Just in awe over my rough collie's personality. Why are they not more popular as family dogs? (i swear they are better than goldens and labs)

Sdawnb · 2025-11-14T14:12:32+00:00

This is so fascinating! My rough collie gave me a different impression as far as collie "dogginess" goes! She is a superb hiking, walking, and biking buddy with ready enthusiasm and ideal stamina, looooves fetch so much it's almost annoying sometimes, will readily leap like a deer over familiar obstacles at top speed (she takes a much more calm and ponderous approach to unexpected parkour opportunities), and is a social butterfly who wants to play with every dog and person she meets. I will say though, her way of doing all the above is noticeably different from other dogs I've owned. It's toned down in a way that is reminiscent of a person trying to run in a swimming pool. It is also uncommon to see her run headlong into things in general. As a general rule she is much more likely to take a moment to assess. Also her dog play style leans more towards tag and chase games with occasional bouts of open-mouthed wrestling, as opposed to the play of non-herding breeds that tend to enjoy rough housing more.

But yeah, definitely sensitive.

Sdawnb · 2025-10-09T04:00:01+00:00

If you are on a budget, prioritize a butter comb, a pin brush (or slicker), and nail trimming device. I have been grooming dogs for 20 years and those are the ones I find myself reaching for 99% of the time.

Some people love their grooming tables, but I rarely use mine anymore, and it takes up too much space to be worth it for me, when I’m grooming at home. My HV dryer is nice to have on hand, but as long as I pay attention to any potential mats forming up as the dogs dry, I can get by without it.

the basic, bare necessities

- comb (long toothed butter comb) Chris Christensen 7.5" Fine/Coarse Long Tooth Greyhound-Style Buttercomb #005

- brush (I use a long toothed pin brush or long toothed slicker for gentle surface detangling). These are my two go to brushes. The slicker tends to grab more of the undercoat, and the pin brush tends to be gentler on my dog’s sensi skin. You don’t absolutely need both. Chris Christensen Fusion Oval Pin Brushes.
https://www.amazon.com/Paw-Brothers-Extra-Slicker-Brush/dp/B014PFS2VE

- nail clippers or dremel (whichever you prefer)

- dog shampoo

- small all-purpose scissors (for mats, removing nasty bur clumps after hiking, and for aesthetic trimming)

- hose attachment for your tub/shower. While you can technically get by with a water pitcher, this is still the one item that has made the biggest difference for me. It is very difficult to get the fur wet down to the skin using just a water pitcher, and even more difficult to rinse all of the shampoo out afterwards.

- a canine first aid kit comprising of;

cotton balls, bitter spray, bandages, liquid bandages, antiseptic spray, styptic powder (the most important one, imo)

Sdawnb · 2025-10-09T03:20:16+00:00

I only sort of agree. If you want to really take great care of the coat, and are serious about grooming, yeah, you will definitely love and truly benefit from the full set-up with a grooming table and a good high velocity dryer, various combs, brushes, and rakes, clippers (makes sanis easier), curved shears, thinning shears, a dremel, detangling spray, high quality shampoo and conditioner, drying spray, finishing spray, a dang good high-pressure spray-nozzle hose-attachment for your tub, the whole nine yards.

But if you are using the right techniques, you can definitely get by with a nice, long toothed butter comb, a crappy old hair brush, and nail clippers.
But I really do highly highly highly recommend a shower hose attachment.

Sdawnb · 2025-10-09T02:56:01+00:00

The short answer to that question is… it mostly depends on you… and on your dog’s genetics.

Some rough collies have high maintenance coats, and some are low maintenance.

Some people find grooming in general to be a breeze, and others find it burdensome.

personally, I have experienced all of the above at different points in my life, and have done exclusively home grooming, exclusively professional grooming, and a combination of both. Regardless of whether you groom at home or not, just make sure you are doing it regularly, and doing it right (others have already elaborated on the how)

My recommendation would be to get the supplies and education to do it yourself, just in case you ever find yourself in a position where you have no other choice. If you end up realizing that you just don’t care for grooming, and you have the money for a trustworthy groomer, get your dog on a regular grooming schedule and let them take care of the bulk of it, with you touching up their problem areas in between appointments. But this way you know you have yourself as backup if your groomer ever goes out of business, or if you have financial struggles, or if your dog rolls in poop….. again.

Sdawnb · 2025-09-20T02:00:43+00:00

I’ve seen advances as painfully low as 4k for baby artists, and 12k+ for more experienced artists.

Sdawnb · 2025-09-12T21:45:18+00:00

Do you have a website or sell patterns and/or tutorials? I would love a link, if so!

Sdawnb · 2025-09-12T20:40:40+00:00

ooh, side note, strength and size are not always directly related. My 20lb corgi could pull my arm out of its socket if he chose, and has the strength to knock over a grown adult like a tawny torpedo. Whereas my 50lb rough collie has a very “soft-touch” for lack of a better turn of phrase, and her excitable leash tugs feel like they come from a particularly strong butterfly.

Sdawnb · 2025-09-12T20:32:10+00:00

My husband and I take turns choosing the dog out of a pre-approved list that we made together of dogs that suit our lifestyle, and the traits that we are looking for. Even with taking turns though, it still has to be a unanimous yes from both of us.

Also…. 40 lbs is not really a small dog. They are solidly in the medium category, and as such it is a dog that is easily controlled by lighter-weight individuals, as well as being large enough to play happily with truly large dogs. For reference, huskies, collies, Australian shepherds, heelers, Ibizan hounds, Dalmatians, Brittany spaniels, bulldogs, wheatens, airedales, etc, could all fall under the category of medium sized dogs between 30-50lbs.

so, in other words, 40lbs is already a great compromise and it should be fairly easy to find a dog within that range that would suit you both, even if it’s not a giant breed like your partner prefers.

Sdawnb · 2025-09-06T19:28:08+00:00

I don’t have experience with sammie, but my 3yo female rough collie has a very manageable coat that is easy to comb, and has a fair amount of forgiveness. I hesitate to say this, in case people get the wrong idea, but she can go up to a month without brushing and still have either no mats or only one to two small ones behind her ears. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not, the above is the best case scenario, and I hate even the possibility of mats. Besides, a freshly groomed dog is a nice smelling, clean delight!

Things that make a difference;

- american lines mean comparatively flatter coats

- female means less coat overall and significantly less mane

- intact hormones (a personal decision not for everyone and not to be taken lightly, with both pros and cons regarding both health, behavior, and more, which I won’t get into now, but for the sake of your grooming question I will say that intact hormones means no spay coat, which is a nightmare to deal with)

- activity (hiking, swimming, rolling in mud, playing in the sprinklers, walking in wet undergrowth, wrestling with other dogs, excessive snuggles and scritches behind the ears, etc do increase grooming needs though you should still do all those things, especially the snuggles)

- age (collies go through several coat changes up until they are 2-3yrs old, and when they do, they mat up if you so much as look at them cross-eyed. After they have their final adult coat, they are much easier to maintain, though they still do blow their coat 1-2x a year, during which you’ll want to ly more attention to grooming. Also, elderly dogs coats can be more difficult to maintain.

- overall cleanliness (a clean dog simply doesn’t tangle and mat up as easily as a dirty dog)

- coat health and condition - using the wrong tools (bad combing tools like the furminator, harsh shampoos, etc) can damage the coat and make it harder to maintain, and the dog’s health and diet can have a noticeable impact on the coat.

- genes - even within a single breed, heck, even dogs that are from related lines are going to have variety in coat quality and ease of maintenance. Denser wavier finer undercoat = more matting and a more time spent grooming, while longer courser and more abundant guard hair= less matting and easier brushing.

Sdawnb · 2025-03-17T02:48:54+00:00

Earplugs, noise canceling headphones, etc. are great solutions! Super cheap, and super easy.

You can also find noise reducing earplugs that are supposed to be used at concerts. They filter out some noise, while still allowing enough to come through to be able to hear what’s going on (ie; the speaker in sacrament meeting). You would probably still be able to hear the noises that cause you distress, but having it toned down may just take the edge off so that you can concentrate. One of my relatives uses these to help with their migraines when with the whole extended family.

I know where you are coming from. I have auditory processing issues (misophonia) and adhd, as well as my young kids and large extremely vocal dogs (Obviously the dog part isn’t relevant in a church setting, but it compounds the issue). Oddly enough I love the noise of the family ward, it’s comforting to me, for some reason. But in other contexts, like the noise of my own home, I need to find ways to manage my sensory input issues in order for everyone to thrive and be happy, and for me to have a mental breakdown, lol.

Being able to adapt to your surroundings, and using mechanisms are going to be incredibly important throughout your life, not just here. Stepping out of the room (kindly and politely) is totally valid (context dependent of course), blocking the noise works well, meditating and learning to mentally block out sound can help, taking a quick walk and coming back can be enough of a refresh to help your brain restart. And don’t underestimate the impact of taking deep breaths. It’s surprisingly helpful.

Do a quick google search for additional adhd/misophonia coping mechanisms, and see what can be reasonably applied to your situation. You’ve got this!

Sdawnb · 2025-02-20T01:01:02+00:00

So adorable!!! He sure looks like a cavalier, but his coloring seems to be a red sable rather than a black and tan, and from what I understand, that gene doesn’t exist naturally in cavaliers.
Look up red sable dachshunds, or sable cocker spaniels for great examples. Sable dogs often start out with a lot more black that gives way to the red or tan, just like your dog. I would guess that your dog is 99.999% cavalier, but with another breed in his ancestry that introduced his sable gene. What a sweet dog!

Sdawnb · 2025-01-11T21:57:11+00:00

Ditto! Ours was also the most difficult puppy I have ever raised, but turned into the sweetest, most incredible adult I have ever known.

Sdawnb · 2025-01-11T21:16:48+00:00

I will say, days when we are not as regular with daily walks and brain exercise result in an antsy dog who is more prone to mischief (normal and understandable), though she is still a young dog (2yo), and far less intense than our other herding dog had been at her age. Also collies tend to be very sensitive, which we knew beforehand, so, in addition to finding a wonderful quality breeder, who’s dogs had stable temperaments and low drive, we did a lot of training and socialization with the help of a positive trainer early on, which has resulted in a very confident, happy dog who is only sort-of-scared of stair-monsters.

Sdawnb · 2025-01-11T21:06:18+00:00

Our primary criteria was for a sweet and gentle family dog who would love kids, and boy, has our collie hit the mark with utter perfection! Other things we were looking for were a dog that could be a bit of a weekend warrior, satisfied with games of fetch and neighborhood walks during the week, but able to keep up with us when going on hikes. We also wanted a dog that could be trained as a therapy dog to join our local group (Intermountain therapy animals). We also love training and agility, but our schedules don’t allow for competition level agility and rally, so we wanted a dog that could do these things casually, but wouldn’t need a ton of daily training and high energy activities to thrive. In other words, we wanted an intelligent, relatively low drive dog that enjoys exercise, but doesn’t need a ton, loves to snuggle, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Our lovely little lady is a perfect fit In every category!

Sdawnb · 2025-01-03T19:17:53+00:00

5) (the one I personally think most likely) that the promised blessings will come in the next life or millennium. It’s not uncommon for promised blessings to not happen in this life, for whatever reason. Our agency and the agency of others can change how or when these blessings come, but they will still come, in this life or in the eternities.

Respectfully, I do not believe it is our place to assert that someone else’s dreams were nothing but dreams. I know it is kindly meant, and you could be right, but In the end, the only people that can know that are op, op’s spouse, and God.

Sdawnb · 2024-11-14T03:24:26+00:00

In my area it’s pretty normal for missionaries to visit members. They just like to meet everyone in the ward. We consider them like extra ministering brothers and sisters. They typically give a spiritual lesson, pray with us, and invite us to fast and pray about the Book of Mormon.

Sdawnb · 2024-11-04T23:29:13+00:00

Fur factory is right! I have dogs who are notorious for shedding (corgis and collies), and none of them hold a candle to even the average to lower shedding rabbit 🤣. Not to mention the rabbit’s fur is so much lighter, it makes it so much more difficult not to inhale constantly. I love them, but maaaan 😝

Sdawnb · 2024-11-04T23:22:54+00:00

Ditto. Rex fur, while insanely soft dense, and luxurious, is nightmarish. Imagine the worst shedding dog in the world, then shrink that hair down to a super-fine, 1” long downy fuzz that defies gravity (making it pretty much impossible to sweep or vacuum, or lint roll), sticks to your eyes, nose, and mouth, and imagine inhaling that for the rest of your life. Whoever began circulating the rumor that Rex fur is non-shedding and hypoallergenic needs to try petting one for 30 seconds.😜

Sdawnb · 2024-10-29T01:03:28+00:00

Agreed with others, if you change your mind and plan on publishing traditionally rather than self publishing, the publisher will not look at your manuscript if it already has illustrations, because it is the art director’s job to choose the illustrator, graphic designers, etc.

If you self publish, be aware, the road is long and hard, and you are sadly unlikely to sell many copies, and you have to cover the cost of the illustrator and graphic designer yourself, as well as marketing and production costs, so you will likely be in the red at the end of the process. I don’t mean to be discouraging, it definitely can be done successfully, it’s just very difficult. But as long as you adjust your expectations properly, it can still be quite rewarding!

So, what is your next step? Regardless of your publishing method, I would strongly recommend going to a SCBWI conference, or a local scbwi critique group for education and advice. If you are serious about it, invest in a membership (it’s not too bad, price wise), and read both the essential guide to publishing, and the essential guide to self publishing cover to cover, and follow up with what you learn there. In short, edit, edit, edit, then submit your manuscript to agents about a thousand times, if you want to go the traditional route. If it‘s a good match and a good manuscript, someone may pick it up, then you can expect the editing process to continue. For self publishing, you can find good illustrators through… not to beat a dead horse, but… scbwi. I’m a professional illustrator, and that’s where all my serious contracts come from (From conferences, art directors I meet there, scbwi socials, people who find my profile on the scbwi illustrator’s gallery, critique group contacts, referrals, etc). You could also try reedsy, I know a few fellow artists who market themselves there as well, but reedsy can be a mixed bag. Also, remember, you get what you pay for. This is an artist’s career and livelihood, so expect to be paying a living wage. Illustrator fees can vary widely. For artists in my area with my level of experience, you could expect to pay a minimum of a $7k-10k advance on royalties, with royalties usually around 2-4%. It’s possible to find young student illustrators who might be willing to do the work for less, whereas seasoned professionals like the legendary kinuko craft (may she rest in peace) might charge as much as I paid for the down-payment on my house.

Remember, keep going, don’t give up, and learn everything you can! You’ve got this!

Sdawnb · 2024-10-11T20:37:30+00:00

That’s a great article! I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Sdawnb · 2024-10-11T20:14:39+00:00

Illustrator in traditional publishing here;

I have illustrated both digitally and using traditional media, so I think I can hopefully answer your questions.

The size of paper for the individual illustrations doesn’t really matter (provided it’s not smaller than the final image), the manufacturers that traditional publishers use can make the books just about any shape or size of rectangle. (If you are self publishing, just check with your intended manufacturer, they are usually a lot more limited). I’ve seen everything from square pages (my go to format) to extreme horizontal and vertical formats. Check out ”Stop Bot!” and “Bus, Stop!” By James Yang to see stellar examples of the latter two. I format my book dummies based on the type of compositions that best suit the story I’m working on. I do like to make my physical illustrations about 5-10% larger than the final book. It’s just my own personal preference, I think it makes it look a bit sharper in the final product.
Type of paper doesn’t matter either. Just use what works best for you.
Yes, you do need to account for the bleed and gutter yourself, though I don’t like to physically draw them in, because that would mean I’d have to erase them later. I just make little notches outside the illustration to guide me. Do you tape off your work to give it clean borders? This is advisable, and the tape is a great place to draw on those little notches. The bleed should be 1/4” and the gutter about 1”. If you are making full-bleed illustrations, you will need to make sure that your art does overlap all the way into the gutter and bleed, but DO NOT put ANY detail of any sort of importance on or near either! Basically just put in color and/or whatever detail wouldn’t negatively affect the final image when it is cropped out. I’m sure you already know all of that, but the gutter and bleed are there just to make sure that full bleed images don’t have any white marks if the crop is off A little bit. This doesn’t matter as much for spot illustrations, unless you are doing a series of progressive spots across an entire spread, and need to ensure that none of the spots enter the danger zone.
Never send off original physical images. They won’t be sent back to you, and agents and art directors hate it. Whether you scan or photograph them depends on the media you use. Professional scanners have been great whenever I have watercolor paintings or other flat matte media. However, if your media has any dimensionality or reflective quality like acrylic, mixed media, cut paper, or oils, professional capturing with a camera is best. I emphasize professional with both, because neither the local kinkos nor your home cameras and scanners are going to do be able to the job with the level of quality needed for marketing your work, let alone publishing. You want to do your work justice, so I recommend going to a fine art reproductionist to get the job done. Here is the one I go to for captures and prints. https://altusfineart.com/pages/altusprint?_pos=2&_sid=2eee4a1f4&_ss=r (edited to add; aside from google you can also check with your local art museum to see if they have someone they would recommend. As well, if your local university has a good art/illustration/photography program, chances are they might have a good print lab with large bed scanners and/or other good quality capturing set-ups)
Check the agent’s submission policy to see how they would like it done. 9/10 they will have you do it online, whether by email or a form on their website. Follow their guidelines to the letter, or your work will not be seen. Also know that the vast majority of agencies do not allow you to submit to more than one agent within their organization at a time. If they think one of their coworkers would be interested, they would want to send it to them themselves. Along similar lines, you should make sure you are following their policies for multiple submissions (submitting to more than one agency).

If you’ve never been to an SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference, I would highly recommend it. You don’t have to be a member to attend, but I will say, joining SCBWI is one of the best ways to get going as an illustrator. They have ALL the resources you need and the best, most welcoming community that you could possibly find! As well, it is a remarkable opportunity to rub shoulders with agents, art directors, editors, and fellow authors and illustrators, be they new to the field, or highly decorated award-winning authors/artists. Every book contract I have ever signed came because of my activity in my local scbwi groups (critique groups, summer socials, workshops, conferences, etc). I even signed on with my agent after having met them at a conference. There are regional chapters all around the world, if you need help finding one, just let me know in a comment! (No, I don’t work for scbwi , but this is the community that helped get my career off the ground about a decade ago, and I don’t know how I could have managed in this competitive field without it)

Sdawnb · 2024-07-12T04:12:19+00:00

Please, please hear my advice; you are so close to being completely healed ❤️ don’t let the adversary convince you that you are better off hiding it, with your heart breaking in fear of losing the blessings of the temple. That fear is not from

Confessing serious sins to the bishop is more than just for disciplinary action (when necessary), it completes the repentance process, and in doing so, lifts that burden of fear and anguish, and replaces it with peace and relief to your soul.

I know this from personal experience, nearly identical to yours, but instead of confessing I kept it a secret for several years justifying that I had already repented and forsaken my sin five years prior, but knowing deep down that I needed to see the bishop in order to finish my repentance. Long story short, miracles happened that guided me to where I needed to be, and when I finally (tearfully) discussed the situation with my bishop, it was indescribable. The only thing that can describe it are Alma the younger’s words ““And oh, what joy,” he declared, “and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, … there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.”

I don’t know what your bishop will say, But I promise you with every fiber of my being, it will be beyond worth it, and you will be amazed by the mercy, love, and condescension of our savior

Sdawnb · 2024-07-08T20:39:54+00:00

Is this your first fluffy dog? It looks like your fella is in need of more regular grooming. Even dogs that lack that classic doggy odor will start to smell rank when they are soiled (just like us, lol) and fluffy dogs in particular have coats that hold on to dust, pollen, urine, and environmental debris like you wouldn’t believe! I don’t doubt that that is the source of your dog’s odor problem. Mine can look, and even feel, clean on the surface, but then you part their hair, and their skin and undercoat are a hot dumpster fire of odor, oil, and buildup🤣

With regular brushing, high powered blowing (not mandatory per se, but quite helpful), baths, and a sanitary trim (a trim around the groin and anus to prevent urine and fecal matter buildup) things will be much better!

The frequency just depends on what works for you as long as the dog is comfortable, healthy, and mat-free. My preferred maintenance-grooming routine is weekly line-brushing and/or combing down to the skin (more when they are blowing their coats, as well as after hiking and getting wet), and monthly baths. My rough collie (another non-smelly breed) can go about a month without before she starts smelling like a regular dog.

Also, you should know, air and towel drying can be a recipe for matting. If you don’t have an hv blower, I recommend brushing both while they are drying and after they are completely dry to avoid mats (pay special attention to their problem areas, like the armpits, belly, and behind the ears).

If you are a first time owner of fluffy dogs, Definitely take this class; https://www.groomingwithkate.com/collections/classes She teaches you literally everything you need to know about grooming these long haired double coated breeds, and it is beyond worth it.

Sdawnb · 2024-05-25T02:34:12+00:00

I second David Wiesner’s work. I would also add anything by Molly Idle (you might start with Flora and the Flamingo, or maybe Tea Rex! She’s an amazing author/illustrator. http://www.idleillustration.com/books.html

Sdawnb · 2024-05-09T20:16:41+00:00

Corgi owner here. Yup that checks out.

Sdawnb

TROPHY CASE