What Dog Breed Is Best For Me - Collie

When you think of the TV and movie dog Lassie, you’ll instantly recognize the Collie - a very popular dog.

The Collie is popular for many reasons - it’s handsome, intelligent, friendly, easy to train, loyal, mild-mannered, and makes a good watchdog.

Collie - Loving, Sensitive, Loyal Companion

The Collie is an intelligent and handsome dog that can make a fine family pet provided the dog’s needs are met - it’s a loyal family dog that likes to be around family members.

It is more suited for a country lifestyle but adapts well to city life - in a home with a large yard - as well.

The Collie comes in two varieties - the “rough” (longhaired - “Lassie” look) and the “smooth” (shorthaired) which refers to their coat length.

Coats come in a variety of colors including tan and white, predominantly white with a few markings, and a tricolor Collie - black, tan, and white.

Collie - Dog Grooming

The Collie has light-moderate (smooth coat) to high (rough coat) grooming needs.

The rough (longhaired) coat is high maintenance and requires a lot of grooming especially when shedding.

A de-matting rake to untangle mats should be part of your dog grooming supplies for this dog breed.

Collie - Dog Problems

The Collie needs companionship and attention and is best suited for an owner with a calm demeanor who is willing to spend time with training and grooming.

It is not suited for someone who is away all day. Nor is it suited for a high energy family that is on the go all the time since this dog breed responds badly to stressful situations.

Potential dog problems include snapping (when threatened, startled, or irritable), fearfulness, neurotic behavior, separation anxiety, barking, and boredom.

Nipping is another dog behavior problem of the Collie stemming from its herding instinct and can be corrected through proper dog behavior training.

Collie Training

The Collie is a sensitive breed, highly intelligent, and very easy to train.

It’s a “working” dog that needs daily exercise and a “job” to do - even if it’s dog obedience training.

This breed’s herding instinct means it is likely to chase children and cars unless properly trained with dog behavior training.

The Collie has an average lifespan of up to 12 years. Potential health problems include eye, skin, and nose problems.

As always, buy from a reputable breeder and check for health conditions - particularly eye problems which can be inherited.

Temperament, trainability, and friendliness are a plus. Potential behavioral problems if the dog’s needs are not met and potential health problems could be a minus.

If you do decide to get a Collie as your family dog, don’t forget to request your FREE copy of my List of Clever, Cool, Cute Puppy and Dog Names and The Puppy and Dog Owner’s Guide To Potty Training and Housetraining.

Training Your Collie or Border Collie?
Click here to find out about Collie and Border Collie Dog Training.

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Dog Aggression Problems?
Does your dog growl menacingly…nip people…
and act aggressively around food and toys?
Find out how to STOP dog aggression.
Click here to find out about Dog Behavior Training.

Dog fear aggression is another type of dog aggression that can pose a problem to dog owners.

In dog fear aggression, a dog is frightened and bites out of fear because it thinks it must protect itself. The dog becomes what is known as a fear-biter.

A scared dog can display a number of signs that it is afraid. Flattened ears, a tucked tail, or a shivering body are all indications of fear in a dog.

A scared dog, for example, might bark excessively and even attack. Or it might bark excessively and retreat.

A dog that is fearful or anxious might also be possessive of its toys or dog chews and growl or bite if someone tries to take them away from it.

It’s possible that as a dog owner, you could be doing the wrong thing with this form of dog aggression.

In fact, many dog owners will try and comfort the dog which only reaffirms the dog’s anxiety instead of helping it overcome its fear.

How to Overcome Dog Fear Aggression

To overcome dog fear aggression you must find out the cause of the problem and then build up the dog’s confidence.

As well, if your dog is showing signs of possessiveness, you will have to establish your dominant role as pack leader since you should be able to take away your dog’s toys or chews without it growling or biting you.

One way to build your dog’s confidence and assert your pack leader role is with dog behavior training.

Don’t let any form of dog aggression escalate. It can become a dangerous and uncontrollable problem if it’s not corrected early.

Click on the link to find out how dog behavior training can be used to help overcome dog aggression and help put an end to frustrating dog behavior problems.

Here are two more things you should consider when asking the question, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me?”

1. Dog Breed Traits

Do you want a dog that has a high, medium, or low energy level?

Consider your own energy level. Do you like going for long walks and are you active outdoors year round? If so, a dog that likes lots of exercise might be a good fit.

A Border Collie is very active and needs a lot of exercise. The Golden Retriever is an active dog, too. A Maltese or a Chihuahua, on the other hand, are less active.

The higher your dog’s energy level, the more you have to ensure it gets lots of exercise and is kept busy otherwise it will get bored and could develop dog behavior problems.

2. Dog Training

Not only is it helpful to know how quickly a dog will respond to training, you should ask yourself how much time you want to devote to training.

Also consider whether you have the patience for training a puppy or dog, especially if it has dog behavior problems like chewing or barking.

The Golden Retriever, responds well to Golden Retriever Training and is easy to train.

The Chihuahua and Pekingese, are two dog breeds that train quickly.

Some dog breeds, like the Bichon Frise, take a little longer to train because it doesn’t take much to distract them.

If you have an adorable Bichon Frise, take a look at Bichon Frise Training for specialized training of this breed.

Also keep in mind your own time constraints. If your day is busy and you don’t have much spare time, you don’t want a puppy or dog that takes a lot of time and attention to train.

In the next part of the series, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me” I’ll discuss another dog breed which might make a good pet for you.

Puppy or Dog Owner Looking for Dog Obedience Training?
Click here to find out about Dog Obedience Training.

K9DogBehaviorProblems.com provides puppy and dog owners with tips on how to solve dog behavior problems such as dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog feeding and dog food aggression, dog jumping up, dog marking, dog separation anxiety, dog whining, and more.

These tips are general in nature and you are encouraged to consult with a professional dog trainer and/or veterinarian when faced with dog behavior problems.

You’ll also find links to dog obedience training programs that show you how to overcome dog behavior problems.

From Tucker’s Dog House

Dear Puppy or Dog Owner…

Many dog behavior problems such as dog aggression, dog chewing, dog running away, dog separation anxiety, dog whining, dog digging in the back yard, housetraining, and dog nipping can be solved with dog obedience or dog behavior training.

Here is a list of several online dog obedience and behavior training programs to help you solve your dog behavior problems…

Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer

SitStayFetch Dog Behavior Training

Puppy and Dog Training Secrets - Puppy and Dog Housetraining Tips

Puppy and Dog Online Video Training

Dog Behavior Training Secrets

Havanese Dog Behavior Training

Bichon Frise Dog Behavior Training

Take a moment to look at these dog obedience training programs while you’re here.

Not only will your dog will appreciate your thoughfulness, you’ll also be well on the way to having a well-behaved and obedient dog.

~ Tucker ~