The Lost Kingdom
Maybe it's fitting as I anxiously anticipate the next chapter of the Jurassic Park series to open in theatres (c'mon, who doesn't thrill at the thought of a T-Rex roaring in all its glory in full Dolby Digital?), that the topic came up in one of the collie social media groups I belong to about the mistaken identity our dogs endure when out in public. I relayed the story about how when Sirius was a puppy I was constantly being asked what kind of dog he was and the number one guess was that he was a Bernese mountain dog. In case you're wondering, this is a Bernese mountain dog:
Lovely, isn't it? But it's also a very, very different breed (a larger dog for one thing). But people know it by its tricolor coat, and even people who know Lassie and have heard of collies don't necessarily know that they come in a variety of coats. And even people like me, who thought I knew the coat colors before I actually was involved with other collie owners, had no idea exactly how many variations there actually are.
Anyway, the point being, I get the confusion among the general population, but it does make me sad. As I shared very early on in this blog history of my Collie Army, I fell in love with the breed growing up watching Lassie and reading about Lad and Albert Payson Terhune's other collies living the pastoral farm life on Sunnybank Farm. Collies reigned the dog world when I grew up, with Lassie as the Queen. Now I can't go anywhere with any of the three of mine without being asked what kind of dog is that. The comparison to the Bernese mountain dog came up again last night when we were out walking actually, so even though Sirius is now full grown, people often do not look at him and realize what he is. How times have changed.
Of course, popular breeds are cyclical. When I was first out on my own and renting a duplex, the couple on the other side had a pair of cocker spaniels, which was the number one most popular breed in America at the time and had been for a while. Those poor dogs had terrible trouble with their eyes, and their faces were constantly marred by deep red tear stains. That was common for the breed at the time. I'm sure not among the best breeders, but for the common backyard breeder or worse, the puppy mills, it was highly common because of their popularity and the overbreeding that was occurring. Now I don't know of a single cocker spaniel in my neighborhood, but I also never hear of any issues with cockers either any more. Maybe it's good to take a step back every once in a while and let a breed recover.
And Americans no longer lead a rural existence, and collies are farm animals. Their name even speaks to their design for utility. Collie is Celtic for useful. And collies do like to be busy. Border collies, owners are advised, need to be kept occupied. Their minds are far too smart to be idle. Rough collies are also highly intelligent, and I can speak to the fact that most of the trouble Sirius finds is out of boredom. But I can say that about just about any dog really. They all need stimulus, activity and attention.
So I'd like to make my pitch for the rough and smooth collie as a companion animal of choice. If you don't know what they are, let me introduce you. The collie is a loyal and smart companion. If you're like me, the only child of older parents who leans toward the shy side, collies are an excellent choice because they are engaging companions. They are excellent family dogs. They are amazing with children. Perhaps because they see them as their charges and they want to look after them as they are bred to do, but also maybe because children share the same kind of playfulness and open heartedness that collies have. They make excellent therapy dogs for all these same reasons - they are kind, loving and perceptive.
Despite their good natured attitudes, I also appreciate them as watch dogs. There's zero doubt in my mind that if someone tried to hurt Baby H while Sirius was around, Sirius would put a stop to it. And of course that booming bark he has sounds quite ferocious. Geddy on the other hand is aptly named - like his namesake, the lead singer for Rush, he has a rather high pitched voice. In either case, a burglar doesn't know those vocals belong to sweet natured dogs, so I always feel secure in my home with my dogs around me. Best burglar alarms on the market!
And yes, the rough collie does have a lot of hair, and there are some grooming requirements. But as I wrote about last week, it's not nearly the burden to care for that I thought it would be before I had my own. My Cheyenne, a husky mix, was also double coated, and caring for her coat was really not too terribly different. I do have to watch for mats behind their ears, which can pop up with no warning, but I'm really here to tell you, don't shy away from a collie because of their coat care.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want collies to go the way of the cocker spaniel, where they are so popular the breed develops major health problems. And their are issues that collies are prone to, as I all too sadly know. But I love this breed. I don't want it to go the way of the dinosaurs either.
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Lovely, isn't it? But it's also a very, very different breed (a larger dog for one thing). But people know it by its tricolor coat, and even people who know Lassie and have heard of collies don't necessarily know that they come in a variety of coats. And even people like me, who thought I knew the coat colors before I actually was involved with other collie owners, had no idea exactly how many variations there actually are.
Anyway, the point being, I get the confusion among the general population, but it does make me sad. As I shared very early on in this blog history of my Collie Army, I fell in love with the breed growing up watching Lassie and reading about Lad and Albert Payson Terhune's other collies living the pastoral farm life on Sunnybank Farm. Collies reigned the dog world when I grew up, with Lassie as the Queen. Now I can't go anywhere with any of the three of mine without being asked what kind of dog is that. The comparison to the Bernese mountain dog came up again last night when we were out walking actually, so even though Sirius is now full grown, people often do not look at him and realize what he is. How times have changed.
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| By Unknown - http://www.sunnybankcollies.us/collies2.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10534298 |
Of course, popular breeds are cyclical. When I was first out on my own and renting a duplex, the couple on the other side had a pair of cocker spaniels, which was the number one most popular breed in America at the time and had been for a while. Those poor dogs had terrible trouble with their eyes, and their faces were constantly marred by deep red tear stains. That was common for the breed at the time. I'm sure not among the best breeders, but for the common backyard breeder or worse, the puppy mills, it was highly common because of their popularity and the overbreeding that was occurring. Now I don't know of a single cocker spaniel in my neighborhood, but I also never hear of any issues with cockers either any more. Maybe it's good to take a step back every once in a while and let a breed recover.
And Americans no longer lead a rural existence, and collies are farm animals. Their name even speaks to their design for utility. Collie is Celtic for useful. And collies do like to be busy. Border collies, owners are advised, need to be kept occupied. Their minds are far too smart to be idle. Rough collies are also highly intelligent, and I can speak to the fact that most of the trouble Sirius finds is out of boredom. But I can say that about just about any dog really. They all need stimulus, activity and attention.
So I'd like to make my pitch for the rough and smooth collie as a companion animal of choice. If you don't know what they are, let me introduce you. The collie is a loyal and smart companion. If you're like me, the only child of older parents who leans toward the shy side, collies are an excellent choice because they are engaging companions. They are excellent family dogs. They are amazing with children. Perhaps because they see them as their charges and they want to look after them as they are bred to do, but also maybe because children share the same kind of playfulness and open heartedness that collies have. They make excellent therapy dogs for all these same reasons - they are kind, loving and perceptive.Despite their good natured attitudes, I also appreciate them as watch dogs. There's zero doubt in my mind that if someone tried to hurt Baby H while Sirius was around, Sirius would put a stop to it. And of course that booming bark he has sounds quite ferocious. Geddy on the other hand is aptly named - like his namesake, the lead singer for Rush, he has a rather high pitched voice. In either case, a burglar doesn't know those vocals belong to sweet natured dogs, so I always feel secure in my home with my dogs around me. Best burglar alarms on the market!
And yes, the rough collie does have a lot of hair, and there are some grooming requirements. But as I wrote about last week, it's not nearly the burden to care for that I thought it would be before I had my own. My Cheyenne, a husky mix, was also double coated, and caring for her coat was really not too terribly different. I do have to watch for mats behind their ears, which can pop up with no warning, but I'm really here to tell you, don't shy away from a collie because of their coat care.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want collies to go the way of the cocker spaniel, where they are so popular the breed develops major health problems. And their are issues that collies are prone to, as I all too sadly know. But I love this breed. I don't want it to go the way of the dinosaurs either.
You are a great spokesperson for the breed
ReplyDeleteAh! Thank you a lot!
DeleteYou should write the collie book
ReplyDelete