Here are some fun and fascinating facts about the Rough Collies that will surely surprise a lot of people!
As it is highly speculated that this breed first arrived on the British Isles with the Celts, so it is quite possible that its name was also inspired by a Celtic language. And that language would be Gaelic and thus, it is believed that the name of this breed comes from a Gaelic word that means ‘useful’ in English.
Border Collies are considered to be the most intelligent canines present in this world. But the Rough Collies also are not that far behind when it comes to intellect and brainpower. These pooches are mostly placed at #16 in the list of most intelligent canine breeds from all around the world which is extremely impressive considering there are hundreds of dog breeds present out there.
Collies are double coated canines that have a straight and rough outer coat and soft and dense undercoat. Their coat is evenly spread all over their body and it protects and shields them under harsh and cold climatic conditions. These pooches are known to adjust pretty well in chilly and snowy areas and it is mainly due to their attractive and useful coats.
Although the rough-textured coat is fairly useful to these canines, it also makes things very difficult for the owners of these pooches. Rough Collies shed their fur in a pretty consistent and heavy manner and the amount and frequency of shedding can further increase during the shedding season which can come at least once or sometimes twice every year. And thus, this breed is not meant for those people who don’t want to deal with a lot of dog hair in their homes and these canines surely aren’t very suitable for the allergy sufferers as well.
The actual origin of this breed is still not quite clear, but as per its first official records, Rough Collies were highly valued by the Celts and they were the one who brought these canines with them over to the British Isles. These pooches were heavily used for herding purposes but later they were also given the task of safeguarding the farm animals.
Rough Collies caught the attention of Queen Victoria when she was visiting the other castles in the United Kingdom. She was an avid admirer of dogs and was immediately mesmerized after encountering these amazing pooches. It is believed that she straight away adopted two Rough Collies and because of this the popularity of this breed gradually rose to a pretty high level in the U.K.
Rough Collies were registered as a distinct breed by the United Kennel Club in the year 1914. Interestingly, this breed was recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) before the 19th century and it was in the year 1885.
Not only the Rough Collies are highly friendly, kind and affectionate with their own family members, but these pooches are great with other beings as well. They are happy to meet new people and they are always looking to get some belly rubs from them, these dogs also love to socialize with other animals such as cats and other canines and they are a wonderful companion for small kids as well. So, all in all, a Rough Collie is a pretty amazing breed to have if you are looking to raise a highly affable and good-natured canine.
The Rough Collies may not be considered good guard dogs, but they surely make an excellent watchdog instead. These pooches can effectively look after their homes and property and can protect it by alerting their owners in case of an intruder, burglar or a trespasser. These pooches will bark a lot if they detect the presence of someone suspicious near their house.
This breed’s popularity skyrocketed when a fictional character named Lassie was created by an English novelist, Eric Knight. A novel called “Lassie Come-Home” was published in 1940 which depicted various heroic acts done by Lassie. And, just three years after that, MGM decided to make that novel into a film of the same name. The Dog that played the role of Lassie went on to appear in 6 other MGM movies. And in 1954 a Television series called “Lassie” was also created that would win the prestigious Emmy award and it lasted for about 19 years. In addition to all this, various toys, accessories, and comics were also created in which Lassie was heavily featured. And, due to all this, this breed received a lot of exposure and it became extremely popular all around the world.