>Jan wrote:
>Shepherds and, last but far from least, the Scotch Collie.
>        From the last come most of the working sheepdogs of our own Western
>ranges. Perhaps they bear onlu a family resemblance to the collie of the
>show bench, for among sheepmen a dog is valued for his ability and
>disposition and intelligence, not for the number of points he might score
>before a judge in a show ring.

I don't believe I shared this quote with the entire group but in the
1958/1996 2nd revised edition of "Man's Best Friend, National Geographic
Book of Dogs" under the Collie write up is:
"American's know this dog chiefly as a beautiful, intelligent companion,
idealized by `Lassie,' star of movies and television. But in the great
sheep raising districts of Scotland, northern England, and Wales, he is
still the shepherd's indispensable helper.
"Not that the working Collie looks very much like the long-muzzled,
beruffled, well-groomed specimens that grace the dog show benches. He
stands as little chance of taking a beauty prize as a blue ribbon winner
has of defeating him in the great annual sheep dog trials of his native
land. But the working type has the brains, courage, and stamina that keep
Great Britain's sheep industry thriving. In the land of misty mountains one
good dog does the work of a dozen men; no other animal could replace him.
"Australian and New Zealand herders also swear by the working breed, and in
America, where Colonial farmers probably first imported it, the Collie is
the favorite farm dog today."



Dean Mair
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