Over the years, I’ve made mention of the fact that English shepherds are a very common breed in West Virginia. Indeed, I knew what an English shepherd was long before I’d ever heard the words “border collie.” English shepherds are pretty common in the Eastern and Midwestern US.
But only in the rural areas. In most towns around here, many people adopt “collie mixes” without ever knowing what they actually have.
They are derived from the farm dogs of the British Isles, with maybe a little bit of German, Swiss, or Native dog crossed in. They very strongly resemble the “shepherd’s dogs” that were commonly published in eighteenth and nineteenth century texts about dogs in the British Isles. He has the same broad head and curled tail, as well as the common black and white color. In America, they were used for livestock herding, but they were also used to guard properties and hunt game.
This dog came into area, probably because the gut pile from my deer isn’t 100 yards away in the woods behind the camera.
So Ol’ Shep was enjoying him a taste of raw green tripe, and no one had to spend a fortune on it.
Yes, these old dogs are pretty common, but I never thought I’d catch one on the trail camera!
