Collie (Rough)

Collies are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect a big dog that is moderately active, sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. Fine alone for a few hours.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard. AKC lists Rough and Smooth Collies under one standard; these figures cover both.

The Collie is the storybook family dog, and unusually the storybook is roughly accurate. Scottish and northern English shepherds bred them to move sheep over long distances, and the temperament that came out — patient, soft, deeply attentive to people — made them one of the great family breeds long before Lassie put them on screen. They are calmer indoors than most herding dogs and notably tolerant of children. What people underestimate is the coat. The Rough Collie carries an enormous double coat with a dense mane, and keeping it out of mats is a weekly job, not a monthly one. Some Collies also carry a gene affecting how they process certain drugs, which is worth mentioning to any new vet.

Day to day. Moderately active — a proper daily walk plus some play in the garden or the hallway keeps this breed happy. On noise, it is about average for noise.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Eager and easy to train. That makes it a forgiving choice for a family training their first dog, as long as everyone is consistent.

• You want a dog with a reputation for putting up with children
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in
• This is your first dog and you want one that makes training feel possible

• Nobody has budgeted for a groomer every few weeks
• You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes
• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more, and the coat needs a professional groom on a cycle, and that is the bill people forget.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Collies and Collie (Rough) crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.