Collies come in all diffrent coat colors, shapes, weights, sizes and conditions. Smooth collies tend to be more intellegent than rough coats, being the history is that smooth coats were bred by British Greyhounds, and rough collies.

First, I have had Collies for the past 9yrs, I do all sorts of things with them, conformation, obed., and herding and I haven't noticed any difference in roughs and smooths as far as intellegence goes. I have seen some VERY smart roughs and smooths, and some roughs and smooths who weren't so bright. I think it depends on the dog more than the coat of the dog.

Collies are a typically healthy breed. Prone to hip displasia (sP?), eye problems and elbow problems. Cancer is not a biggy. It's not usual in collies.
Its hard to tell if Collies are have a problem with hip dysplasia, as VERY few breeders test for it. Hard to know what you have, if you don't check. My female, who had alitter almost 5 1/2 months ago is OFA-Excellent, Thyriod-normal and Heart-clear, and eye check-choroidal hypoplasia. The sire has had all the same health tests, is a CH and is OFA-Good.

Not true. FEMALE collies grow 50-70 lbs. A large female, say Molly, can grow to be 80 but no more than that. It is very rare for the female. MALES on the other hand grow 75-90 pounds! My smooth just might be in the 80-90s when he's full grown because he's already a big boy, and his father was 94.8 lbs!!!
I have a 9yr old male Collie who is VERY large built, 26" tall at the shoulders and he is usually about 90lbs, but is a bit over weight now, should be say 80lbs. I can't even imagine a female that size! LOL My females usually top out around 55lbs. My males (not counting the 9yr old, he is my first Collie and a neutered pet, my other Collies are fom completely different lines) are usually 65-75lbs... and tall! My smooth Collie is 26" tall, and my male that I kept from the litter that is 5 1/2 months old now, is as tall as his mother... he will be a tall boy like his dad, probably 70-75lbs.

I'm not saying this is impossible to have a female that large, but its not common.

Ears are another thing. Typically healthy, the ears are big and pricked 80% of the time. Tipped ears mean the tip of the ear hangs over. Taping, or weighing down the tips is a way of forcing pricked ears into tipped. This doesn't hurt the collie. My Ozzy was born with natural tipped ears wich is unusual.
No Collie is born with prick ears... they start going up as pups if they aren't worked with. My three 5 1/2 month old Collie pups have never had prick ears a day in their life, and I don't tape that often... only when needed. But their ears were flopped down the sides of their heads till about 6-8 wks, when the ears started to come up on the head.

Here are some pictures of my Collies:




This is Ben - mjr ptd. Apple Valley Shades of Blue, CGC. He is the one I do the most herding with. He LOVES it!



This is Angie, the mother of my 5 1/2 month old puppies. Tomelle's Painted Angel, OFA-Excellent, Thyriod-normal, Heart-clear, eye check-Choroidal hypoplasia



This is Laddie, my first and oldest Collie. He is 9yrs old, and the one I said as usually around 90lbs.



This is Bart, the sire of my 51/2 month old pups. CH Apple Valley Coat of Arms. OFA-Good, Thyriod-normal, eye check-go normal.

And these are my Bart x Angie babies!!



Kira- Spiritwind Celtic Kiss at 12 wks old.



Coors- Spiritwind The Silver Bullet at 9wks old. He is a cyrptic blue merle.



Misty - Spiritwind Irish Mist at 12 wks old.

Janna