Collies vs. Shelties

[K9soul]

They are completely different breeds, with collies being the older of the two breeds and originating in different areas, although thought to have a common ancester. Shelties are not, as so many seem to think, miniature collies, except in looks. I had collies and was around a lot of collies and shelties and overall their temperments are pretty different too (this has been my personal experience and isn't meant as an all-encompassing "fact" as there are always exceptions!).

I found shelties to be more highly energetic and needing of a job to do. My collies had high energy when they were outdoors but inside became big lazy rugs, unlike the shelties I have been around . They are both herding breeds and have herding breed traits. My collies were calm and laid back and generally more trusting and easy with all types of people/children than many shelties I have been around. This is NOT to say that shelties can't be just as good with kids, I just personally experienced that collies were more tolerant.

Anyway, I found this article that explains more about the origins and differences, some of which is obvious but might answer some of your questions .

http://hem.passagen.se/nightwin/articles/colltie.htm

[.sarah]

Wow, thank you so much, that helps a lot! I haven't met very many Collies, but I had noticed that they seemed much calmer than the Shelties I know. Shelties are just a bit too much for me. I've thought about Collies a lot so to train them to be therapy dogs.

[cali]

collies are older? from everything I have learned shelties are older. they are 2 entirly differnt breeds though, Shelties were on on the shetland islands to be small sheepdogs to suit the sheep they had. Collies however are not related, originally there was just Collies, all of the collie breeds(rough,smooth, border,and bearded) were just called collies, but they were deveoped in differnt areas and because of this they deveoped differntly, the show crowd came along and took over most of the Collie breeds, all exept Border collies which were not taken till much later, the original rough and smooth collies did not look much like they do today, they are pretty much entirly a show breed now, as are shelties. they may look alike but their history is very differnt lol

[.sarah]

Yeah I've seen pictures of old Collies and they look more like Border Collies. It's so wierd what the breeds have developed into today. (Show) Labs look pretty different too, and some other breeds.

[K9soul]

It is a fact that collies are an older breed than shelties, but the original collie was more a border collie type dog than today's collie.

The Shetland Sheepdog, like the Collie, traces to the Border Collie of Scotland, which, transported to the Shetland Islands and crossed with small, intelligent, longhaired breeds, was reduced to miniature proportions. Subsequently crosses were made from time to time with Collies. This breed now bears the same relationship in size and general appearance to the Rough Collie as the Shetland Pony does to some of the larger breeds of horses.

Today's sheltie has collie ancestry so I don't see how they can be the older breed. It was collies from Scotland that were imported to the Shetland Islands where the sheltie was "developed." The scottish border collie was the original collie and later the three evolved but the rough collie in any dog breed book where it lists the era of origination always has an older one than the sheltie.

Taken from here (as well as read in many many other sources as I was highly involved with collies growing up): http://www.akc.org/breeds/shetland_sheepdog/index.cfm

[wolfsoul]

I find shelties to be alot more energetic, playful, and focused. I find them to have more drive therefore making better workers. Collies are heading into a nasty place due to breeders who focus too much on looks. My friend (the sheltie breeder)'s mom bred collies but left the breed because the brains were being bred out of them -- and it's true -- judges keep asking for the eyes to be smaller and closer together. There is only so much you can do when breeding only for looks. I find that collies are much less shy though and better around people. Shelties are prone to shyness and nippiness, and they can be difficult to groom, but I've never met a collie that wasn't friendly or easy to groom. They are laid-back and very sweet. Overall, I would have a sheltie over a collie -- I would want something with more energy, drive, and speed.

[BC_MoM]

I've heard that the Shelties are more timid and nervous dogs than Collies.

I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I read it on a breed site.