I was familiar with Collies from my childhood.

My cousins had a Collie when we were growing up. She was such a sweet dog.

So I knew what to expect when it came to seeing collies at a dog show. Or so I thought.

My knowledge of Collies conformed to the classic Lassie look of a Collie we all see in our minds. That was what my cousins’ Collie looked like. Long thick and fluffy hair.

I was not prepared for the Smooth Collie.

The Smooth Collie has all the same characteristics as the Rough Collie except that they have shorter hair.

It really gives the Smooth Collie a distinct look. They look so much thinner even though they have the same build.

All that hair really makes a difference. You really can’t judge a dogs true size until you cut through all the hair.

Photo details: Nikon D300S. Nikon 300mm f/4. Focal length 420mm. ISO 400. 1/2500 sec. f/5.6.