There are two types of Collies, both portraying excellent temperaments, intelligence, faithfulness and loyalty. The two types are the Collie Rough and the Collie Smooth.

The Collie Rough boasts the long, glamorous coat while the Collie Smooth carries a short, dense coat. Another observable difference is their energy level. Our Smoothys are more active than their Rough cousins (while a Rough Collie is thinking about doing something, the Smooth has usually done it and come back to brag about it!) The Smoothy seems to be more outgoing, lively and robust, whereas the Roughs are gentle, more laid back and sensitive.

The Rough Collie is believed to have originated in the border areas of Northern England and Scotland. It is thought the dogs that arrived with the Roman invaders (approx. 500 b.c.), bred with the local sheepdogs, and the Collie eventually evolved from these liaisons. The origin of the name "Collie" is said to be derived from the word "coally", as earlier Collies were predominantly black and white. Another theory is that it came from the name of the black faced sheep that were common in the Scottish and Northern England areas. These sheep were known as the "the collies". Early Collies had low, heavy ears, broader, flat skulls and were a shorter, cobbier dog. Through the years, there have been many changes to the Collie, resulting in the beautiful dog we see today. In the early 1800's, the Collie caught the eye of Queen Victoria and its popularity increased.

The Smooth Collie is believed to have originated from Scotland where it became an excellent herder of sheep. In old writings it's said that the Smooth Collie originated from crossbreedings between old fashioned black and white Collies and British greyhounds, in order to get fast runners (that also could be used as hunting dogs). The most common colour by then was piebald. At first there was one mixed class for all sheepdogs (both Rough and Smooth Collies and Old English Sheepdogs), by the end of 1800 both Rough and Smooth Collies had separate classes for showing.

There are three colours recognised in Australia for the Collie. These are: Sable (varying shades of gold, from light gold to dark mahogany), Tri-colour (predominantly black, with tan markings on the face and legs); and Blue Merle (a marbled silvery blue, with tan markings on the face and legs). All Collies have white markings on their chest, neck, legs and tip of the tail. Some may have white face markings (e.g. blaze). The Collie is a medium size to large dog, but does not need a large amount of space. They do need regular exercise, such as walks and a run in a park. Collies are a working dog; they are intelligent and enjoy being active. They are very easy to train in obedience, and enjoy the companionship of a family. A Collie is not a dog to be left in the backyard, as they are very much people orientated. They settle into a family very easily. They are naturally clean and make extremely good companions for children. All of our dogs spend time in the house (to learn house manners) and can be totally trusted with our two old cats. Most of all, because of their intelligence, friendliness and inherent desire to please, they make a terrific lifelong companion, one who can tolerate just about any situation.