Rough collies: The dogs made well-known by Lassie which can be hardy, intelligent, agile, and ‘good for the soul’

With the initiative to rescue sheep and the daring to query its grasp, the tough collie not solely lives as much as its heroic repute, however is at all times proper, discovers Katy Birchall.

When the Beast from the East swept throughout the UK in early 2018, Wiltshire-based shepherd Jess King had a major problem: ‘Sheep were buried in the snow and others, in trying to escape the drifts across the fields, had gone up onto a bank and got caught in brambles. They were stuck and it was too steep for me to reach them.’ Luckily, assist was available within the type of her farm canine, tough collie Tully.

‘As I stood there trying to work out what to do next, Tully climbed up the bank and, with-out any instruction, began to pull each sheep free of the brambles,’ she remembers. ‘He did it for hours, calmly taking the lead in the situation. Tully has always been able to figure anything out — there have been so many times that he has saved the day.’

Although it might be sadly uncommon to see a tough collie out herding within the fields, if there’s one factor this level-headed breed is known for, it’s coming to the rescue — and Tully has confirmed to be no exception. Now 10 years old, he nonetheless works sheep and cattle a couple of instances per week alongside a staff of border collies.

‘He’s a improbable farm canine. He would work all day, daily if he might,’ Ms King says. ‘Not all rough collies have the working instinct any more, but there are still some traditional lines out there. They don’t like a number of education: Tully questions me greater than a border collie, however, ultimately, he’s at all times proper. Their working fashion is just like a Welsh sheepdog; they’re loose-eyed and upright, and use their voice, which is beneficial for large teams — I’ve moved 4,000 sheep alone with Tully.’

Full of vitality and prepared for motion, the tough collie. Credit: Ulrike Stein / Shutterstock

Descended from shepherds’ dogs which have been round for hundreds of years, the tough collie hails from the Scottish Highlands the place it was valued for its power, listening to and eager eye-sight because it guarded inventory in pasture, its heavy weather-resistant coat withstanding all method of climates. It wasn’t till canine exhibits gained prominence within the latter half of the nineteenth century that a lot consideration was paid to its appears to be like — over time, it turned extra prone to see a tough collie within the present ring than out working.

Six details about Rough Collies

• The tough collie shares its ancestry with the sleek collie, a listed vulnerable breed that had solely 44 registrations final 12 months
• Rough collies have a double coat: a dense, gentle undercoat and a protracted, tough outer coat
• The three recognised colors of the breed are sable and white, tricolour and blue merle
• After falling for his or her charms throughout a go to to Scotland, Queen Victoria saved tough and clean collies in her kennels, popularising the breed
• Despite being a feminine character, all 9 dogs that performed Lassie all through the MGM movies and tv sequence have been male. Lassie secured a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was the one animal to characteristic on Variety’s ‘100 Icons of the Century’ in 2005
• Celebrity followers of the breed have included Elvis Presley and Miley Cyrus

In 1943, Lassie Come Home, the movie adaptation of Eric Knight’s novel a few devoted tough collie that faces nice risks to return to its household, was a box-office hit, sparking spin-off films and a tv present that ran till 1973. The breed reaped the rewards of heroic Lassie’s phenomenal success — its Hollywood-worthy magnificence and exceptionally trustworthy character was marketed on a world scale.

However, trend is fickle and, regardless of its exalted standing because the ‘Lassie dog’, it has seen a worrying decline, with fewer than 500 registrations in 2022. For the canine as soon as thought of the ultimate household companion, these low numbers are each puzzling and heartbreaking. As with different native breeds, the tough collie is probably going neglected attributable to misconceptions concerning the breed or just a scarcity of airtime — however there might be little question that this majestic canine deserves to be again within the highlight.

For eager hill walker Stacy Steven, there is no such thing as a higher canine to accompany her for Munro bagging — the problem of reaching the summit of Scottish mountains with an elevation of greater than 3,000ft, named after Sir Hugh Munro. Her three tough collies, Brodie, Bella and Brooke, have proved as much as the duty — thus far, Brodie has accomplished 83 Munros; Bella and Brooke have achieved 72 and 52 respectively.

‘You have to be able to trust the dogs you’re walking with — among the ascents and descents might be powerful, with slim, uncovered ridges,’ Ms Steven factors out. ‘Rough collies are hardy, clever and agile. They think first and don’t rush forward — they’re not going to do one thing silly or deviate from the trail. You don’t need to walk with a canine too ruled by their nostril, as you would possibly come throughout stags, mountain hares or livestock — these dogs are obedient, assured and affected person. I belief them to pay attention.’

Rough collie registrations are down. Time to start out demanding repeats of old episodes of Lassie?

Ms Steven reveals the sheer pleasure in climbing with these dogs at her aspect. ‘As they look out over the hills or lochs, you sense their enjoyment in that much freedom,’ she enthuses. ‘I can see they’re grateful to me for taking them on the market — and I’m so grateful to them for being with me. It’s an enriching expertise for all of us. Of course, in addition they like reaching the summit as a result of they get a sandwich.’

She emphasises that the tough collie was initially bred for the outside: ‘I have my dogs in rivers, ponds and up to their necks in mud sometimes. It easily brushes out or I give them a quick hose down when we get home. People wrongly assume the coat is difficult to maintain, but I groom my dogs about once a week with a couple of basic combs and brushes to keep them knot-free and tidy.’

If it’s loyalty you’re after, look no additional than a tough collie, asserts secretary of the Midland Collie Club Hannah Walder: ‘They want to be with you, they’ll comply with you anyplace. Rough collies are extremely perceptive and figuring out. They’re superb with all generations of the household — they perceive once they must be mild with youngsters and grandparents and once they must be extra enthusiastic.’ Living with seven on her farm on the Cambridgeshire-Hertfordshire border, Mrs Walder notes that walking a pack of tough collies can draw a number of consideration. ‘We can’t go anyplace with out being stopped by completely everybody,’ she laughs. ‘People want to hug them or take photographs, and some get very emotional — usually, they grew up with a rough collie or had a grandparent who owned one.’

Hannah Walder’s tough collies are comfortable in any climate. Credit: Hannah Walder

Lassie’s mild, protecting character is an correct illustration, she asserts. ‘One of my collies, Florence, once brought me a baby robin that had fallen out of its nest, completely unharmed. We were able to put it back and, a few days later, we watched it fledge,’ Mrs Walder remembers. ‘If something is wrong, they won’t depart your aspect. When I broke my leg a couple of years in the past, that very same collie, Florence, stayed with me on the couch all through the restoration, sleeping together with her chin on my solid. She wouldn’t even eat in a unique room — she knew I wanted to be taken care of.’

The devotion of the tough collie extends to all family members, as Jim and Morag McCarte of Roughrigg Rough Collies know all too nicely. ‘I would often find one of our collies, Becky, in bed with our son, Christopher,’ says Mrs McCarte, who has proven the dogs for almost 40 years and at present owns seven. ‘When he was young, Becky would always keep an eye on him. She’d let him get to the sector gate earlier than rounding him up and bringing him again to the home.’

Their willingness to please makes them excel in obedience and agility, Mr McCarte provides. ‘They are good all-rounder dogs. They have dignity and beauty and a certain aloofness — they’ll let in the event you’re a good friend. Rough collies are good for the soul.’

Veterinary surgeon and eager horsewoman Irene de Best, proprietor of six tough collies, asserts that, though adaptable, they’re very a lot at home within the countryside. ‘Ours are always out and about, whatever the weather. We have racehorses and they’re nice with them,’ she says. ‘Rough collies are gentle, sensitive, intelligent — they learn easily and are active when you want them to be, then calm at home. I could write a whole book about my dogs. They always make me smile.’

It was the sweet-natured temperament of the tough collie that caught the eye of pet portrait artist Kaye Cardell-Oliver: ‘As a family, we’d talked about having a canine for a couple of years and I’d researched a number of breeds. Rough collies are lovely dogs to have a look at, however they’re additionally type and playful, they usually adore individuals.’

Now the proud proprietor of Dolly — named after Dolly Parton — Mrs Cardell-Oliver couldn’t be happier together with her selection of household pet: ‘She’s so pleasant and chilled. She loves different dogs, she’s sensible with our two cats and she or he’s nice with youngsters. If we’re on a walk, she doesn’t like every stragglers and can wait to herd them up. If the children run off in one other route, then she’ll at all times be there, proper behind them.’