What is the Size of a Collie?

A collie is a breed of herding dog that originated in Great Britain. Some of its common characteristics include a pointed snout, a light built and a medium-sized height. In terms of character, this type of dog is known for its strong herding instinct, agility and trainability. Furthermore, it has a great stamina and agility, which make it perfect for dog sports and dog shows. Aside from these, it is also interesting to find out the size of a collie.

The Size of a Collie

What is the size of a Collie? In the U.S., the rough collie has an average height of 22 to 26 inches or 55.8 to 66 centimeters at the shoulder for males. For females, the average height is 2 inches or 5 centimeters shorter. In terms of weight, males usually weigh from 45 to 75 pounds, while female collies weigh 5 to 10 pounds less. In some cases, collies can even weigh more than 100 pounds.

In Great Britain, border collies are common especially in many rural parts. The average height of males ranges from 19 to 22 inches or 48 to 56 centimeters at the withers. For female collies, the average is 18 to 21 inches or 46 to 53 centimeters. A large dog breed that originated in Scotland, the smooth collie has the average height of 24 to 26 inches for males and 22 to 24 inches for females.

Bearded collies also originated in Scotland. The average height of such dogs is 20 to 22 inches. Furthermore, their average weight is 40 to 60 pounds. The Welsh collie or the Welsh sheepdog originated in the United Kingdom, the average height of which is 18 inches or 46 centimeters. The average weight ranges from 40 to 45 pounds.

The Shetland Collie or Shetland sheepdog is another type of collie, which resembles a small rough collie. This is a small breed, with the average height ranging from 13 to 16 inches only. Meanwhile, its weight is normally around 14 to 25 pounds.

Additional Facts and Other Important Details

The different types of working collies are known for their great agility and energy. At the same time, they are known for their intelligence, obedience and great stamina. Meanwhile, other collies were originally bred to serve as great pets. These include the Shetland sheepdogs, the smooth collies and rough collies. Unlike the working types, these dogs are suited as pets because of their intelligence, loyalty and gentleness.

In terms of health, breeds like the smooth collie and the rough collie are at risk of a genetic defect, wherein the MDR1 gene mutates. In such cases, the dogs become highly sensitive to different kinds of drugs such as steroids, opioids and certain antibiotics.