Hi everyone,
I joined this list a little over a month ago, and have been reading the
posts and following along with the joys and sadnesses. I have finally
decided to take a few minutes to write and introduce myself, because a
subject that I am very interested in has come up, that being the breeding of
the Scotch and farm type collie.
A few years ago I took an Scotch type, non-AKC, collie as a rescue dog, and
she has changed my life. What a wonderful dog she is! Beginning with her
entry on my family, I began a 'collie education' trip that continues to this
day. I learned about the origins and evolution of the breed, and the split
between the original Scottish stock, as represented by the common farm type,
and the cross breed variation standardised in the early 20th century as the
'show type' AKC American Standard registered type, with the long 'nozzle',
smooth stop, smaller eyes and larger body. I do like both types, but in my
mind, I treat them as seperate breeds with common roots. Today I still have
my Scotch collie, now about 3 1/2 years old, and an AKC type, a young man of
5 months.
These dogs are very different from one another, and although as owner of
both, I certainly could breed them together to make wonderful pups, I do not
believe it would be the best result.
My female, Cookie, is a nearly perfect example of the now rare Scotch type,
both in appearance and temperment. It would be a shame to dilute her
characteristics with even the best Champion stock AKC type. The same holds
true the other way around. Each type should be respected for its own, just
as more divergent breeds are respected as different and of equal value in
the world.
We have plans to breed our AKC boy, but with with AKC type female, to
preserve the qualities that these dogs represent. I would also LOVE to breed
Cookie with another good example of the unregistered original collie type,
the Scotch type that this group and the related website is so actively
devoted to perserving. These are GREAT dogs, and worthy of preservation. It
is a PITY that the AKC does not recognise the Scotch type, as they are
indeed a stable phenotype when bred to others of the same kind, shtey are
historically important as root stock from which the American Standard Collie
AKC type was derived, and they also represent an important link to American
rural history, as the farm dogs that raised many children, and looked over
the stock of countless farms for many generations.
I sure would like to join in discussion about breeding of the old Scotch
type, and hopefully meet some of you someday. We live in Oregon, near
Portland. If any one of you are in Oregon or Washington please email about
getting together. I really want to find an old style Scotch Collie to breed
my Cookie with.
My AKC male, TahTay is a beautiful dog in his own right, and we have plans
for him that are a seperate path from our hopes for Cookie. I can understand
how someone who is not part of the AKC 'dog game' could be a bit frustrated
about hassles in getting a breeding parner from an AKC 'family'. But really,
the goals and objectives are very different in the AKC type than are the
goals for our Scotch and farm collies. For these old types, SURVIVAL is now
the first goal. This beautiful Collie root stock is in danger of dying out
altogether. It is important that those of us with an interest in these fine
dogs, use the internet and other means to find each other, and to go about
responsibly preserving the breed berfore they are all gone.
I STRONGLY support the activites of this group, and am glad to become a
'member' of it.
Please email me as you wish, on or off list. PS, pictures of my dogs will
be availble soon. When they are, I'll post the URL on this group.
Jennifer WhiteWolf-Crock [log in to unmask]
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