McNab Shepherd

Not to be confused with the Border Collie, the rare McNab Shepherd has been bred true to type for over a 100 years in America. Named after Alexander McNab, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who came to California in 1868, the McNab Shepherd is believed to had been developed from dogs brought by the McNab family from the Grampian Hills of Central Scotland in 1885. The dogs in question were reportedly working crosses of the Old Red Fox Sheepdog, Border Collie and the Basque Herders imported from Spain. When introduced to the McNab ranch in California, they were bred to some working Basque Herders commonly found in the United States at the time. From then on, the McNab dogs have been bred to a consistent type to this day. A wonderfully utilitarian farm dog, this is a valued livestock herder and guardian, as well as a capable hunter of rabbits, squirells, deer and wild pigs.

The McNab is a one person dog, very intuitive and aloof around unfamiliar people. Extremely protective and territorial, it can be aggressive towards strange dogs. This is a healthy, agile and intelligent breed, quite stubborn at times, but generally easy to train. The high-set ears are either fully pricked or slightly folded at the tips, but drop-eared examples exist too.

The thick coat is short, most commonly black with white markings on the chest and feet, preferably with a white collar, although some McNab litters have been known to have a few red coated puppies on occasion. Average height is around 20 inches.