Stevin Almes, age. 12, of Santa Maria, Calif., for his question:
WHERE DID THE COLLIE DOG ORIGINATE?
Surely the most famous dog of modern times is the beloved Lassie. She, or rather he, has starred in more movies and TV shows than we can count, and his fame is worldwide. Lassie is a collie dog. We all know what the breed look s. like, though not many of us know about its remarkable background qualities.
One might suspect that the collie dog was bred to be a rich and glamorous movie star, pampered and admired by worldwide human fans. Not at all. The American Kennel Club, which has the final word on doggie qualities, classes our glamorous Lassie as a working dog but not as a working actor. She, or he, is rated as a working sheep dog.
This is because his ancestors were selected and bred to work with lonely shepherds, watching and guarding and tending their flocks. The breed originated during the 1600s where the woolly sheep wander the hilly slopes and the scrubby heather is misted 'with cool sea breezes. The collie's thick fluffy coat, soft and silky, is just right for this highland climate.
All dogs have a super keen sense of smell and extra ¬sharp hearing. The collie's slim, elegant nose can track a lost sheep over hill and dale. His eyes and ears, always alert, can sense trouble from afar. He is built for endurance, and those slender legs and dainty paws never seem to grow tired.
His character is even more remarkable than his physical qualities. Aside from being one of the smartest dogs, he also rates as one of the friendliest and best behaved. Without a doubt, he has a natural fondness for people, especially children. This is why he is rated among the best of all family pets.
On movies and TV, the well trained Lassie certainly puts on an excellent show. However, this is surpassed by the Scottish collie trained to do the work for which his breed was originally trained. His obedience, sheep guarding skills and downright devotion to duty are wondrous to behold. Sometimes we get a chance to see such a show at a state fair. Then we realize that there is a lot more to the glamorous Lassie than we see on TV.
For some 15 million years, the wild dog family hunted to survive. They were, we are told, the first animal to become tame. In just a few thousand years the amazing collies learned to guard the very animals which their ancestors had hunted for countless generations. Surely this is one of the world's remarkable animal stories.