Collie
A gentle, devoted companion that is playful and very good with children, the Collie is among the world's most recognizable and beloved dog breeds. It learns quickly, is eager to please, and does best with reward-based training involving games, food, or praise.
22-26 inches tall; 50-75 pounds
8-14 years
A long walk, good run, or energetic play session daily, plus games and tricks for mental stimulation
Barking rated 4 out of 5; overly enthusiastic barking can be a problem
Makes a well-mannered house dog given adequate exercise. Enjoys cold weather but cannot live outside in it.
Two varieties: rough (long, thick, harsh coat) and smooth (short, hard, flat coat). Shedding is average to above average.
Needs a long walk, good run, or energetic play session every day, plus games and tricks for mental exercise. Does well in dog parks.
Temperament
The Collie is a gentle, devoted companion that is playful and very good with children. It is good with other dogs and pets, making it a natural fit for a household that already has animals. The breed learns quickly and is eager to please, doing best with reward-based training that involves games, food, or praise. Games and tricks provide the mental exercise the Collie needs alongside physical activity. A long walk, good run, or energetic play session every day keeps a Collie well-mannered at home. The breed does well in dog parks and makes a reasonable jogging partner. Collies enjoy cold weather, though they cannot live outside in it. Barking can be overly enthusiastic, so a household that values quiet may want to factor that in. The Collie is not a lap dog; it is an active companion that benefits from daily engagement and structured exercise.
“Makes a gentle and devoted companion.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Daily needs and attention
A Collie makes a well-mannered housedog given adequate exercise. Each day should include a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session. Games and tricks provide the mental exercise the breed needs, and a Collie does well in dog parks. Training works best with reward-based methods involving games, food, or praise; the breed learns quickly and is eager to please. Grooming depends on coat type: the rough variety needs a thorough brushing once or twice a week, while the smooth variety needs a brief brushing once a week. Shedding is average to above average. Feed a balanced adult diet and monitor weight by feeling under the coat, restricting calories if the dog starts to gain. A Collie is playful, very good with children, and generally good with other dogs and pets. Barking is a notable trait of the breed, so a household that can accommodate a vocal dog will be a good fit.
“It needs a long walk, good run or energetic play session every day.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Health and lifespan
Collies typically live 8 to 14 years. Males stand 24 to 26 inches and weigh 60 to 75 pounds; females stand 22 to 24 inches and weigh 50 to 65 pounds. The breed tends to stay at a healthy weight, though you should feel under the coat regularly to confirm the dog is neither too thin nor too fat. A balanced diet with calorie awareness as the dog ages supports long-term health. Collies enjoy cold weather but should not be kept outside in it. Daily exercise—a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session—keeps the dog in good physical condition. The rough-coated variety needs a thorough brushing once or twice a week; the smooth-coated variety needs a brief brushing once a week. Shedding is average to above average. Routine veterinary care and weight monitoring are the main ongoing health tasks for this breed.
“You must feel under the coat to make sure the dog is neither too thin nor too fat.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Habits and behavior
The Collie is a gentle, devoted companion that is playful and very good with children. It gets along well with other dogs and household pets. Training works best with reward-based methods involving games, food, or praise, and the breed learns quickly and is eager to please.
A Collie makes a well-mannered house dog given adequate exercise. It needs a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session every day. Games and tricks provide needed mental exercise. It does well in dog parks and can be a jogging partner, though it is not a lap dog.
Barking can be overly enthusiastic. The breed enjoys cold weather but cannot live outside in it. Shedding is average to above average, and the rough coat requires a good brushing session once or twice a week, while the smooth coat needs a brief brushing once a week.
“Makes a gentle and devoted companion.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Housing: apartment, house, yard and crate
A Collie makes a well-mannered housedog given adequate exercise. At 22 to 26 inches tall and 50 to 75 pounds, this is a large dog that needs room to move comfortably indoors. An apartment can work if the daily exercise requirement is met: a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session every day. A house with a yard offers additional space for that daily run or play session. The Collie should not be kept outside, even in cold weather, as the breed enjoys cold weather but cannot live outside in it. For a working household, building the daily walk or run into your routine helps the dog settle well in the home. The breed does well in dog parks, which can supplement home exercise. Because the Collie is not a lap dog (rated 1 out of 5), plan for a dog that occupies a full, adult-sized space in the home rather than a small corner. A crate, if used, should accommodate the full 50-to-75-pound frame.
“Makes a well-mannered housedog, given adequate exercise.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Challenges
A Collie is a large, active dog that thrives on daily physical and mental engagement. In a working household, the most important consideration is the exercise commitment: the breed needs a long walk, good run, or energetic play session every day, and games and tricks provide the mental stimulation it also requires. Barking is rated four out of five for this breed, and overly enthusiastic barking is flagged as a potential concern. The rough-coated variety has a long, thick coat that calls for a good brushing session once or twice a week, and shedding runs average to above average. At 50 to 75 pounds and 22 to 26 inches tall, a Collie is a substantial dog that is not suited to being a lap companion. None of these requirements are insurmountable, but they do call for a household that can build them into a regular schedule.
“It needs a long walk, good run or energetic play session every day.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
The fun part
A Collie is a playful, eager-to-please companion that thrives on games and tricks. The breed learns quickly and responds well to reward-based training involving games, food, or praise, so a short session of trick work or a game can keep a Collie mentally engaged while you are at work. Collies do well in dog parks and enjoy a long walk, good run, or energetic play session each day. They are very good with children and generally good with other dogs and pets, making them a natural fit for a household with kids or a resident cat. The rough-coated variety has a long, thick coat that requires a good brushing session once or twice a week; the smooth variety needs only a brief weekly brushing. Collies enjoy cold weather, so a brisk winter walk is a shared pleasure. With a hundred years as a pop-culture star, the Collie carries a certain charm that makes neighbors smile.
“Games and tricks provide needed mental exercise.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
Living with kids, cats and other dogs
A Collie is a gentle, devoted companion that is playful and very good with children. The breed is good with other dogs and pets, making it a natural fit for a home that already has a cat or another dog. Collies learn quickly and are eager to please, responding well to reward-based training involving games, food, or praise. This makes them a practical choice for a household with kids who want to be involved in daily routines.
The breed does best as a well-mannered housedog given adequate exercise. A working household should plan for a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session every day. Games and tricks provide the mental exercise the dog needs alongside physical activity. Collies enjoy cold weather but cannot live outside in it, so they are an indoor dog that settles into a family's daily rhythm.
One note for busy families: overly enthusiastic barking can be a problem, so consistent, positive training helps keep that in check.
“Good with other dogs and pets.”
VCA Animal Hospitals
What to ask the rescue
Before you bring a Collie home, ask the rescue a few practical questions. Confirm whether the dog is rough coated or smooth coated, since the rough variety needs a good brushing session once or twice a week while the smooth coat only needs a brief weekly brush. Ask about the dog's barking pattern; the breed rates four out of five for barking, and overly enthusiastic barking can be a problem in a shared household. Ask what daily exercise the dog has been getting. Collies need a long walk, a good run, or an energetic play session every day, and games and tricks provide needed mental exercise. Ask whether the dog has been trained with reward-based methods, since Collies do best with games, food, or praise. Finally, ask about the dog's current weight. Collies tend to stay in good weight, but you must feel under the coat to make sure the dog is neither too thin nor too fat.
“Does best with reward-based training involving games, food or praise.”
VCA Animal Hospitals