Quote Originally Posted by lute View Post
Why did they rule out breeding smooths and roughs together? Did it cause less coat? That would explain our less coated collies in North America.


One breed I have found that has really changed over the years is the German Shepherd Dog. I think it is sickening and wrong the way they bred their rears the way they do now.
I honestly have no idea why the split roughs and smooths up into 2 seperate breeds. Its really very odd in my opinion, especially since the 2 standards are the same, except for coat and the european smooths are nothing close to a short haired version of a european rough these days.

Most people really don't feel breeding roughs to smooths affects the coat. There are certain bloodlines in american collies that for atleast the last 50 yrs have only bred roughs (Tartanside collies come to mind).. pure tartanside lines are all roughs and they still don't carry the coat the european dogs do.

Now there are some families in certain American lines that breeders call "Fluffies" and they are typically (thought not always) collies with big, fluffy, soft coats.. which is very incorrect, but still not the same amount of coat the collies over seas have. A rough collie should not have a soft coat!... the european roughs coat is very incorrect... its very soft, open, and fluffy.. it does not keep water off their bodies, instead the soft coat just soaks water up...

I totally agree with you on the GSD! I hate to see the GSD at shows try to walk... I think its very wrong!..