Tag: Scottish Highlands

The Border Collie of Scotland

On By Susan HolmesIn Dogs, History, Home page2 Comments
Scottish Border Collie
© Richard J. Fisher (CC BY-SA 2.5)

Exploring the origins of dog breeds is an ongoing passion of mine. You may remember I’ve already shared some fascinating information about two breeds that originated in Scotland: Shetland Sheepdogs (aka Shelties) and Golden Retrievers. Of the fifteen Scottish breeds still in existence today, six were purposely bred to herd and drive livestock. One of these is the breed known as the Border Collie.

The origin of the Border Collie is, like many other Scottish breeds, a matter of debate. There is, however, some agreement that the Romans may have brought their drover dogs to this far-flung outpost of the Roman Empire, followed by Viking invaders with their smaller Spitz-like dogs. Cross-breeding the larger Roman dogs with the smaller Viking dogs resulted in medium-sized double-coated dogs who adapted well to the climate of the British Isles and the challenges of working in rough terrain. These dogs were agile, highly intelligent, and excelled at herding as well as other tasks.

Despite the speculation regarding the specific orgin of the breed, research suggests the modern-day Border Collie may be traced back to a single dog known in Scotland as Auld Hemp (Old Hemp in English). From the Border Collie Museum we learn that Old Hemp, having sired more than 200 pups in his short life, is considered the progenitor of the modern-day Border Collie breed.

Today, there are generally four recognizable ‘types’ of Border Collie: the Northumbrian; the Wiston Cap; the Nap, and Herdman’s Tommy. You can learn about each type’s individual characteristics and ancestry through a Google search for the specific type. You might also find it interesting to read books such as Sheila Grew’s Key Dogs from the Border Collie Family. Here’s an excerpt from Grew’s frequently cited work:

A century ago many of the [working collies] were hard, powerful rather unfriendly dogs, difficult to control and rough with the stock, but their keen handling instinct, their concentration and great power over the sheep or cattle were such useful assets that it seemed worth trying to find a milder natured type of working collie to cross with these hard dogs.

One shepherd who took a keen interest in breeding and training sheepdogs was the Northumbrian, Adam Telfer, and he succeeded in finding the right blend of the two types of dog. The result was a canine genius called Hemp…who died in 1903 having sired over 200 puppies and founded the modern breed of Border Collie.

Whatever its origin, the Border Collie is now recognized by many as the ultimate herding dog with a natural instinct to herd using its “eye” to control livestock by staring at them in a silent and unwavering manner. No other breed appears to have this ability.

CC-BY-SA-4.0

In the 1940s, Britain’s Ministry of Information created The Pattern of Britain documentaries, and in 1944 one of those short films focused on the lives of Scottish crofters. (Crofting is a traditional social system, unique to the Scottish Highlands and islands, focused on small-scale food production in common working communities.) If you’re a history buff, you’ll appreciate this glimpse of the old traditions still practiced in this highland community. Dog lovers will appreciate the skills of the Border Collies and other working dogs who can be seen demonstrating their unique ability to collect the sheep scattered among the craggy mountains and drive them down to the crofts.

In this film, you can see those dogs in action beginning about the 7:00-minute mark of the presentation. As you’ll hear, this activity is repeated five times each year, with the men and their dogs travelling a distance of 30 miles or more, and climbing 3,000 feet to reach the higher peaks where the sheep can be found.

Today, Border Collies continue to serve as working dogs for farmers, crofters, and shepherds around the world. As the breed evolved, though, so too did their purpose. While some  types of the breed continue to herd and drive livestock, others have been bred for conformation, agility, and other athletic events. Still others serve as companion dogs and service animals. If you can provide the necessary physical and mental stimulation the breed requires, this intelligent, energetic dog might be the right one for you!

Dogs of the Scottish Highlands

On By Susan HolmesIn Dogs, History, Home page11 Comments
Scottish Landscape  CC-BY-SA-4.0

According to DNA researchers, nearly half of my ethnic roots can be traced to the Scottish Highlands and the Shetland Islands. That prompted me to start my study of dog breeds there, beginning with Shetland Sheepdogs (commonly known as Shelties).

I knew that, while the specific original breeds involved are unclear, it appears today’s Shelties likely descend from “common bloodlines first developed on the Shetland Islands in the 1700s.” (See my November 2022 post for more details and resources.) What I didn’t know, however, was just how many dog breeds originated in the Highlands and elsewhere in Scotland. Among those breeds, we have the Golden Retriever.

150th Anniversary (Photo by PETER JOLLY NORTHPIX)

In 1868, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks bred a Wavy Coated Retriever named Nous to a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle in hopes of producing a gun dog who could work effectively in the wet and rugged terrain of the Scottish Highlands. According to History of the Golden Retriever and other sources, the resulting litter of three yellow puppies (named Cowslip, Crocus, and Primrose, after a trio of yellow flowers) became the foundation of the entire Golden Retriever breed.

We can thank Sir Marjoribanks’ diligence for our knowledge about the breed’s origins. He spent years developing the breed at his Guisachan Estate in the Highlands and keeping detailed records. (A personal side note: the Guisachan Estate had previously been owned by members of Clan Fraser—a surname that appears time and again through my paternal line.)

We learn more about the breed from the website Friends of Guisachan:

The Guisachan dogs were reportedly given only to family and close friends, all of whom were persons of means and title. Lord Tweedmouth kept copious records in the Guisachan Record Book covering 1865 to 1890, a book that only came to light in 1952 when Lady Pentland, a granddaughter of Lord Tweedmouth made it available to the noted English Golden Retriever historian Elma Stonex. In 1952, her friend, the 6th Earl of Ilchester published a famous article in Country Life which, for the first time, gave a complete and accurate history of the development of the breed. The Guisachan dogs were bred to be strong working dogs hunting grouse, partridge and deer.

There are many, many books about the early breeding of both the Guisachan and Ilchester (via Guisachan) lines, the most detailed being the 2011 epic Golden Retrievers: Research into the First Century in the Show Ring by the Australian author, Marilyn Morphet. This 1064 page tome contains a detailed history of the early breedings as well as details of the Marjoribanks (Lord Tweedmouth) family.

The migration of the Golden Retriever line can be traced from Scotland to America and Canada in the 1880s, and during the period 1925-1937 to Ireland, India, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Australia, and (reportedly) Holland. After WWII, the breed was imported to Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Every five years, hundreds of breeders and owners gather at the Guisachan Estate in the Scottish Highlands to celebrate the breed. BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter Steven McKenzie has shared photos and stories of this year’s gathering here.

The website Friends of Guisachan has a list of recommended sources for anyone interested in the details of this breed. That list includes a link to the Golden Retriever Club of America.

Like the Sheltie, today’s Golden Retriever has evolved from its original primary purpose as a working breed and has become, for many, a loyal and affectionate member of the family.

Photo courtesy of Chevanon Photography

All in the Family

On By Susan HolmesIn American Kennel Club, Dogs, Home page, Ozarks, Shetland Sheepdog, Writing8 Comments
North East Scotland and the Northern Isles

As I move closer to retirement, I’m slowly disengaging myself from some of my academic obligations and making time for more personal interests and activities. One of those is genealogical research. Exploring family origins is a grand adventure!

According to my DNA results, nearly half of my ethnic roots can be traced to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, an area of northern Scotland that stretches west and northward to the Shetland Islands. Another third comes from Scandinavia, which many researchers and dog fanciers consider the origins of the modern-day Sheltie. Given that my home includes a Sheltie, I love the thought of having a shared history of place!

My Sheltie, by the way, is officially recognized by the AKC as Ozark Summer Highlands Sasha.  We chose Ozark for our locale and Highlands for her heritage; we’re actually in the Ozark Highlands, so it’s a double play on that word. We included Summer because she has a warm, sunny spirit. And because she came to us with the call name Sasha, we included that as a bridge between her past and present. The word Highlands in her name has taken on even greater significance now that I’ve confirmed I have a close, personal connection to that region.

To learn more about the origins of the Shetland Sheepdog, I turned to information provided online by Pat Ferrell, Historian of the American Shetland Sheepdog Association (ASSA):

It has been long supposed that the beginnings of this breed could be traced to influence by a Northern Spitz type dog brought from Scandinavia by the early inhabitants, a King Charles Spaniel, the original Pomeranian and other dogs indigenous to the islands as well as the Scotch Collie. The actual mix of what went into developing this breed is shrouded in mystery and still debated.

Becky Casal, who runs the popular website Sheltie Planet, suggests “all modern Shelties, whether the American or English type, descend from common bloodlines first developed on the Shetland Islands in the 1700s.”  She goes on to say the imported dogs “were crossbred extensively with mainland working dogs” and in particular with the “Rough Collie and  Border Collie.”

The Emerging Breed

Whatever their origins,  records suggest the breed may have become a source of income for some farmers, as visitors to the Scottish Isles found the dog’s small stature appealing as companion dogs. As the breed became more widely known southward through Scotland into England, an interest in the breed and the increasing demand for small dogs may have contributed to the continued crossbreeding.

Through my research I discovered the breed had been registered as the Shetland Collie with the English Kennel Club, which might explain why some visitors to refer to the breed as Lilliputian Collies or Miniature Collies. From the ASSA’s Pat Ferrel I learned that other names included Toonie Dog, Peerie Dog, and Fairy Dog. (Who knew?) I also learned that the Shetland Collie name created controversy among established Collie fanciers; consequently, the breed name was changed from Shetland Collie to Shetland Sheepdog in 1909.

Sasha’s ready for a winter’s day adventure!

Today, the Shetland Sheepdog is recognized by the AKC as a member of the Herding Group (and the Pastoral Group in the UK). Still appreciated as a working breed, today’s Sheltie excels in agility, rally, and herding, as well as conformation and obedience. The Sheltie also thrives in performing therapy work and providing emotional support to those in need. No matter their role, a Sheltie is a loyal companion and a treasured member of the family.

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For a more in-depth study of the breed, visit Charlotte McGowan’s article on the ASSA website.

To learn more about today’s Sheltie, check out Jan Reisen’s article on the AKC website highlighting seven important things to know about a Sheltie.  

And to learn how to groom a Sheltie (an adventure in itself!) check out this excellent step-by-step guide at the Sheltie Planet website.