Collie vs Bolognese - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Bolognese has already been on record since the 13th century, being particularly popular among the aristocracy during the Renaissance. The breed hails from Italy. He belongs to a family of dogs that include the Maltese and Bichon Frise, all with similar temperaments and looks. Even though there are these similarities the Bolognese is a breed on its own – a distinctive breed.

The exact ancestry of the Bolognese isn’t altogether clear. The dog breed was brought to England in 1990 by Liz Stannard and it was in 2001 that the breed was shown at dog shows. He is classified as a toy companion breed.

The Collie is a herding dog from Scotland and is also known by other names such as Rough Collie or Lassie Collie.

The first Collies used to be more in size as today’s Border Collies and they were also essentially black. Queen Victoria stepped in to save the Collie from obscurity, bringing some back to England where their popularity soared.

The looks started changing as they were bred and in 1860 they were shown at a dog show in Birmingham, England as ‘Scotch Sheep Dogs’.Later on the sable coat color was introduced.

In 1879 the first Collie was imported to the United States and a club for the dog breed was formed in 1886.

The long, flocked white coat doesn’t have an undercoat and the large, round, dark eyes peer out of a cloud of white hair. His hair sheds very little and some owners of the Bolognese like to keep the woolly hair texture trimmed. He has black nails and a largish black nose. He is a small dog, with the male standing between 27–30cm and the female being slightly smaller.

These little dogs weigh in at about 4kg. A toy breed, he is considered to be a true companion dog. He is compact and squarely built with his floppy ears set high on his head. The long tail is carried curved over the dog’s back.

He is a friendly, social dog and can very easily become a typical lap-dog because he just craves human companionship. He wants to be with you and close to your side, whether you live in the city or in the countryside – he adapts to life wherever you are.

The modern Collie is a medium to large sized dog that stands at 51 – 61cm and weighs between 20 – 29kg. You could say that the popularity of the Collie grew because of the dog Lassie, a Rough Collie dog in the film ‘Lassie Come Home’. People who saw this film learned what a wonderful pet the dog could be.

The Collie has two looks – the full coat which is known as the Rough Collie and the shorter coated Collie known as the Smooth variety. The coat comes in different colors but is essentially tri-colored in white, tan and black tips. The Collie has erect ears and a long, feathery tail.

Temperament:

Temperament of a dog is affected by a number of factors, including lifestyle of owners, heredity as well as whether the dog had training and socialization.

The Collie is a good-natured, friendly dog with no aggressiveness in him. He adapts well to city and country life, so long as he is with his human family, but he will need lots of exercise.

He will do well with training and socialization, turning into an even more splendid pet than he already is. He loves the children in the home and loves playing with them and watching over them. The Collie is intelligent and loyal and is easily trained.

The Bolognese is an easy-going, playful, intelligent little dog who will respond well to training and socialization. He can actually become calm and docile dog, although never dull as he can sometimes act like a clown and be quite entertaining. He makes a wonderful pet and becomes a loyal and devoted companion to adults and children.

Non-aggressive by nature, he will be friends with other pets in the home too. He is a small dog, so he isn’t going to be highly active and therefore won’t need loads of exercise, although he will love to go for a walk with you. He’ll also want to have games with the ball. He is such an amicable little dog and will easily adapt to life in the city or country, so long as he can be loved and cherished by his owners.

Your Collie is an intelligent dog who will need physical exercise as well as mental stimulation too, otherwise he can develop some destructive behavior patterns that could be avoided just by seeing to his exercise needs.

He is easy to train and is a sensitive dog, wanting to learn and wanting to please.

A well trained Collie makes a wonderful pet. He is such a loyal dog that he will go to the ends of the earth for his owner, and guarantees to be every bit as affectionate, brave and loyal as the film-star dog, Lassie.

Because this particular dog breed is uncommon, you won’t find many details on his health problems. When he is well looked after, he can reach 14 years of age. The Bolognese is from the Bichon Frise family so you can expect similar health problems, and also because he is a pedigree dog.

Skin problems – battling with itchy skin conditions are a typical problem with the Bolognese.

Ear infections are common because of a lot of hair in the ear which can collect dirt.

Eye diseases - cataracts which can eventually lead to blindness.

Other health problems to watch for are heart disease, and epilepsy. Periodontitis is something you want to keep an eye on too because the small jaw is prone to developing periodontal infection which can lead to tooth loss.

Remember if you don’t want your Bolognese to be a parent, neutering and spaying provides major health benefits for your dogs.

The Collie is a healthy dog breed generally, but just like with all other dogs, they are also prone to certain health conditions. It’s not to say that your Collie will get these diseases, but it can be beneficial to you and your pet’s health to be aware of them if you’re looking at the Collie as a pet.

Collie Nose:

This is a condition where the skin of the nose peels and oozes and left untreated, it can be painful for your pet and could even lead to cancer.

Collie Eye Anomaly:

This is an inherited eye disease that can actually lead to blindness. When certain parts of the eye don't develop properly it can lead to CEA - a genetic disease found in Collies as well as other dog breeds. The disease is also known as Choroidal Hypoplasia and brings about changes and abnormalities in the eye.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is an abnormal formation of the hip socket and certainly dogs with hip dysplasia should never be bred as it can lead to pain and lameness.

His Coat

The little Bolognese isn’t a big shedder so he isn’t a high maintenance pet. His long cloud of white hair can’t just be left though, because it will become tangled and dirty. Get the right grooming tools because his hair will require a good brushing every 2nd day or so. Professional grooming will also be required to keep his coat in tip-top condition.

Feeding your Bolognese

You may want to use commercially manufactured dog food from leading brands recommended by your vet for small breed dogs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just like you want some variety in your diet, so does your pet.

Rice, meat and vegetables can be added into his food now and then as well as ensuring he has some raw meat in his diet. This is important if you want to ensure the health of your dog. Never leave your pet without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Clean your pet’s ears

You can actually buy pet ear cleaners but you have to very careful not to go too deep into your pet’s ears as this can cause damage.

Teeth

Brush your dog’s teeth a couple of times a week. Never use human toothpaste. You can buy special dog’s toothpaste and toothbrush.

Grooming:

The Collie will need grooming because of his long hair, and you will need to brush it at least twice a week to rid it of loose hairs and to keep it free from tangles. This is especially important if you live in the country and he leads an active lifestyle running through fields.

Keep a constant check on your Collie’s ears because dirt build-up can lead to an ear infection. Your vet can advise you on how to clean your dog’s ears. Make sure you have your Collie’s nails trimmed.

Diet:

To cater for your Collie’s size and activity levels, make sure to feed him good food that meets his nutritional needs. Protein is the most important nutritional need for dogs, and apart from feeding your dog quality kibble, protein should also come from raw, animal-based sources such as meat, fish and poultry.

You can also include some cooked brown rice, vegetables and cooked chicken to provide variety. Make sure he always has fresh, cool water available.