Collie The Scottish Highlands Herding Dog

The Collie originated in the Scottish Highlands as a herding dog for both sheep and cattle. First written about in the 14th century, it received its name from the type of animals with which it associated. Black faced sheep were called "Colleys"; therefore the dogs that drove them to market were called the "Colley dogs." The Collie has high requirements for both the mineral complex and fat soluble vitamins per pound of body weight when compared to many other breeds. .Fleischman laboratories established their vitamin D requirement in 1944. The Fleischman laboratories test shows the Collie to have a requirement for this one fat soluble vitamin over 9 times what other breeds require.

Collie

The National Research Council used this report when they were considering the minimum amounts to recommend for all breed dog food. The report is cited on page 24, in the U.S. Government National Research Council publication Nutrient Requirements of Dogs. The Collie thrives on a diet that is rich in low ground type vegetables. The ideal meat protein blend should include lamb and poultry with a limited amount of beef. Collies should avoid foods containing yellow corn, rice, fish or soy.

Collie Expressions, we have special respect for breeders who can produce a consistent family of Collies over multiple generations while working with only a few dogs. Although they may be limited in how many Collies they keep, these breeders are not limited in their knowledge, experience, and creativity. We now bring you the latest installment in our series of Small Breeder Success Stories, featuring.

Collie Dog

Collies have been in my life since I was born. Thanks to a predominantly Collie mix that arrived before I did, the Lassie TV show, and Terhune, I grew up always wanting a purebred Collie. Some people have goals of
becoming a doctor, a lawyer, whatever: I wanted a Collie! Although I bought that first Collie (a linebred Wind Call male) in 1968 while still in college and attended my first specialty show the same year, bred a few Collie litters over the next couple of years for fun and attended dog shows on a regular basis as a spectator, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that I decided to become seriously involved.

Right from the start I felt right at home at dog shows. My first time in the ring came in 1970, but I didn’t start seriously exhibiting until 1975. My first homebred champion, Ch. Chelsea Gold Mist, finished in 1976 with four majors! That same year her daughter, Ch. Chelsea Moon Pebble, won one of the largest Futurities on the West Coast under judge Ben Butler, in one of his  last judging assignments. Two weeks later, this same bitch
won a 4-point specialty major and Best Puppy in Show, with me handling!! I was drawn in hook, line, and sinker!

Collie

When I started out, Collie Cues was THE magazine. Thanks to ads in Cues, I found myself constantly drawn
to pictures of the GinGeor Collies. Plus I had seen several in person, such as Alice Wharton’s beautiful Ch.
Country Lane GinGeor Patrice. At that time GinGeor was one of the top winning Eastern kennels and their dogs were gorgeous - excelling in outline, coat, style, and extremely beautiful, finished faces. I wasn’t able to get anything directly from GinGeor, so I went looking for other breeders working with the family.

Those were the days of huge Collie entries when the average specialty show had class entries of 60 to 80 bitches. The only time specialed, she won the large Nor-Cal District Tournament, but ended up not going to the National. She is behind all my current dogs and remains even twenty-five years later, my ideal of the
type of Collie I want to breed. She was sound, typey, with a beautiful face and had elegance and attitude to
burn. She was a handful and on more than one occasion was penalized for her exuberance in the ring.

A good case in point was Ch. Chelsea Shadowgold. Because I was afraid to ship her, I bred her to a local male that I had sold to a friend. He was not necessarily my choice selection, but at least I didn’t have to put her on a plane. She ended up dying young anyway from a rare form of leukemia so all my protection was for naught. Not only was it a good lesson, but a fateful blow to my breeding plans, as I do not feel the bitch produced what she was capable of. She only produced five living puppies, and I kept Chelsea Shadowlight from her litter sired by Chelsea Mythic Conqueror

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