Littlefield Collies The Collie Breed

The history of the Collie goes back to Celtic tribes

who brought herding dogs to the British Isles

before the time of Christ. From those dogs were

derived a number of pastoral breeds and types of

dogs all dubbed "Collie", the Celtic word for "useful". The Bearded Collie, the Border Collie,

the Shetland Collie (later renamed the

Shetland Sheepdog) and the breed we today call

simply the Collie (in either the rough or smooth

variety) all trace back to these "useful" herding

dogs.

On board, as well, during the 1920's and 1930's

was a well loved American writer by the name of

Albert Payson Terhune. As a breeder, fancier, and

author, Terhune was in the unique position of being

able to bring to the public an abiding love and

deep respect for the Collie that caught the

imagination of just about everyone. His talent for

bringing the loyal and uncanny nature of the breed

alive on paper fostered a genuine desire in the

reader to come to own such a dog for himself.

To this day, many is the Collie fancier who's

introduction to the breed was a book by

Albert Payson Terhune.

While the breed's popularity in Scotland and in

England throughout the 1800's is legendary, the dog considered to be the foundation sire of all

modern day Collies was of Irish origin. The Irish

had developed a type of dog they called the

Galway Collie, and it is from one of these dogs

that all modern day Collies derive. This individual

was a tri color rough coated dog named Trefoil.

Born in 1873, he is the traceable ancestor of all

Collies today.

It was common practice throughout the late 1880'S

and early 1900's for well heeled American

entrepreneurs such as James Watson and

J.P. Morgan to import the top winning and

producing Collies from England into the U.S.

to establish the foundation of the American Collie.

Because both a show record and a record of

producing top quality offspring also able to win

in the show ring were required of these dogs, many

were imported at ages we would today consider to

be "older" and even "senior". Yet the fact that

these dogs were highly regarded and priced at

top dollar (many even by today's standards!) is

testament to the longevity of the dogs who became

the foundation of our breed. It is also historically

significant to note that due to this practice, the

foundation of both the British Collie of today and

the American Collie of today lies in the same

top producing and long lived champions of that

era..

It is interesting to note that while his skill and talent

as a writer was unquestionably his main contribution to the popularity of the Collie,

Terhune's efforts as a breeder were also enduring.

Ch. Sunnybank Thane, born in 1927, was bred and

owned by Albert Payson Terhune. He is among a

number of Terhune's Sunnybank Collies who

can be found in the pedigrees of many, if not most

American Collies today -- including the Collies of

Littlefield.

In 1939, the American public was introduced to

Eric Knight's fictional Collie character, Lassie; first

through a short story in the popular magazine,

The Saturday Evening Post, and later through the

best selling novel, Lassie Come Home.

In 1942, MGM Studios made a highly successful

film of that movie, followed closely by six more

films casting movie dog trainer

Rudd Weatherwax's impeccably trained Collie

in the role.

As the popularity of the Collie breed had already

been firmly established in the hearts of the

American public, the intuitive and empathetic

Lassie character was a predictable success.

With the advent of television in the 1950's, the

then well established Lassie icon moved to the

small screen, again with Rudd Weatherwax and

later his son Bob at the helm. The two trained

numerous dogs to play the role of what was to

become the world's most famous fictional

canine.

The series enjoyed a 19 year run, ultimately

bringing a Collie dog into the homes of countless

families throughout the world on a weekly basis well into the early 1970's.

For the breed, the popularity of Lassie proved to

be a mixed blessing. The idea that the Collie was

highly intelligent, intuitive, and wonderful with

children as well as with other animals was surely

an honest representation of the breed. The idea

that the Collie was exclusively a rough coated sable

and white dog, however, became unfortunately

established in the minds of the public. That

often resulted in the beautiful tri color, blue merle,

white, and smooth coated Collies of the era

being overlooked by many pet buyers inflamed

with the mania of owning, not primarily a Collie

dog, but a "Lassie" dog - a sable and white

rough.. To add to the confusion, the initial dog

who portrayed the icon happened to sport a white

face blaze, typical of Collies in the '20's and 30's.

By the 1940's, however, breeders began moving

away from producing dogs with large amounts of

white on the face, as it often accompanied

undesirable white haws or inner eyelids which

can detract from the true Collie expression.

Hollywood, however, continued to portray their

Lassie character using a dog who sported the

face blaze. This resulted in many prospective

pet buyers seeking out the blaze to the frustration

of Collie breeders of the time. Additionally,

it spawned a plethora of "Lassie type" Collie

breeders who had little regard for or

understanding of issues regarding husbandry,

breed type, pedigree and conformation

quality. Thankfully, those breeders have pretty

much disappeared along with the vast popularity

of the Lassie character.

By the 1920's, the U.S. Collie fancy had a

solid foundation on which to base the

breeding programs which would set the type

future caretakers of the breed in this country would

strive to maintain. Important contributions to the

development of the American Collie were made in

that decade by breeders such as Florence Ilch of

Bellhaven, Clara Lunt of Alstead, Dr. O. P . Bennett of Tazewell , W.R. Van Dyck of Honeybrook,

Charles and Lillian Wernsman of Arken,

Dorothy Long of Noranda, Edwin Pickhardt

of Sterling, and Elizabeth Browning of Tokalon.

Expressing the true joy every Collie breeder feels

on finding that special puppy in a long planned

litter, Terhune wrote of Thane;

"I had been saving up that half-royal Scottish title, for years; waiting for a dog that should merit it. In this pale gold youngster's deepset dark eyes, almost from birth, I read the true look of eagles; the look I had been watching for so long. In his ungainly and pudgily overgrown baby body I read a future of mighty bone and lion-like power and symmetry and of tremendous coat. Here was a born champion. Here was a pup preordained to wear my stored-up name of Thane."

Thane finished his championship in just five

shows. and was, according to Terhune, acclaimed

by all who saw him as "the greatest Collie of

the decade". Whether or not that assessment is

true is, of course, a matter for others to debate,

but here in New Jersey we are more than proud to

proclaim the finest of the Sunnybank Collies

of Pompton Lakes, NJ to be in the pedigrees of our own beloved champions today. [for more on

Ch Sunnybank Thane, and on

Albert Payson Terhune, you can click on

Thane's photo]

During the decades of the 1950's and 1960's, the

Collie breed came to represent numbers of dogs

portrayed in books, magazine articles, and films

as the epitome of loyalty, bravery, and the utmost

in qualities exemplifying the ideal family pet.

While many of these stories were fictionalized, a

good number of them were true accounts of the

feats performed regularly by a family Collie. Pet

food companies, animal welfare organizations,

local communities, and others sponsoring a

"dog hero of the year" program typically awarded

their top honors to Collie dogs. The nationally

renowned Kennel Ration Dog Hero Of The Year

award, for example, instituted in the year 1954,

was bestowed on numerous Collies in the runner

up position, and on five Collies receiving the

ultimate honor..[Click here to read more in depth

stories of Collie heroism ] The breed represents

not only the first dog to receive the annual award,

but the most awarded breed in the full history of

the honor.

In 1931, one of America's top universities and top

agricultural schools began the tradition of having as

it's school mascot a Collie named Reveille.

Texas A&M University so highly regards their

Collie mascot that she is called the first lady of

Aggieland. Even beyond that, Reveille

is the highest ranking member of the university's

Corps of Cadets, and the only bearer of five

silver diamonds. (The Commander of the Corps

of Cadets has only four silver diamonds)

Freshman students are required to address Reveille

as "Miss Rev M'am", and she is the only dog

(except for service dogs) allowed in all campus

buildings. Reveille has her own cell phone, her

own student I.D. card, and, naturally, her own

personal assistant who accompanies her

everywhere. She attends all school functions and sporting events, and attends class with the student known as the Mascot Corporal, a sophomore class member who is her designated assistant for the year. Tradition requires that if Reveille barks in class, class is canceled. As of this writing, the current Reveille was introduced in August 2008, and is officially known as Reveille VIII.

The 1970's are considered by many to be a

heyday for the Collie breed with a plethora of

outstanding champions gracing the show ring

during that era. While kennels of this time were

typically smaller than those of the 1920's of a

half century earlier, they were no less based on

the establishing of recognizable lines and families

of Collies designed to preserve and maintain the

qualities of physical soundness, esthetic beauty,

solid temperament, and engaging personality on

which the breed was founded.

The premiere sire of that time was a

sable and white rough Collie by the name of

Ch. Tartanside The Gladiator. "Buster", as he

was affectionately known, was born in 1969.

He was bred, owned and cherished by John Buddie

of Tartanside Collies. This incredible dog became

the sire of 49 champions, and the foundation sire

of not only the Tartanside family of Collies, but

of a number of other families as well. He was a

multiple Best In Show and Group winner, and won

the Collie Club of America National Specialty

show not just once, but three times! His final

CCofA National win was from the Veterans Class,

a feat which was unprecedented in Collie history.

Probably best known for his beautiful face,

structural elegance, and unflappable temperament,

Buster was the top champion producing sire in the

breed for a number of years, and his positive

influence on the breed is still very much felt today.