Kennel Club breed standards - 1950

KENNEL CLUB BREED STANDARDS - 1950

ROUGH COLLIE

Characteristics: To enable the Collie to fulfil a natural bent for Sheepdog work. Its physical structure should be on lines of strength and activity, free from cloddiness and without any trace of coarseness. Expression, one of the most important points in considering relative values, is obtained by the perfect balance and combination of skull and foreface, size, shape, colour and placement of eye, correct position and carriage of ears, all harmoniously blended to produce that sweet, dreamy yet alert outlook which makes the perfect  Collie the most beautiful of the canine race.

General appearance: The Collie should instantly appeal as a dog of great beauty, gifted with intelligence, alertness and activity. With no part out of proportion, the whole he should stand with impassive dignity and his movements, governed by perfect anatomical formation, should be smooth and graceful. An abundance of coat, mane and frill with shapeliness of head and sweetness of expression all combine to present a pleasing and elegant picture that will inspire and secure admiration.

Head & skull: The skull should be flat and moderately wide between the ears with a gradual tapering towards the eyes, the width depending upon the combined length of skull and muzzle, the whole to be considered in connection with the size of the dog. The muzzle continues in an almost unbroken line toward the nose and must now show weakness or be snipy or lippy. 
Below the eyebrow there should be a slight and perceptible, but not prominent, stop which brings the bridge of the nose line slightly below the surface line of the skull. Whatever the colour of the dog the nose must be black.

Eyes: Are a very important feature and give expression to the dog. They should be of a medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond shape and of brown colour except in the case of merles, when the eyes are frequently (one or both) blue and white or china; expression full of intelligence, with a quick, alert look when listening.

Ears: Should be small and moderately wide at the base; and placed not too close together on top of the skull nor too much to the side of the head. When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in the attitude of listening.

Mouth: The teeth should be of good size, with the lower incisors fitting closely behind the upper incisors, a very slight space not to be regarded as a serious fault.

Neck: Should be muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched.

Forequarters: The shoulders should be sloped. The forelegs should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy with pasterns showing flexibility without weakness.

Body: Should be rather long, with well-sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders.

Hindquarters: Loins slightly arched and powerful. The hind legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well-bent stifles.

Feet: Should be oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together. The hind feet less arched, the hocks well let down and powerful.

Tail: Should be moderately long, carried low when the dog is quiet, with a slight upward "swirl" at the end, and may be gaily carried when the dog is excited, and not over the back.

Coat: Should be very dense, the outer coat harsh to the touch, the inner or under coat soft, furry, and very close, so close as almost hide the skin. The mane and frill should be very abundant, the mask or face smooth, as also the ears at the tips, but they should be carry more hair towards the base; the forelegs slightly feathered, the hind legs above the hocks profusely so; but below the hocks fairly smooth, although all heavily coated collies are liable to grow a slight feathering. Hair on the brush very profuse.

Colour: Colour and markings are immaterial, but other points being equal, a nice showily marked dog is preferred.

Weight & size: Dogs 22 in. to 24 in. at the shoulders, Bitches 20 in. to 22 in. Dogs 45 lb to 65 lb, Bitches 40 lb to 55 lb.

Faults: Length of head apparently out of proportion to the body and head of the Borzoi type are to be strongly condemned. Weak, snipy muzzle; overshot mouth; heavy or gooseberrycoloured eyes, and glassy or staring eyes, are very objectionable. Domed skull, high peaked occiput; prominent cheek; dish-faced or Roman nosed. Body flat-sided, short or cobby. Weak long pasterns, out at elbows, crooked forearms. Cow-hocks, straight hocks. Large, open, flat, or hare feet; feet turned outwards or inwards. Tail short or carried over the back, or twisted to one side. A soft, silky, or wavy coat, or insufficient undercoat.

The Smooth Collie differs from the Rough only in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.