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Working Smooth Collies in Canada in the 1920's
From the article, "History of Canadian Smooth Collies" by Mrs. Katherine M. Nicks, May 1960 issue of the Collie and Shetland Sheepdog Review. Mrs. Nicks' father, G. B. (Biz) Warren, acquired his first Smooth Collie in 1923)

"The dam of my father's first smooth came from the Ottawa Valley. Soon there were several smooths around Warren, though my father was the only person who continued to breed them in later years.

"When Button, my father's first smooth, was still a pup, she lost one hind leg in a bear trap, but having only three legs didn't stop her from doing all the cattle work. At this time Biz Warren and his brother-in-law were farming in partnership, though in some respects in was more like ranching, as the country was open and there were few fences. This made a lot of work for the dog, as there were sheep as well as cattle to tend. My father kept two bitches, 'Button' and 'Dime.' They each had a litter of pups every year. Either bitch baby-sat while the other worked. As the pups got big enough they went out to work. Sometimes there were 18 dogs or more fetching in the milk cows or herding the sheep! My father contended that Button did all the training, but I don't believe there was anyone to compare with Biz at teaching a dog, or getting their undivided loyalty either.

"Perhaps Button's most famous son was Pepper, unexcelled as a working dog with cattle or sheep. When cattle were loaded at the railroad here, there were no stock pens at first, and it was quite a trick to load steers onto the cars with only the chute. Pep would load cars alone, with my father standing by the chute. When other farmers had cattle to load, they came and asked my father to help with Pep -- not to load, just to stand by in case the cattle got away on them. They knew 'Pep' could fetch them back in an instant.

"As we children grew up we were told many times of what this or that dog had done and the idea became fixed in our minds that there was no dog to compare with the Smooth Collie. We were not alone in this belief. Many people heard of 'Biz Warren's dogs' and came to buy a pup. A tribute to my father was the fact that it was his dogs -- no other dog would do, it seemed. Anyone that ever owned one of his Smooth Collies had reams to tell about the dog's abilities. One man, a drover, who went from farm to farm buying cattle, had one of these smooths. The dog brought the cattle along, held them while the drover dickered, collected the purchased cows and drove them down the road till he caught up to the drover again, who would go on ahead. At the end of the day the drover could go home ahead of the dog, telling him only to bring them home, and he would always arrive with them all, steady and unhurried, no matter how far or how late the hour.

"By the time Spot died in the early 1930's, unrelated Smooths were impossible to obtain around here, so my father bred her daughter Beauty to a rough collie. The pup that was kept from this litter was Grit, and she was well named and afraid of nothing. I have seen her working at the neighbour's bull, a very cross one who had already injured his owner and who cared nothing for the owner's two German Shepherds, rough though they were on him. Grit, by a trick known only to good bull-handling dogs, could, if forced to attack the bull's head, catch him just right by the nose, so that either she threw him or perhaps he threw himself. It was certainly effective anyway! That bull learned to respect her so highly that he would become docile as soon as he saw her arriving, and heeling was all that was needed then to direct him anywhere.

"Butch, Jem's son, was a gay and clever dog and very fond of all young things. It amused us to watch him with the Muscovy ducks when the ducklings were just hatching. As each duckling came out of the shell it would head for the creek on its own, so independent they were. Butch would be frantic. He ran after the ducklings, trying to turn them back, and in the end had to carry them in his mouth. No sooner had he returned one than he would have to go after another, never resting till all the ducklings were hatched and the mother could take over the shepherding duties."

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Linda Rorem
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