Pastoral group · Scotland
Smooth Collie
Also called Short-Haired Collie.
What makes them remarkable
The short coat can disguise a close connection: it shares its origins with the long-coated Rough Collie.
- Intelligent
- Active
- Devoted
- Gentle
- Athletic
- Size
- Large
- Weight
- 23 to 34 kg50 to 75 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 14 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Smooth Collie
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Rewards first
Start here
Like all Collies, responds best to a gentle hand and plenty of rewards.
Mental Stimulation
Intelligent breed needs mental challenges alongside physical exercise.
Low-Maintenance Alternative
Same wonderful temperament as Rough Collie with far easier grooming.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Smooth Collie and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenVery High
- Other dogsHigh
- StrangersHigh
- CatsHigh
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1-2 hours daily. Active walks and play, enjoys dog sports.
- Grooming
- Moderate shedding. Weekly brushing sufficient.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Short, Dense, Flat-lyingSable & White, Tricolour, Blue Merle, White
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Collie Eye Anomaly
Moderate
Inherited eye condition present in breed
MDR1 Gene Mutation
Moderate
Drug sensitivity requiring careful medication choices
Bloat
Severe
Deep-chested breed at risk for gastric torsion
Where they come from
History
Same origin as Rough Collie but with a short, dense coat. Historically the working variety while Rough Collies became show dogs. Less common but equally capable.
Similar breeds
All breeds
Rough Collie
Queen Victoria helped popularise the Rough Collie long before Lassie made its face famous on screen.
Large · Pastoral
Belgian Laekenois
One of its early guarding jobs was watching over linen left drying in Belgian fields.
Large · Pastoral
Belgian Sheepdog
The long black coat identifies the Groenendael, one of the four Belgian shepherd varieties.
Large · Pastoral
Belgian Tervuren
This Belgian shepherd takes its name from the village of Tervuren, where its development took shape.
Large · Pastoral