Old Time Farm Shepherd - Back From The Brink Of Obscurity
                      

    Also known as the Old Fashioned Collie, Old Time Scotch Collie or the Scotch Shepherd, this little known breed was once a versatile and trusting working dog on American farms throughout the early 1900's. Bred for working ability and not for physical appearance, these extremely intelligent and obedient dogs were used for herding livestock, hunting small game, as well as protecting the home and watching over the children in the family. There are tales of Scotch Collies pulling a child out of the path of an approaching automobile and finding lost sheep that have strayed from the flock.
Popular in literature as well, members of this breed are featured in stories such as "Lassie Come Home" by Eric Knight, "Bobbie A Great Collie" by Charles Alexander, as well as the heartwarming stories by Albert Payson Terhune ("Lad A Dog" being his most popular). Jack London's "Call Of The Wild" is about a Scotch Shepherd/St. Bernard cross named Buck. Many people today may recognize the painting by Walter Hunt titled "Found." It depicts what is most definitely a Scotch Collie standing protectively over a lamb while howling to alert his master that the lost animal has been found. There is also the tale of Bobbie, a young Scotch Collie who, while vacationing with his family in Indiana, became separated from his owners. After searching for their beloved pet, the broken hearted family returned to their home in Oregon, not expecting to see Bobbie again. Amazingly, six months later, they were astounded to find Bobbie standing at their front door, gaunt and exhausted, his paws worn down to bone. The Collie had walked over 2,000 miles through rugged, unforgiving terrain in the winter to return to his beloved owners. After this feat, Bobbie's fame skyrocketed and his tale was relayed in newspaper articles and he even starred in a 1924 film titled "The Call Of The West." Hundreds of people from all over the world wrote to him and he was even presented a jewel studded harness and collar. In 1927, at the young age of 6, Bobbie passed away and his death was mourned by his admirers worldwide, and in 2004 a memorial dedicated to this amazing canine was erected in his Oregon hometown of Silverton. This true story illustrates the strength, loyalty and perseverance of this amazing breed of dog.Unfortunately as the century wore on, the lineage of the devoted and hardworking Scotch Collie was to almost come to an end with the advent of machinery and other herding breeds (such as the energetic Border Collie) that replaced the dogs as livestock workers. What also dealt the Scotch Collie a near fatal blow was the popularity of pedigreed dogs such as the modern Rough Collie, a breed with a narrower head and muzzle, and with a much longer, harder to manage coat. By the 1950's it was becoming difficult to obtain a good working Scotch Collie, and by the 1980's, the breed had almost completely disappeared. During that decade, a search was made for the last of this breed, and in 1994, a litter of puppies was found in Tennessee, and were purchased by a man named Richard McDuffie. Seeing that these dogs were excellent farm dogs that excelled at herding livestock and were loyal to their family, he set out with other breeders to save the Scotch Collie from extinction. The remaining individuals of this breed were outcrossed with other breeds such as the Australian Shepherd, Rough Collie and English Shepherd to increase their gene pool, making for healthy dogs. Today breeders of the Scotch Collie exist in small numbers in the United States (Michigan included), and past and present owners of these dogs swear by their almost human intelligence and strong working instincts. Even though not bred to a show standard, Scotch Collies are still handsome dogs, with a medium length (sometimes short) coat, that comes in sable and white, tricolor and white or white and black (among others). Size varies and a small female may weigh as little as 35 pounds, while a larger male can weigh as much as 70 pounds. Height at the shoulder is from 19 - 25 inches. A healthy breed, the Scotch Collie is bred for working ability, temperament and vitality, and can reach the age of 18 with proper care. An excellent, biddable companion for a farm in the country, or in the city, Scotch Collies are reserved with strangers, but are not aggressive by nature. Unlike other herding breeds that are high strung and always on the go, the Scotch Collie will get its job done, then be content to rest at his master's feet indoors. In the old black and white photo shown below, is Boots, my Mom's Collie. Even though it is uncertain whether Boots was a purebred Scotch Collie, as you can see the dog has: markings, ear carriage and shorter muzzle of the Scotch Collie (as opposed to the longer head and muzzle of the Rough Collie). This particular dog had eight puppies and the sire of said puppies was a sable colored German Shepherd, and a direct descendant of the original Rin Tin Tin!