Collies vs. Shelties

[.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.

[IRescue452]

I do not relate collies with lower energy. Imagine walking into a house and having three giant wedge noses coming at you from all directions. Before you set foot in the door you are pinned. Then one grabs a toy and the others run for it. Two get into it over the toy and the other stands over them barking like crazy. Then they get under the table legs and knock over everything. This can go on for hours. Bring them outside and they need to run run run and chase everything in sight. This is the scene at my future uncle-in-laws house each time I go over there. These dogs are local obedience trial champs and yet this is how they are at home. They run the house, they bark constantly, and they don't loose any energy inside. I myself have never met a calm collie. As for wolfsoul saying the brains are bred out of them, its so true. These three collies are daft as they come, but they can put on a good show in front of a judge somehow. Sweet though and very loving

Shelties on the other hand I've met many. I've met sizes ranging from 12 inches to 20 inches. They bark a lot. I've met calm ones, and hyper ones. They seem more trainable. All the shelties I have met are yard trained and have some house manners. They seem much more calm in the house as compared to the collies I've met.

If you are looking for a clam breed though, I don't recommend either.

[K9soul]

I wouldn't make breed recommendations based off meeting three collies in one home. I have had two, and have been around many, many collies due to being involved in showing Willie, and what you described is not what the majority of the hundreds of collies I've been around are like. I somehow doubt Parnone's are that way, or Julie's Molly either. I can't stand it when people judge a breed negatively from the behavior of a few they have been around. I never said collies were "low energy" I said they are lower energy than shelties in general. I also said there are always exceptions.

As for intelligence, well yes some breeders are much more into looks but I have still been around plenty of very smart collies, both of my boys were with Willie being a bit brighter than Cody in some ways. Willie was very hyper when young but mellowed at about 3-4 although was always a ball of energy when outdoors. Both of them were calm relaxed dogs indoors. They went to nursing homes and into a professional photographer's studeo (who said they were the best behaved dogs he had photographed) and many other places where calmness and obedience was required and they did wonderfully.

Yes I have been around some collies that aren't like that, but the majority I have been around fit the collie standard pretty well as far as behavior.

Also as an aside, I think many dogs act differently when guests are over than their normal behavior when just their owners are home. I know as soon as a guest comes, Tommy is up there showing every toy he owns to them trying to impress them . If it's a man, Tash is suspicious and growly and not her normal sweet relaxed self, etc etc.