Rough Collies make genuinely wonderful family dogs: loving, calm, and quick to learn. Unlike their Border Collie cousins, they don't demand hours of daily exercise. Rough Collie puppies are inquisitive and intelligent, making training and house training straightforward. This breed's hearing is remarkably sharp, which means sudden or unfamiliar sounds can startle them more than most dogs. Early, gradual desensitisation to everyday household noises helps considerably. Two inherited conditions are common enough in the breed to be worth asking about: Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) and the MDR1 gene mutation. Their thick double coat needs regular brushing a couple of times a week. Owners often notice endearing habits common to the breed including lying stretched out in doorways, crossing their front paws when settled, and pushing their head under an arm to make close contact.