We will be in touch soon to confirm.
Breed guide · Dogs
He lets the children brush him for hours. I still part the fur and look at the skin underneath.
Last updated 12 October 2026
We will be in touch soon to confirm.
What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
A wormer from the pet shop, or a spare tablet from your own cupboard, looks harmless.
What's going onIn US testing, about three in four Collies carried at least one copy of the MDR1 gene change. It can make some everyday medicines dangerous, including ivermectin, a common parasite treatment. So check every wormer with your vet first, and let every groomer and pet sitter know. Never give your Collie anything from your own cupboard.
At home
Circling the children, following whoever leaves the room, and barking until everyone is back together.
What's going onThey were bred to keep a flock in one place, and at home the family is the flock. Teach them to settle on a mat while people come and go.
At home
Reading your mood from across the room, and flinching at a raised voice.
What's going onRough Collies are gentle and sensitive. A raised voice or a jerk on the lead knocks their confidence. Rewards, patience and a quiet voice get you much further.
At home
Tufts of undercoat on the sofa, and a coat so thick you cannot see the skin.
What's going onTheir coat was made for Scottish rain. Brush right down to the skin every day, so heat can escape and you can see the skin underneath. Mats trap heat and hide skin problems.
At home
Looking for the coolest floor in the flat as soon as the day warms up.
What's going onThat long double coat holds heat. From May to September, walk them before sunrise and after dark, and keep them in shade and air conditioning through the middle of the day.
At home
Calm for most of the day, then circling the sofa and barking at the window on a quiet afternoon.
What's going onThey are calmer than a Border Collie, but the herding brain is still there. Ten minutes of training and a puzzle feeder each day keep them content.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their day
Built for: Keeping a flock together on a Scottish farm.
In Dubai: A family to keep together in a flat.
Their weather
Built for: Cold, wet Scottish weather.
In Dubai: 45°C heat, with a coat made for rain.
Their flock
Built for: Sheep, all in one place.
In Dubai: A family who keep leaving the room.
The barking, the circling and the worry when someone leaves mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them a Scottish hillside. You can give them a job, and the ten things below show you how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Rough Collie's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
The herding brain is still there under the coat.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
The herding brain is still there under the coat.
What to do
Ten to twenty minutes a day: gentle training, a puzzle feeder, part of their dinner hidden to sniff out. Keep it calm and rewarding.
They were bred to keep the group together, so someone leaving can worry them.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They were bred to keep the group together, so someone leaving can worry them.
What to do
Reward them for staying on their mat while you move round the house, and build up to closing a door between you. If they are distressed when you go out, contact your vet.
Circling and barking are the herding with nowhere to go.
Every age, with slower games on soft ground from 7 years
Why
Circling and barking are the herding with nowhere to go.
What to do
Gentle games with a ball they can push, and short training walks with a job in them. Teach a quiet cue, and reward the silence after a bark.
They may circle the children, or nip to bring them back together.
Every age, most of all in the first two years
Why
They may circle the children, or nip to bring them back together.
What to do
No chasing games, and an adult watching. Teach the children to stand still if the dog circles, and reward the dog for lying down near them instead.
Moving wheels can set off the herding in any collie.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Moving wheels can set off the herding in any collie.
What to do
On the lead near traffic, and reward a calm sit as bikes pass. In the lift, keep them close until the doors open fully.
Their coat was made for wind and rain, not a Dubai August.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Their coat was made for wind and rain, not a Dubai August.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and keep them cool in the middle of the day. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds before you go. Brush right down to the skin every day so the coat can let heat out, and contact your vet before anyone clips it short.
A Rough Collie's confidence breaks under harsh handling.
Every age
Why
A Rough Collie's confidence breaks under harsh handling.
What to do
Train with food, praise and a quiet voice. Never shout or jerk the lead. Set up a quiet room for firework nights.
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is on their record from puppy to young adult, and arthritis follows.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years and from 7 years
Why
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is on their record from puppy to young adult, and arthritis follows.
What to do
Keep them lean, put rugs down on marble, and no repeated jumping while they grow. Book the orthopaedic evaluation (joint and bone exam) their plan sets as a juvenile.
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA, an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) is on their record from birth.
Every age, starting as a puppy
Why
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA, an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) is on their record from birth.
What to do
Book the eye evaluations their plan sets. At home, watch for bumping into things in dim light, or cloudiness as they get older.
With MDR1 drug sensitivity (a gene change that makes some common medicines dangerous), one ordinary dose of the wrong medicine can be fatal.
Every age, most of all in the first two years
Why
With MDR1 drug sensitivity (a gene change that makes some common medicines dangerous), one ordinary dose of the wrong medicine can be fatal.
What to do
Contact your vet about their MDR1 status as a puppy, and tell every vet, groomer and pet sitter. When you brush, part the fur and look at the skin on their face, ear tips and legs.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Rough and Smooth
The Rough Collie is the long-coated collie most people picture. Its cousin, the Smooth Collie, has the same build and nature in a short, sleek coat. The Royal Kennel Club lists them as two breeds, while the American Kennel Club counts one Collie with two coats.
Colours
Most people picture sable and white, anything from light gold to deep mahogany with a white collar. Rough Collies also come in tricolour, which is black, white and tan, in blue merle, and in white.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, with a baseline hip evaluation and an ophthalmic evaluation (eye exam). Ask about MDR1 at that first visit, and give nothing from your own medicine cupboard. Get them used to the brush and to having their face and ears handled, a few seconds at a time.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
A good brush and comb, a mat or bed for learning to settle, a puzzle feeder, a harness and lead, and a cool, quiet spot out of the sun. Choose a room for firework nights before the first one comes.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Collie Eye Anomaly (an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) and MDR1 drug sensitivity are on their record from puppyhood. If you are choosing a puppy, ask the breeder about both parents' eye results and MDR1 status, and look for any crusting on the puppy's face or ears.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
He'll keep booking the children for grooming. If they find something under the fur, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
Before the 1860s
Collies herded and guarded sheep on Scottish farms: tough, practical dogs with a thick coat against the weather.
What they still carryThe coat, the watchfulness, and the urge to keep the group together.
The 1860s
Queen Victoria saw collies at Balmoral and kept them. Demand boomed, and breeders began selecting for looks and a gentle nature.
What they still carryA softer dog, with the herding instinct underneath.
1885
The American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1885, and the show ring took over from the farm.
What they still carryThe long head and the full coat.
1943
The film Lassie Come Home made the Rough Collie the world's picture of a loyal family dog. Films and a television series followed.
What they still carryA family dog, famous for devotion.
Today
In the UAE a Rough Collie is a rare family dog, with a coat made for Scottish rain.
What they still carryA family to keep together instead of a flock.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Rough Collie suits you, so might these.
Australian ShepherdThe same kind of herding dog, with much more energy and a shorter coat that is easier to brush.
Border CollieAnother British sheepdog, smaller, far busier, and more reserved with strangers.
Canaan DogThe same watchful nature and the same voice for a visitor, in a dog from the Middle East that copes far better with heat.
SamoyedA similar size and a thick double coat that needs the same regular brushing, in a white spitz that greets strangers like old friends.
