How to choose the right dog breed: The Collie

To some people the Collie is almost unique in having a profile often favored by family pets but a level of aggression that makes it about average as a watchdog for home protection. It is moderately ranked on territorial defense and watchdog barking, yet manages to rank low on the sometimes troublesome traits of aggression toward other dogs and dominance over its owner.

The Collie’s scoring on other traits should also help make it easy to live with. It ranks high on obedience training and housebreaking, average on playfulness, and extremely low on destructiveness and snapping at children. The only other thing you might ask for in a family pet would be a higher ranking on its demand for affection. Although the Collie is quite trainable, it won’t be attending to you and your movements at every minute of the day.

Another breed that has similar possibilities as a watchdog but still ranks low on aggression toward other dogs is the Australian Shepherd. This breed is quite unlike the Collie in its higher scores on general activity and demand for affection.

The Collie:

Weight: 65 lbs
Height: 24 in.
Build: Solid
Coat: Long, dense, straight; regular grooming desirable; heavy seasonal shedding.
Color: Sable and White, or in combination with either grey or black or gray and black.

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