Rough Collie vs. Smooth Collie: What’s the Difference?

If you research this question, you’ll usually get the same answer: The Rough Collie and Smooth Collie are the same breed.  They share the same breed standard, temperament, structure, colors, and working heritage. The biggest difference is simply the coat.  But is this the truth?  

The AKC, or American Kennel Club, views rough and smooth collies as two varieties of the same breed. As they are the same breed, American collie breeders can breed the rough and smooth collies together.  In England (UK Kennel Club) they are viewed as two completely separate breeds. In the UK, the rough and smooth collies haven't interbred since January 1, 1994, when they were classified as separate breeds. Breeding a smooth and rough collie is not allowed in most European countries and Australia.  Some Nordic countries (like Sweden, Finland, and recently Norway) have maintained open pedigree rules or voted to permit controlled interbreeding to boost genetic diversity.

In Europe, the primary goal of separating the rough and smooth, was to preserve the distinct bloodlines of the smooth collie and prevent it from simply being absorbed or diluted by the more popular rough collie.  Though they share the same ancestors, the rough and smooth collies were originally developed to perform different tasks in different climates.  The rough collie was bred to herd sheep in the harsh, freezing weather of the Scottish Highlands, requiring a long, heavy, protective double coat. The smooth collie was primarily used in the wetter, milder lowlands of Northern England as a drover’s dog, driving large herds of cattle and sheep to market.  This required a short, hard, and dense coat that wouldn't easily get weighed down by thick mud. 

Genetically, the rough coat is a recessive trait, meaning a dog needs two copies of the gene to have long hair, and the smooth coat is dominant.  When the two varieties are allowed to interbreed, a single litter can produce both coat types. Because the gene for the rough coat is recessive, if you breed two roughs together the breeding will only produce roughs.  If you breed a rough and a smooth together, you can have both rough and smooth puppies in the litter.  The smooth puppies from such a breeding would be considered rough-factored.  If you bred two rough-factored smooth collies together, you could end up with both rough and smooth puppies in the litter, because smooths can carry the recessive rough gene.  If you bred two pure-for-smooth collies together, you would end up with only smooth collies in the litter.

Nolan, CH Creekwood Winterberry Rich and Famous, DCAT

Because the smooth collie has always been far less common than its famous "Lassie" counterpart, in Europe the smooth collie has been listed on their “Vulnerable Dog Breeds” list for a number of years.  While I don’t know the the exact number of smooths vs roughs registered under the AKC, as they are not listed separately, the collie breed is ranked at #39 and continues to remain in the top 25% of breed popularity.

Individual breeding and bloodline have a greater impact on determining temperament than whether the dog is Rough or Smooth. Under the AKC, the temperaments of the smooth and rough collies are similar. Both varieties are:

• Intelligent and highly trainable
• Sensitive and responsive to their people
• Affectionate without necessarily being overly clingy
• Excellent family dogs
• Naturally alert without typically being aggressive
• Athletic and capable of obedience, herding, agility, and many other activities

The main difference in the rough and smooth collies is the coat maintenance.  Both the rough and smooth collies shed, and both are double coated.  The coat of the rough collie  is beautiful and eye catching.  The smooth collie’s shorter coat gives them an elegant, more defined appearance.  With a thicker, heavier coat, the rough collie requires more brushing.  The smooth collie is easier and quicker to groom, which makes them an ideal dog for anyone looking for that sweet collie temperament, but with less coat to groom.  

Rough or smooth collies, in the end, it’s still a collie.  Whether dressed in a flowing mane and feathered coat or wearing the sleek, shorter coat of the smooth, the collie remains the same wonderful breed at heart. Both varieties share the intelligence, sensitivity, loyalty, athleticism, and unmistakable expression that have made collies so beloved for generations.  Rough collies may capture the imagination with their classic, stylish silhouette, while the smooths appeal with their clean lines and easy-care coat. One is no more “Collie” than the other, they simply represent the breed in two beautifully different ways.

Rosie, Creekwood’s Sunshine and Roses

You can read more about collie coat inheritance by clicking here.

Waiting patiently for you?

And of course we had to share this sweet girl….

Per the Collie Rescue League of New England:

Unfortunately, Kia's adoption did not work out (nothing to do with Kia), so Kia, an 8 month old puppy is still available for adoption. She's working on her house/potty training which is still a work in progress, has learned her name and a few basic commands in just a short time (she arrived without a name). She is calm in a car, and using a crate. She is skittish around loud noises, but puppies can be until they get used to the world around them. She LOVES people. Her foster description says she likes to play and is at various times, calm, curious, timid, playful, active, noisy, and quiet. Typical puppy. 

If you have an approved application with us, you can email Dave Anderson, Adoption Director at <adoptiondirector@crlne.org> to express your interest. 

If you don't have an application on file with us you can go to the website <crlne.org> and under the adoptions tab there is a highlighted link to the adoption application. Please fill that out and mail to the address on the top of the form.

Kia is patiently waiting for her new family!

What’s better than a collie? Two collies!

 Meet Journey and Merlin

Journey and Merlin are a bonded pair of smooth collies who must be adopted together. They came to us due to their owner’s being unable to take them on their move. 

Journey is the tricolor smooth, and is 8 years old, 65 pounds, knows all basic commands (both were professionally trained) and has his K-9 Good Citizenship award. Journey loves riding in the car, is friendly with everyone, although cats are an unknown. His owner reports that he is active and very food motivated.

Merlin is the sable smooth, and is also 8 years old, 100 pounds (you can see in the picture he’s a big boy), and his owner’s description is the same as Journey’s, and he loves to snuggle. Merlin, being such a large boy, is not as active or tolerant of a lot of exercise as Journey is. 

Both Journey and Merlin will try to chase cars, trucks and delivery trucks, so we assume also bicycles, motorcycles and anything else moving fast. As such a good sized securely and safely fenced yard is an absolute requirement for these two boys, for their own safety. There won't be any exceptions in their case, including electric fences.

If you are interested in Journey and Merlin and feel you could provide them a good home and you have an approved adoption application on file with us, please email Dave Anderson, Adoption Director at <adoptiondirector@crlne.org>. If you are interested and don't have an application on file, you can find one here: 

https://www.collierescueleague.com/adoptions

Please fill out the application and mail to the address on the top of the form to get the process started.

Love Is…

 Helping a collie find a new home…

Collie Rescue League of New England writes:

We would like to introduce Sheena, who is ready for her new forever home.  Sheena is a beautiful 19 month old tricolor smooth collie, who weighs 61 pounds.

Sheena needs to love and be loved (even more than most dogs do). She has high potential to be someone's "best dog ever" and would love to have that quality of bond. She lights up with any attention and shares her joy enthusiastically. Sheena is a very affectionate, well-adjusted dog with a strong desire to please. She loves snuggling and is excellent at fetch. She is a very high potential dog with an exceptionally sweet disposition.

Sheena should go to a home which is committed to continuing her training. She is a very willing dog but needs people who are capable of investing in her. She came to CRLNE with "sit" and "heel". While with her foster home she has learned "down", "wait", and has developed a strong "come" in enclosed areas. She has also learned how to go up and down short flights of stairs. Next steps (here or elsewhere) should include "stay", getting into a car (she thinks she is a small puppy and waits to be lifted), and distinguishing between a bark to alert (fine) and lengthy reactions to anyone daring to walk on the road.

Sheena would enjoy a suitable dog pal (she and the foster’s dog have gotten very close) but could also live as an only dog, with enough TLC from her humans.  Sheena loves people and other animals. At a recent concert in the park, she was the belle of the ball with about 15 children of all ages. She was gentle and well-mannered but clearly overwhelmed with joy. On our drive to the park, Sheena was exuberant when she saw a child cross the sidewalk in front of us. This is a dog who LOVES children. 

She is also welcoming of attention from older people. Our foster, who does dog therapy work, says that Sheena has high potential as a family dog, a therapy dog or both. While she has not had much formal training, Sheena is eager to learn and learns quickly.

She has very good house manners. Sheena has good potential to live with cats but will need a slow introduction - while we are up to nose touches with one cat, the cats are still stressed she is here. She has puppy excitement when they are in sight even as she has learned not to whine with eagerness. It seems more like high enthusiasm for building a friendship than prey drive. Sheena is wonderful with the foster’s house dog and plays very well. While she has learned how to slip a collar, she comes up to you immediately after. A Martingale collar would be of great help to her. (all of my dogs have used one - it’s just safer)

She prefers not to be left alone but does adjust. She is not used to a crate, but she accepts a 4-foot-high gate. She does well in a car after settling down

This is what Sheena would probably say she wants:

* A home with children and adults who love dogs

* People who know how to scritch for a loooong time and do full body snuggles

* People who know I am trying to be a good dog and are gentle with me when I haven't yet figured out what you want from me, because I am still at the “teenage” stage

* A fenced yard to play in (and a live-in playmate would be great but dog visitors are also OK)

* People who will play with me (fetch and chase-“come catch me and try to get the toy I have” are 2 favorites)

* Someone who will give me canned food as a part of my meals and treats between meals

* Regular gentle brushing (Yes, I DO love this)

* Someone who wants me to hang out with them when they are doing stuff around the house

* People who will take me out for adventures

* People who will help me get more confident around scary things like thunderstorms and jumping in and out of cars.

We cannot emphasize enough that Sheena really needs to be placed with a family with children.

If you are interested in Sheena and have an approved application with us and feel you could provide that great family home for her, please contact the CRLNE Adoption Director, Dave Anderson, at <adoptiondirector@crlne.org>.   If you are interested in adopting any collie from CRLNE and don't have an application on file with us you can find the black form here at <crlne.org/adoptions>  Please fill it out and mail it 

Sunnybank, Lad and Lassie…

This past weekend the Collie Health Foundation held The Gathering at Sunnybank.  We were lucky enough to once again attend this annual event, and we had a wonderful time.  We caught up with old friends, walked the beautiful grounds and introduced our new puppies to the world of dog shows during the puppy match.  The only regret I have, I wish I had gone both days.  

Anice, Gray Dawn, Sandy, Victrix and APT

There is just something so special about visiting Sunnybank, the home of Albert Payson Terhune, his wife Anice, and the Sunnybank Collies. Visiting Sunnybank feels like stepping into the heart of collie history.  It’s a place where the landscape, the collies, and generations of collie lovers gather together in celebration of all things collie.  I have written countless posts about reading Terhune’s books while growing up, and how much those stories meant to me.  And I’ve written about how I’ve traced my own collies’ pedigrees back to the Sunnybank collies.  And knowing my collies are related to those past Sunnybank Collies, the collies that once raced across the very ground we were walking on, always makes it more special.  Walking the grounds of Sunnybank with your own collie by your side feels like stepping into a living piece of history. There’s a quiet sense of connection in knowing that generations of collies once walked that same land - their grace, intelligence, and devotion woven into the very character of “the place.”

Lassie and Timmy (Jon Provost)

Tempi and Timmy (Jon Provost)

In honor of the 30th anniversary of The Gathering, this year Sunnybank had a special guest.  The legendary Actor Jon Provost attended The Gathering.  As a child, he played “Timmy” on the Lassie television show from 1957 - 1964.  We got to meet him, and he was kind enough to pose for a picture with our collie puppy, Tempest!  So of course, as true Lassie fans, we had to recreate one of his most iconic photos from back in the day!  And we were not alone, he spent the entire weekend posing for pictures, talking about his time on the Lassie television show, and listening to everyone express how much Lassie and Timmy meant to all of us growing up.  He is such a kind man, and the collies all enjoyed meeting him as well.

Growing up I always enjoyed watching the Lassie television shows, and movies, and I still watch them today.  Amazon Prime video actually plays the old Lassie tv episodes 24 hours a day, so you can watch an episode whenever you are feeling nostalgic.  This past weekend was such a magical experience, it combined a celebration of Terhune and the Sunnybank Collies, Lassie and Timmy, and all of our collies.  We are so grateful to the Collie Health Foundation for hosting this memorable event.

It was an unforgettable weekend…and the icing on the cake?  Our little Shannon won the 2 - 4 month puppy class at the Lad Match!

You can read some of my other posts about Lassie by clicking here.

The Pilgrimage to Sunnybank

This weekend The Gathering at Sunnybank is being held in Wayne, NJ.  The Gathering is an annual event held the 3rd weekend of August by the Collie Health Foundation.  Sunnybank was the home of author Albert Payson Terhune and his famous Sunnybank collies.  Like most collie lovers, I grew up reading Terhune’s books about his beloved collies.  And our annual pilgrimage to Sunnybank is something I eagerly await each Summer.  I’ve written so many posts about Terhune, Sunnybank, and the collies, that I’ve included some of the links down below.

As this weekend is the 30th anniversary of The Gathering, the CHF planned something extra special…Jon Provost, the actor who played Timmy on the Lassie television show, will be attending! 

We will be making the drive to Sunnybank tomorrow with Shannon and Tempest, and hope to meet “Timmy” in person! They are also doing the Collie Memorial tomorrow morning, and our Ryder will be included.  It’s been 11 months since my best boy left me, I still miss him, and I’m glad he will be included in the memorial.  After the memorial, all the puppies will get to strut their stuff in the puppy match.  I’ll update the blog with pictures soon.  But if you are within driving distance of NJ, and if you love collies, come attend the Gathering in person, it is such a memorable experience!

Jon Provost

Past Sunnybank posts:

Our Sunnybank Weekend

Albert Payson Terhune and the Legacy of the Sunnybank Collies

Our Visit to Sunnybank

The Gathering of Collies

Sunnybank Remembered 

It All Started with a Book

The Gathering at Sunnybank

A Collie named Lassie, a Place called Sunnybank

Sunnybank Then and Niw, Always Beloved

It’s That Time of Year

More Puppy updates…

Three of our puppies have gone to their new homes.  Mark is now called Simon, and in a wonderful home.  His new family has already taught him many new tricks, and they hope to get him into a dog modeling career.  So you may see him in a commercial or advertisement one day!  They also agreed we could show him, so he is going to work towards earning his championship.

Christina left last week, and is living her best life on Cape Cod!  She has been renamed Frannie, which suits her beautifully.  She has discovered a love of the ocean life, and her new hobbies include swimming and boating!

Derek, Izzy and Meredith are growing up so fast and went for their 2nd vaccines this week. The veterinary staff loved them! Derek left us yesterday, so we don’t have any new photos yet.  But his new family already adore him, and his new name is Leo!  This video was from earlier in the week.

The beautiful Izzy, now named Tempest

Izzy will be going to her new home this weekend, and Meredith will be staying with us.  Meredith had a name change too.  Since the name was no longer being used, and fits her so well, Meredith is now called Shannon.  The name “Shannon” was in honor of one of our favorite collies, and is also the name of a loved family member, so we still wanted to use it.  And it fits our new girl perfectly…

And there was one other new addition to the family…my newest Grandson was born two weeks ago!  I now have four beautiful grandchildren! (Which is one of the reasons I’ve been so lax about updating!) We are so grateful for the wonderful new homes all our puppies have found.  We are wishing them all a lifetime of happy memories!

Love Is….

 

Sweet senior Sophie

Enjoying the Summer sunshine together!