Perhaps no dog in the world can ever be as uniquely identifiable as the rough coated collie -- a dog that has become synonymous with the nick-name "Lassie". Although the precise origins of this beautiful, intelligent breed are unknown, the rough coated collie has been most closely identified with the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. A steady sheepdog and devoted, loyal member of the family, the collie gained national prominence during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 1800's, and again in the 1950's when the movie makers in Hollywood set the book "Lassie, Come Home" to film, and launched the breed into stardom. The modern collie is a medium sized breed that comes in two coat varieties - the long coated rough and the short coated smooth. Coat colors are numerous, the most commonly recognized being sable and white, tri (black, tan and white), and blue merle (blue, tan and white). wp