The Collie was recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1885. There are two varieties of coat: rough (long-haired) and smooth (short-haired). The Collie Club of America, Inc. was formed on August 26, 1886, which makes it one of the oldest American specialty clubs in existence.

The Collie is a lithe, strong, responsive, active dog, carrying no useless timber, standing naturally straight and firm. The deep, moderately wide chest shows strength, the sloping shoulders and well-bent hocks indicate speed and grace, and the face shows high intelligence. The Collie presents an impressive, proud picture of true balance, each part being in harmonious proportion to every other part and to the whole. Except for the technical description that is essential to this Standard and without which no Standard for the guidance of breeders and judges is adequate, it could be stated simply that no part of the Collie ever seems to be out of proportion to any other part. Timidity, frailness, sullenness, viciousness, lack of animation, cumbersome appearance and lack of over-all balance impair the general character.

History:
Queen Victoria's deep and abiding love for the Scotland made a lasting impact on the Collie's history. It was the dog-loving Victoria, during her many extended stays at Balmoral Castle on the Scottish Highlands, who popularized the local herding breed among her courtiers and subjects during the second half of the 19th century. Her enthusiasm for Collies began the breed's ascent from humble shepherd dog to worldwide canine superstar. It is supposed that the Collie's ancestors reached Scotland nearly 2,000 years before Victoria did, brought by the Romans during their conquest of Britain in the first century of the Common Era. Over several centuries, the Roman herding stock was interbred with local dogs. Sometime during this long unwritten history, we can surmise that a stouthearted sheepherding dog recognizable as the Collie came into focus. (A prevalent theory holds that the name Collie derives from the name of a particular strain of black-faced sheep called colleys.) The Collie enters the written record around 1800, and by the time Victoria 'discovered' the Collie later in the century, the breed's now familiar characteristics were set. In 20th-century America, author and dog breeder Albert Payson Terhune popularized the breed for generations of eager young readers, who thrilled at adventures of the Sunnybank Collies. In 1940, British author Eric Knight launched one of the great pop-culture franchises of all time with his novel Lassie Come-Home. Thanks to Knight's books, spin-off movies, and a long-running TV show, Lassie made Collies the ideal canine companion of every child's fantasy.

Sources:
AKC Collie Breed Information (https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/collie/)
AKC Official Breed Standard (https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Collie.pdf)
Wikipedia - Rough Collie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Collie)
Wikipedia - Smooth Collie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_Collie)

Height: 24-26 inches (male), 22-24 inches (female)

Weight: 60-75 pounds (male), 50-65 pounds (female)

Coat Colors: Sable, Tricolor, Blue Merle, Sable Merle, White

Markings: white

Conformation:

Common Uses: herding, agility, obedience, therapy, companion

Temperament: affectionate, loyal, intelligent

Place of Origin: Scotland