Obedience & Training the Collie

Ever heard of Lassie?  Of course.  We all have.  The famous rough sable / white collie who, for decades, has been a permanent fixture in pop culture as the most famous, most intelligent dog around.  Numerous books, TV shows, and even movies about this special character have been produced.

The most famous being the 1950s TV show starring June Lockhart, Hugh Riley, Jon Provost - and of course Lassie.  In every dramatic episode, Lassie proved her wit, intelligence, cunning, and bravery as she caught crooks, ran around solving mysteries, and even rescuing little Timmy from many mishaps. 

Unfortunately, people's view of Lassie has caused them to believe that every collie should act just like the ideal intelligent dog they know as Lassie.  Is every collie automatically the epitome of alertness and obedience?  They certainly have the ability to be - but no dog will be a "Lassie" if proper training, coaching, and obedience is not instilled into them.  Even the many dog actors that have played "Lassie" over the years endure constant obedience / trick training.  Keep reading to learn what you must do to develop your dog's own obedience skills.

Getting Started

All dogs should be given the gift of knowing obedience.  An obedience, well behaved dog makes a pleasing addition to any family.  As a member of the household, your collie should be given the opportunity to learn how his human family members expect him to act.  In fact, a collie wants to know what is expected of him - as a breed who was formed centuries ago specifically to help humans in the fields, his instincts tell him to look to his master for guidance and he is most happy when he knows you are pleased with his effort.  A collie's gentle nature, human adoration, quick wit, and high intelligence also make him a very quick learner who picks up new commands easily and learns to even anticipate what action is expected next. 

Characteristics of an Obedient and Well-trained Collie

• Responds to commands immediately
• Performs commands off-leash
• Is attentive and alert at his master's voice
• Can calmly walk through a crowded room full of strangers
• Knows the rules of the household and what is allowed and what isn't
• Gets along peacefully with a wide variety of humans and creatures
• Easily performs commands without having to be bribed every time with food / toys
• Fully carries out commands in private as well as in public  

Learn more....