I grew up watching Lassie as a child, and I fell in love! We owned 2 rough collies, Ruffian in the 80's & Dodger in the 90's. Both died relatively young, only 8-9 years old, which was heart-breaking. Talking to breeders, we noticed more & more "line-breeding" to achieve the AKC standard of beauty. Narrower & more elongated heads with no stop, tiny eyes, & enormous coats that shed in clumps. Instinct & intelligence seemed to have been bred right out of the rough collie. Sadly, I gave up on my "dream breed" for a while, raised 2 Parson Russell Terriers, (the only small dog I would ever own), but my heart yearned for the collie of old. I'm so glad I found the OTSCA!