Shorthaired Collie
Temperament:
At first glance, the shorthaired collie looks more like a greyhound because of its slender build. But his character is typical Collie. The Shorthaired Collie is cuddly and a perfect family dog with a stormy temperament.
Characteristics
The Shorthaired Collie belongs to the herding and driving dogs and is counted to section 1, the shepherd dogs. By the way, in English the Shorthaired Collie is called Smooth Collie.
The athletic body of the Shorthaired Collie shows that he is an athletic contemporary. He needs a lot of exercise and activity, as he was originally used as a working dog.
According to FCI, males reach a weight of up to 29 kilograms. Bitches grow up to 25 kilograms. Thus, they are significantly heavier than their long-haired counterparts. Males grow up to 61 cm tall; female shorthair collies reach a height at withers of up to 56 cm.
The short haired collie is characterized by its short and dense coat. With him you have much less effort with the fur care, as with his long-haired relatives (the longhair collies). Shorthaired Collies come in three different colors: Tricolor, Sable White, and Blue Merle. Almost all Collies have the typical white paws.
Attentive, cuddly, friendly and cheerful - this is how you could describe the character of the shorthaired collie. He is a true family dog and loves the company of his people. He is sensitive and affectionate and therefore not at all a runaway. The worst thing that can happen to a shorthaired collie: A life in the kennel!
Originally bred as a herding dog, the Shorthaired Collie loves long walks and any kind of exercise. You can have lots of fun with him on the dog sports field and he loves dog sports like agility. But he is also easier to keep busy. Fetch and retrieve games or rehearsing little tricks will also make him happy.
Due to his playful, curious nature, the Collie is also not completely free of hunting instinct. Young dogs in particular often can't resist the temptation to chase a deer in the woods. The good news is that anti-hunting training has proven to be extremely effective with the shorthaired collie. Older dogs can often be taken for a walk or jog through the woods without a leash.
Shorthaired Collies love their masters and mistresses more than anything and are easily impressed by them. This makes their upbringing easy: the collie is sensitive and usually listens very well to instructions. By the way, the short-haired collie is therefore optimally suited to be a dog for beginners.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
Already at the breeder you can pick up many tips in terms of nutrition, because he knows his eventually dogs very well. In the first few weeks, the puppies should continue to be fed the food to which they are already accustomed. This will make it easier for them to get used to the new environment. A shorthaired collie puppy should receive a portion of food four times a day.
Adult shorthaired collies can then be fed twice a day. There is actually no special food for Collies, even if such is offered by some manufacturers. In principle, the short-haired collie has the same demands on its food as other dogs. A mixture of high quality meat, vegetables and some cereals are optimal!
In general, the diet of course also strongly depends on what the dog does and how it is kept. If the shorthaired collie is actually used as a working dog, e.g. for herding, it will need more food than a simple family dog due to the higher activity. Other factors to determine the amount and type of food are the age, current health and weight of the dog.
If you mix, cook and bake your dog food yourself, you can be quite sure about the ingredients. If you don't have the time, you can also find a variety of high-quality ready-made food. When buying, make sure that the sugar content is not too high.
Short hair collie care
The care of the shorthaired collie is relatively uncomplicated. The main reason for this is, of course, that the coat does not require extensive care. The best companion in terms of coat care: a brush!
To maintain the shine of the coat, it should be brushed out regularly. This gently removes dirt and fallen hairs. By the way, dogs often enjoy brushing and feel it as a kind of massage. During the coat change, a de-felting brush is a good idea. It loosens tangles in the undercoat.
Brushing the coat is usually sufficient. With the bathtub shorthaired collies actually do not need to make any acquaintance. Shampoo destroys the natural fat layer of the skin. It often takes weeks until this has recovered from the bath.
The only disadvantage of the short hairs: they like to get caught in clothing and upholstery. Especially on dark backgrounds, the hairs are easy to spot and difficult to remove. Only one thing helps here: daily vacuuming with the vacuum cleaner.
And also this part should not be forgotten - the care of paws. Look at the pads on your pet's paws regularly: If they are cracked, a grease cream usually helps quickly. The claws should be trimmed regularly. Here the vet or a dog salon can support the first time.
Suitable accessories
The Shorthaired Collie is a very playful dog. Therefore, you should provide enough fetch toys and other small games for active dogs.
The short-haired collie loves treats just like any other dog. With small nibbles you can spoil your four-legged friend and reward him while learning a new trick.
Needed, of course, also the usual accessories such as dog leash, dog collar, food bowl and dog basket.
Origin & History
While the longhaired collie was bred more as a fashion dog, the shorthaired collie was bred as a working dog. He descends from the Scottish sheepdog, about which there are first records already from the 13th century. Shorthaired collies were mainly used as herding and guard dogs.
But the pedigree of the shorthaired collie goes back even further. Its origins probably go back to the Romanesque guard dog and the Spitz.
By the way, Collies owe their name to the sheep they used to herd. Colleys are sheep with a black head and black legs. Their herding dogs were called Colley dogs. From this then developed the name of the Collies.
The Shorthaired Collie is until today far less known than the Longhaired Collie. The shorthaired collie originates from Great Britain and was used there as a herding dog for a long time.
In 1840, the Collie Club was founded in England. In 1870, there were for the first time evaluation classes for the short-haired collie. By the way, the Collie had and still has some aristocratic fans in Great Britain, among them Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
In the 19th century, the first Collies are brought to Australia and America. In the 60s, the herding dogs from Great Britain then came to the rest of Europe.
Collies became famous worldwide thanks to the Lassie series. However, it was mainly the longhaired Collies that gained fame. The shorthaired Collies are still far less known than their long-haired relatives.
