Name of Kennel:
Nibynic (IKC /FCI)
What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs?:
Dogs were present in my life since birth, there was a family dogs around (granddad’s German Shepherd, auntie’s medium poodle and other auntie’s pekingese, the other grandad’s boxers and many more)
What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years?
Well my parents has Chihuahua and mix of Chihuahua x Mini German Pinscher but once you fall in love with rough collies it was over. Never owned other breeds.
What Breeds of Dogs have you got now?
Rough collies
What would you consider to be your main breed and the one people associate you with?
Rough collie
What attracted you to this breed?
Their loyalty, affection to the owner, so well adapting, hard working, very brainy and easy to bond with the owner. But also the noble look, very smart, very proud, confident and proud of itself species.
What advice would you offer to anybody that is interested in becoming an owner of the breed?
I spend a life time watching roughs since their birth, first at my mentor side then my own, they have changed a lot in past decades- just please, do your research, look out for good reputable breeders, whom do the early socializing with puppies in their kennels, ask the breeders as many questions as you want before you get your puppy make sure the puppy you will pay for is the one you really desire. A good breeder will never just sell you A Puppy but THE puppy! THE PUPPY you want and need. Rough collies are easy to adapt and with some easy training they will become the best human companion for many years and the best family pets. or the best sports dogs you desire but choose wisely
Does the Breed have any specific requirements by way of exercise & grooming?
In fairness they are not high level of energy Dogs but they love to work using their brain more than just muscles. Moderate walks twice daily (when adults) plus some brain work along that is perfect. Dogs are active max 4-6 hours a day (including walk, wandering around your property, grooming session, training session etc.) the rest of it they sleep or rest so this is more important that they get the good quality time of rest and sleep. Nowadays we have so many distressed dogs just due to lack of sleep and rest!
Grooming – it really depends on the line of the rough collies. If the dog comes from the lines where the coat is correct in texture there is not a big deal – keep an eye on the soft hair behind ears, between front and back legs and the frills (skirt) at the back. Brushing once a week is enough. Bathing comes with the dogs living circumstances, but lucky enough in general rough collies do not carry “the smell of the dog” and their coat once correct has what we call “self cleaning” abilities, and regardless of the fact they look like high level of maintenance they are NOT. They are far much easier to keep clean and without a smell compared to many designer breeds – OK they shed due to their coat specifics – this breed is double coated that means they all have harsh and straight over coat and fluffy and very soft undercoat that the dog will exchange for cooler and hotter seasons but if the coat in maintained in a correct way the time of shedding is easy to manage but yes they do shed! In the majority of rough collies once trained from early age they are very easy to groom as they are happy to be pampered.
Puppies are a bit different as you need to train your dog all the grooming routine. In our home we groom puppies from very early days. Of course it’s gentle grooming sessions using appropriate brushes, hair dryer to get them used to the noises and the air blowing their coat, and the new owners will get all the instructions from us how to take care of their puppies.
Does the breed have any specific health tests that should be done before a Dog or Bitch is used at stud or bred from?
At this moment there are not special requirements for rough collies being breed in Ireland under the IKC, but we do eye testing and genetic tests for all our puppies for all rough collies common health issues which include MDR1, PRA, CEA, DM and lately DMS.
How would you sum up the characteristics of this breed and what type of household would they best be suited to?
Rough Collies are amazing breed for really anyone who wants a great pet regardless of level of activity. They are pretty easy to adapt. They are great as a family pets as they love all their family members regardless of the age, but they can be wary of strangers – BUT NEVER AGGRESSIVE towards any living creature, we have to remember these breed used to be a farmers best helper, herding, retrieving and watching over sheep and lambs and alarm their human of any danger coming …. so if over stimulated they can be vocal before they get the human to look out for the problem…. they are great in many dogs sports like obedience, frisbee, agility, nose work, dog shows and many more. They love to please their human at every occasion. And As much as they love to work, they love to rest when the human isn’t home too, and once properly trained they can be (adults) left at home for good while without any issues.
Rough Collies are great watch dogs but not really suitable for living outdoors as they must be near their family. In general happy lovable dog that will create a great bond with his human/family.
If you have any more questions regarding our beloved breed please do not hesitate to contact us, we are always open to chat. Our details can be found on the Approved Breeders Tab on this website
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