At a glance the quick version
FCI standard figures; Wikipedia gives a similar 21-30 kg for dogs.
The Royal Kennel Club lists over 10 years.
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, flat, harsh outer coat with very dense undercoat
An athletic, graceful herding dog built for strength and agility, slightly longer than tall, with a clean, blunt wedge-shaped head. The close, short topcoat feels harsh to the touch and sits over a thick, soft undercoat; it is shown naturally, never trimmed.12
Personality what they are like
A cheerful, outgoing and alert dog with a kind, steady nature, free of nervousness or aggression. It learns readily, responds best to gentle handling and usually mixes well with children and other pets.123
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderate to high: up to about an hour of exercise a day, and it enjoys dog sports such as agility, obedience and herding.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
About one good brush a week; the short coat does shed.3
Home where they are happiest
Adapts well to family life as long as it gets daily exercise and mental activity.23
Company who they like around
A sociable family dog that likes company and generally gets on well with children and other animals.2
The story where it all began
The smooth-coated collie developed from Scottish working farm dogs and shares its roots with the Rough Collie. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for collies from the 1860s moved them from farm to show ring. In the UK the smooth and rough types were long interbred, and the smooth gained its own challenge certificates in 1979.23
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Queen Victoria owned a Smooth Collie named Sharp, who moved with her from Balmoral to Windsor Castle.3
- 2
Until the early 1990s rough and smooth collies could be bred together in the UK, so both coat types could turn up in one litter.3
- 3
In the United States and Canada it counts as a coat variety of the Collie, while the UK and Australia treat it as a breed of its own.2
- 4
Smooth Collies work as assistance dogs as well as in herding, agility and obedience.2
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard No. 296, Group 1 (Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs), Section 1 (Sheepdogs); definitive acceptance 1974; current standard published 27 Jul 20211
- The Royal Kennel Club
- Pastoral Group; first challenge certificates as a separate breed in 1979; listed as a Vulnerable Native Breed3
- AKC
- Recognised as the smooth variety of the Collie rather than a separate breed4
Popularity The Collie (rough and smooth varieties combined) ranked 39th of AKC-registered breeds in 20255
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Smooth Collie. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BrushingDaily during heavy sheddingevery 3 days
- Double coats insulate against cold and heat, so shaving is not recommended
- Bathevery 10 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkevery 2 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 7every year
You might also like
Rough Collie
Shetland Sheepdog
Border CollieLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FCI breed standard No. 296: Collie Smooth fci.beused for recognition, size, weight, coat, colours, temperament
- Wikipedia: Smooth Collie en.wikipedia.orgused for history, temperament, uses, recognition
- The Royal Kennel Club: Collie (Smooth) royalkennelclub.comused for lifespan, exercise, grooming, history, fun facts, vulnerable status
- AKC: Collie akc.orgused for AKC variety status
- AKC: Most popular dog breeds of 2025 akc.orgused for popularity
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.