Unfortunately, the Collie's exact origins are shrouded in
obscurity. It has been the subject of much research and
speculation. The word "Collie" is as obscure as the breed
itself. The name has been spelled many different ways: Coll,
Colley, Coally and Coaly. Generally, the most accepted origin of
the word is "Coll" - the Anglo-Saxon word for black. In the 18th
century, the Collie's natural home was in the highlands of
Scotland, where he had been used for centuries as a sheepdog.
The dogs were bred with great care in order to assist their
masters in the herding and guarding of their flock. While the
breed as we know it may have originated in Scotland, invariably
we think of England as the true home of the breed. Without a
doubt, it is to the English fancy of the late 1800s that the
breed owes its development as a popular show dog. Collies were
first exhibited in 1860 at the Birmingham, England dog show, in
the generic class "Scotch Sheep-Dogs." In 1879 the first English
Collie was imported to this country. It