by Jane H
(Northern Minnesota, USA)
I've loved Collies since I was a third grader. I used to read the story "Lassie Come Home" and tears would roll down my cheeks.
The Collie is a very gentle dog. You don't have to be afraid that it will bite visitors. And yet they bark to warn you when someone is coming. The only drawback is that shedding is quite heavy.
This breed is also a very pretty, classy looking dog. My Collie is a litter mate to the stunt dog used in the Lassie movie.
He looks like he weighs five hundred pounds but it is mostly hair. I know he would like to be a lap dog, but his size it a bit of a setback for this ambition!
The long nose that is standard comes from the Borzoi hound ancestry, introduced into the breed during the time of Queen Victoria. The hounds were gifts from the Czar of Russia.