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.