Crossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Herding) · Large (50-82 lbs typical) · 11-13 years
Shollie
Typically confident from the German Shepherd Dog side and devoted from the Collie - but a cross is an individual first: littermates can land at opposite ends of both parents. Meet the dog, not the label.
Crossbreed
50–82 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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What this is
A cross of: German Shepherd Dog × Collie (Rough/Smooth). A cross can inherit from either parent line — in temperament, coat and health. Read both parent breeds, and treat anything shared by both as the risk that matters most.
What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Quick study - learns in a handful of reps
✓ Forgiving of first-timer mistakes
✓ Brilliant problem-solver with an on-switch for work
✓ A natural with children - famously patient
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: ['Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one', 'The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots', "Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing"]
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: ['Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one', 'The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots', "Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing"]
Needs a real outlet, rain or shine
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: ['Build the outlet into the routine: IGP', 'Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School', 'A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes']
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: ['Build the outlet into the routine: IGP', 'Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School', 'A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes']
The fur is a lifestyle
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: ['The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it', 'Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup)', 'A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house']
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: ['The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it', 'Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup)', 'A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house']
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: ['Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet', 'Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower', 'Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars']
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: ['Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet', 'Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower', 'Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars']
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: High - 1-2+ hrs/day plus mental work; under-stimulation causes behavior problems (from German Shepherd Dog) / Moderate-high - 1 hr/day (from Collie (Rough/Smooth)) - a cross can land at either end, or between.
Training profile — Herding type: You acquired a brilliant coworker, not a pet that lies around. Meet the mental quota daily or the breed will freelance - usually as a perimeter-patrolling, ankle-directing manager.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Herding · Therapy work · Rally
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: High effort expected. The specifics depend entirely on which coat this individual inherited - see coat_and_grooming for the honest version, including matting risk and professional grooming budget.
Shedding: Heavy as a starting expectation - but shedding is one of the least predictable traits in a cross. See coat_and_grooming: a single litter can produce both a low-shed and a full-shedding coat, and no breeder can promise which you'll get.
Good to know
Health to know about
From the German Shepherd Dog line: Hip/elbow dysplasia (breed's top issue), degenerative myelopathy, bloat, EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency), perianal fistulas, hemangiosarcoma | From the Collie (Rough/Smooth) line: Collie eye anomaly (very common), MDR1 drug sensitivity (up to 70% carry it), PRA, dermatomyositis, bloat | SHARED BY BOTH LINES (not diluted by crossing): bloat
BOTH parent lines carry risk for: bloat. This is the important one to understand - crossing does NOT dilute a risk that both lines share, and 'hybrid vigor' does not apply here. Ask for testing on BOTH sides for these.
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
BLOAT / GDV - the minutes-matter emergency for this breed
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Heat stroke
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
Drug reaction (MDR1 breed)
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
Wobbliness, drooling, blindness, tremors, or collapse after any new medication or dewormer
→ ER immediately and name the drug; prevent it by MDR1 testing and reminding every vet before prescriptions
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Good to know
The numbers
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Crossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Herding) |
| Size | Large (50-82 lbs typical) |
| Lifespan | 11-13 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 50–82 lb |
| Original purpose | Bred as a companion cross, not for a working role. The instincts still arrive from both sides - German Shepherd Dog: Tending/herding sheep; refined into all-purpose working dog. | Collie (Rough/Smooth): Herding sheep in the Scottish Highlands. |
| Monthly care | $90-$180 (estimated range across both parent lines) |
| Typical puppy price | $1,000-$3,500 (spans both parent breeds; reputable cross breeders should still health-test BOTH lines) |
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