All Dog Breeds >>Temprament of Collie
Collies make fantastic family pets because they love to be with people, and love to be part of the family. They are great with children and often take a special interest in them. The Collie's herding instinct will often cause him to follow his small owners around all day, quietly protecting them. Every year Collies receive heroism awards for rescuing children from cars, snakes, and fire.
Collies are affectionate, intelligent, easygoing, fun-loving, loyal, devoted, and incredibly responsive to their humans. Collies seem to have an intuitive awareness of a family's routines and activities and are sometimes accused of "reading their owner's mind." They are known to recognize approaching footsteps and vehicles, and are often found waiting by the door when it is the regular time for someone to get home from work or school. Because the Collie is so in love with the family, he needs a lot of attention.
He will want to go for daily walks and play with everyone, and will not do well if left alone for long periods of time. A Collie will bond quickly and easily with his family and will become watchful and protective of the home. He is not prone to wander, and seems content to hang out in his own yard. Collies can adapt to suburban yards and to large rural spaces, as long as they have someone there to love. Collies can be reserved with strangers, but are always gentle, though you can be sure your Collie's bark will let you know when someone is at your door. Collies are very vocal, which can irritate your neighbors, but Collies are also eager to please their owners, so will often be quiet when you tell them to.
Collies have a wide range of vocals as well as facial expressions, which makes them excellent communicators (think Lassie). Collies are often accused of smiling. Collies are social animals and get along well with other dogs and other family pets.