Information

SCOTTISH COLLIES, OLD TIME SCOTCH COLLIES, AND ROUGH COLLIES

 

Scottish Collies are essentially Rough Collies but are being bred back to the breed standards of the late 1800s and early 1900s. They will have more moderate coats, bigger eyes, less of an "extreme" look, smaller on average than AKC rough collies, with working ability.  Read more about the Scottish Collie Preservation Society (SCPS) breed history, goals and standards. This registry requires health testing for breeding dogs to enter the registry with careful pathways for outcrossing to maintain a stable breed while allowing for much needed genetic diversity.

 

The Old Time Scotch Collie Association is a distinct registry with similar dogs and goals. Many are dual registered. The OTSCA has more of a focus on preserving and recreating the landrace collie that was around before kennel clubs existed. These dogs worked closely with their owners on farms in Scotland and the modern UK. Learn more about the breed history, goals, and standards at scotchcollie.org and join the Official Old Time Scotch Collie facebook page. They are generally bred as all-around farm dogs but for smaller operations like homesteads and hobby farms. Many of the early dogs in the registry were rough collies crossed with English Shepherds/farm collies. Depending on lines, they are generally not as intense as English Shepherds or Border Collies.

 

I personally call the dual registered SCPS and OTSCA dogs "Scots' Collies" :)

 

https://www.scotchcollie.org/breed/collie-family-tree/

 

This diagram is not perfect but a fun way to see related breeds and origins.

 

In the Venn Diagrams of collies, most often it is Scottish and AKC collies that overlap, and Scotch and Scottish that overlap.

 

 

Is a Collie the right dog for you?

 

What does an "active" lifestyle mean with a dog? It does not have to mean you hike 14ers every weekend, or are out on the ranch moving cattle sun up to sun down. Other breeds are happy to fulfill that need. Still, collies are athletic dogs that want to move. People can have active lifestyles while their dogs do not. To us, "active" means you intentionally get outside regularly and like to bring your dog along with you when the venue allows.

 

We are admittedly biased, but these old fashioned collies are the perfect in-between: they can relax in the house and will love a hike on the weekend, with appropriate exercise between adventures. Put another way, a daily walk and playtime will suffice and they don't need to run a daily half marathon in order to not be destructive.

 

Their grooming needs are significantly less than AKC rough collies as well - they will shed heavily in the spring, less so in the fall, and nearly not at all in summer and winter. Their working coats do not require regular trips to the groomer.