a love at second sight. I have always been convinced that a Collie is THE breed for me, and I had a Rough first. Approximately 6 years ago I started vigorously searching and collecting information about Smooths and I became more and more enthusiastic about them. I can say now that what convinced me is some sort of non corruption of Smooths: unproblematic temperament, easy grooming, the fact that they have never been too popular, good health and of course the elegant looks of the breed.”

text and photos Uroš Mlinar

translated my friend Maja Renko and whippet Dem