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| Collie Standards |
Collie standards are the official
written descriptions of the Collie.
These descriptions are guidelines for breeding the ideal dog,
as set by the parent breed club and accepted officially by their
registries. The standards tell how the ideal dog
should look, move, and behave.
The standards are used in the show ring to compare a dog
against the 'ideal' set by the written standard. Some standards
list faults that may disqualify a dog in competition, or may
cause the dog to be placed lower in his class.
The goal is to breed the ever elusive 'perfect dog'.
All of us who have owned a Collie has owned that 'perfect dog,
because we always love our own dogs.
In the world of dog shows, most breeders are always working to
breed that special near-perfect Collie that is both beautiful
and healthy, and hope that he or she will be able to
contribute something positive to the breed.
written descriptions of the Collie.
These descriptions are guidelines for breeding the ideal dog,
as set by the parent breed club and accepted officially by their
registries. The standards tell how the ideal dog
should look, move, and behave.
The standards are used in the show ring to compare a dog
against the 'ideal' set by the written standard. Some standards
list faults that may disqualify a dog in competition, or may
cause the dog to be placed lower in his class.
The goal is to breed the ever elusive 'perfect dog'.
All of us who have owned a Collie has owned that 'perfect dog,
because we always love our own dogs.
In the world of dog shows, most breeders are always working to
breed that special near-perfect Collie that is both beautiful
and healthy, and hope that he or she will be able to
contribute something positive to the breed.
| Even with the written standard there are many other qualities that are difficult to describe on paper and are best seen in person. |
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| The best way to learn how to recognize a quality Collie is to attend as many dog shows as you can over a lengthy period of time, to read as much as possible about the Collie, look at as many photos of foundation stock and current Collies being shown, as possible.* Over time you will develop an 'eye' for a good Collie, the ability to recognize proper gait, and pick out lovely Collie expression. You will also have the opportunity to meet many wonderful people. |
| * Two good sources for photos of current Collies are The White Collie Chronicle and Collie Expressions Magazine. |