Rough Collies Not Very Popular These Days...? Discussions

I grew up with the most gorgeous and gentle Rough Collie. Back then they seemed to be quite a popular breed.

These days I hardly ever see any in the various parks we go to etc. I think I've seen one in the past year, that's all.

Does anyone here own a Rough Collie...? What a pity if they are not 'in vogue', as they are such a lovely breed

There is a lady at the dog training classes we go to who has them she is just taking her puppy think she shows them. But apart from that I don't know any one else locally.

Sophie

Was thinkng the same thing with shelties the other day ..their were loads around when i was a kid .but your right about rough collies cant say i have spotted one for ages ..

Funnily enough I do see quite a lot of Shelties

I grew up with a Sheltie also as my aunt had one and he was the first dog I ever 'knew'. I adored him but have a soft spot for Rough Collies - and Labs of course

I see quite a lot of both. We have a few pups at training class, and I bump into a few on walks. Met a beautiful boy tri a few weeks ago who got Muffin playing (shes 15 and doesnt often play chase games any more just likes to run herself). Gorgeous dogs.

i dont see alot of them i have seen 2 in the last year, i do however know a woman who has 3 of them

When my husband was alive we used to show and breed Rough and Smooth Collies.
They are a really lovely breed and its such a shame you just don't tend to see them very often these days.

There seem to be a few around here.
My friend lost his last year and went straight off and got another. So I guess they are as addictive as most breeds

As an aside, it was the one breed Mo didn't like, we never found out why. If one came near her, her lip would curl, nothing more than that, but from that we took it she didn't like them :-(

Think i've only ever met one, & that was a long time ago.

The most sure fire way to increse demand for rough collies is for TV to re-make a Lassie series. (Sad...but true)
People are sheep & some will be daft enough to rush out & get one just 'cos of the films.
Just look at what happend after '101 Dalmations' came out.
Some people would be be responsible about it & do their own research after seeing the films, but loads of people won't.

I see a couple with 3 shelties about quite often... cant think of any rough collies though...

I absolutely love Smooth Collies, and that is only because a shopkeeper in a nearby town had one when I was growing up - and had more when that one passed on.... I think he has/had an aunt who breeds them.

They were always Blue Merle, which gave me a love for that colour in any dog, and Smooth Collies were/are in my top 3 breeds I'd like to own.

However, I think the breed needs a boost due to dwindling gene pool and permission to cross back into Rough Collies would be a great thing for this endangered breed. Two Smooths could produce a Rough if this was done, but two Roughs can never produce a Smooth, so it would help the Smooths enormously without any damage done to the Roughs if managed properly.

They tend to be quite barky ime.

Also a lot of grooming. That would put me off

Some one once told me they were thick too, dunno if thats true?

I think pet border collies are more avilable than ever so many people end up with that instead. Also bsd have similar looks ect and are now very available.

I also see a lot of interest in aussie sheps, maybe they are taking over.

The roughs I have met have been quite nice.

Adam

Really?
I've yet to see a Merle or Tricolour BSD, with or without white markings to that degree!!! Apples and oranges, I would say.... and temperament-wise, in a different category to a RC.

We have 2 locally that I see a lot of. Lovely dogs. My gran had one that was just such a huge, huge character. He sued to sit on her knee when the coalmen made a delivery...was a funny sight!

A rough looks like a BSD???

I suppose they both have ears, 4 legs and a tail.

rune

I saw a Rough Collie the other day - absolutely Beautiful! I would love one myself...but a lot of grooming and I don't really like the looks of the smooth - dunno why.

They're great family dogs - although like all herding breeds they have the tendency to nip don't they?

Adam - they certainly aren't stupid - how is a herding breed considered stupid? In fact no dog is stupid...only the handler - if they can't seem to find a way to get their dog to learn things they lack imagination and inspiration and the knowledge of their breed..

RC cannot be stupid since about 6 of them played the dog Lassie in Hollywood movies

I think they are very glamorous and we see one regularly on our walks on the heath near where we live. It doesn't look very healthy though as it plods round like it is on its last legs and I found out it was only the same age as Parker -8 and I thought it much older. It has one of those owners that walks round half a mile in front of their dog and poor dog is left behind as can't walk as fast.

I think there has been a decline in the owning of breeds which need a lot of grooming and trimming. Poodles, Scotties and Wire Fox Terriers used to be very popular breeds but not any more. People just don't have the time, money or perhaps just don't want to put the effort in to owning a breed that needs a lot of coat care.

I didn't realise before owning my breed just how much grooming and trimming they would require to keep them looking nice (although I did my homework beforehand and read up on them-some of the stuff you read is totally unrealistic-one described a Kerry as low-energy for walks!)

We see an elderly gentleman with a Tri-colour Rough Collie on the woods sometimes and Cherry likes his dog-it is a lovely old thing but very stricken with arthritis now sadly.

I have only ever met 2, apart from seeing them at dog shows.

When I was little I remember we always used to see one on the way to school, I recall he was called Bingo and he was very old and used to wear little leather boots on his paws.

The other one belong to my parents employers, he was a beautiful tri colour but was very very wary of strangers so sadly he had to wear a muzzle as the house we/they lived in was open to the public!!

I haven't seen another one for many a year.

Maybe it's the grooming putting people off? I think they're a lovely breed, and it's possibly good that they're not popular, maybe there's better breeding going on?

The first dog I had after leaving home was a beautiful dark sable rough collie. He was a dream, very bright and intelligent and very good with children. The grooming is not too bad if you can keep on top of it - but they do shed, shed, shed. I have also had a very large sheltie (who was more like an old fashioned collie) and he too was a lovely dog. He was very big for a sheltie - more the size of a small rough, but perfectly put together, with the typical soft sheltie face. He lived until he was nearly 18 years old and my children grew up with him. Both breeds are very gentle and loyal towards their own family, although not too demonstrative to outsiders. As long as you buy from a reputable breeder, I can recommend both breeds - as long as you can stand all the hair and grooming.