Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Fun thread - I mean, the question is serious, but it's mostly something funny I have noticed. It doesn't bother me, per se, but I find it strange.
I have had collies my whole life. I have two right now - a smooth and a rough.
While I totally get that most people would have no idea what a smooth collie is (people would ask, "What kind of dog is that?!" or "Why did you shave your one collie and not the other?"), I would think that most people would know what a rough collie is (Lassie, Laddie, and all that).
Well, it never fails. I will be walking down the street or at the pet store or someone will come to my house and say, "Oh, that's a sheltie, right?" Or, "What a beautiful sheltie!" Or something about how the dog is a sheltie.
Huh?
Yes, this is my 65 pound sheltie. I will be entering her in the Guiness Book of World Records soon as the largest, most disproportionate sheltie ever.
This JUST happened AGAIN last week. Why do you think that is?
Because they never see a real collie and they have seen pet store "purebred" shelties that are extremely out of standard.
I'm trying to remember Lassie. It seems to me that all the Lassie actors were quite over sized, leaving the public with the impression that Rough Collies are big dogs.
On the other hand, I've been told my Scottish Deerhound was a Rottweiler, a Weimeraner, and a llama. So it could just be general public ignorance.
Shelties can get big, I have a friend who's sheltie is 50 pounds and not over weight just oversized. According to some of the breeders I know and depending on some lines some in each litter will be bigger or smaller than the standard calls for.
1st Collies Use to be 14" tall While Shelties use to be 10" Tall 20 yrs ago at a Dog Show there was a 14" Champion Collie in the ring! Also there are Shelties 20" tall out there! Know th History you have your answer! When 1st brought to the Good Olde USA Collies & Shelties were Bred Together you get ALL sizes! Large ones were called Collies Small ones were called Shelties!
agreed.... people see far more shelties out and about these days than they do collies.......
and poor breeding can lead to a WIDE range of sizes.... I have just about decided my Chico IS a min-pin.... although at 20 lbs, he FAR exceeds a standard min-pin size.....
We used to get," is that a min pin or Doberman."
That's when he was a puppy ,
Agreed I don't think I have ever seen a collie.
Shelties? Many. collies not so much.
agreed.... people see far more shelties out and about these days than they do collies.......
and poor breeding can lead to a WIDE range of sizes.... I have just about decided my Chico IS a min-pin.... although at 20 lbs, he FAR exceeds a standard min-pin size.....
and then there are dogs who look like pomeranians but we are told they are shelties. people don't have access to purebred dogs and go by what the general public tells them. I've seen some "shelties" that had as much sheltie in them as I do!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.