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
e-mail Pacifica19@aol.com