All the dogs in the photo are McNabs. As he told it, he would have the lead dog pick up a stick from the ground, turn around and face the sheep, and then place the stick on the ground again and leave it until it was time to start again. McNab had brought a Scotch Collie from Scotland named Flora and she was the first official dog on the ranch. Sports Basket with Bob Baskett. They are also more likely to defend their territory and family members than many of the more sensitive herding breeds. Gusto's Rock N Pizzazz (Gus) Athlete. Some historians claim that the dogs weren’t called “McNab Shepherds” until after John took over. Al Tostado; A Dog Detective Does a Scotland Yard Job The McNab coat is close, dense and weather resistant. He bit everyone in the heels when they came to the front door. The Press Democrat. Ready is often cited as the reason that there is occasionally red pups in a litter. Most McNabs are black or brown with white feet, white collars, white facial strips and white tipped tails, but tricolor McNabs are well known as well as mostly black McNabs. Petaluma Argus-Courier. The McNab Shepherd’s reputation as an indefatigable “all-weather” dog is also opening up a new avenue of work for the dog: Search and Rescue. The dog is medium sized with females standing 16-21 inches at the shoulder and weighing 30-50 pounds and males standing 18-25 inches at the shoulder and weighing 35-65 pounds. Real Estate Agent. Fred was strictly a lead dog – a playboy who led the flock carrying a picket in his mouth. In his quest to further develop the perfect shepherd, McNab became interested in the brown herding dogs owned by a number of local Spanish Basque migrants, the exact breed of which remains undetermined. The Press Democrat. (1894). Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine. After Flora’s passing, the McNab family attempted to herd sheep without the aid of a dog. Hunt Family Pointing Griffons. Unfortunately, no records were kept to trace the McNab Shepherd’s ancestral lines back to Peter and Fred. Fred was initially left behind in order to complete his training, while Peter traveled with McNab to California on an emigrant train, hiding under the seats whenever the conductor entered the car. "The McNab Dog is truly a unique breed in that it is a native stockdog of Northern California via the Grampian Hills of Scotland. The original stock for this breed was the Scottish Border Collie. McNabs are now competing successfully in agility trials, dock diving, disc dog competitions, and flyball. The Press Democrat. Today, there are three Wineries located where the ranch once stood in what is now called the “McNab Valley.” Although the McNab Ranch is gone, there are numerous breeders and enthusiasts throughout the world who are committed to preserving the tradition of the McNab Shepherd. Bessie whelped three weeks prior to her arrival in America and there were three surviving pups ultimately named Gyp, Jet and Tweed. Local Business. McNab or McNab Shepherd or American Border Collie, McNab Sheepdog, McNab Cattle Dog are all the same breed of working dog. John McNab, Alexander’s son… The importations by the McNab family were mostly the short-haired type, although there was at least one long-haired dog, a male named “Reddy” who was brought over in the early 1920s. Many ranchers are competing with McNabs in the relatively new sport of Ranch Dog Herding where dog and handler on horseback work as a team herding three head of cattle through five obstacles and then into a stock trailer. McNab proceeded to breed his two collies to a number of female dogs owned by the Basque sheepherders. The McNab Shepherd is a Homegrown North Coast Dog. London: Faber & Faber. The dogs that came from his breeding process garnered a great deal of interest from local ranchers. The Collie in Mendocino. (1966). McNab Shepherds are becoming increasingly popular in the world of dog sports. There were periods in Northern California, such as during the 1950s, where virtually every large ranch had McNabs Shepherds. He made several importations in the early 1900s from the Grampian Hills of Scotland, including a a red dog called Ready. Currently McNabs are working as evidence search dogs, cadaver dogs, archaeology dogs, and area search dogs for missing persons. It was there that McNab established a large sheep ranch, homesteading a 10,000 acre parcel in the valley. (2007). Your Dog and Mine. “The McNab Dog is truly a unique breed in that it is a native stockdog of Northern California via the Grampian Hills of Scotland. Alexander McNab came to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland in 1868 and settled on a large spread, which is now known as the McNab Ranch. Looking to develop a herding dog that could handle the rough conditions on his ranch, Alexander crossed the Scottish Collies he brought with him with the tough dogs of the nomadic Basque sheepherders he met near his ranch. To help his dogs cope with the hot summers and collect fewer foxtails, McNab selected dogs with tight, short coats for breeding. Highly intelligent and quick to learn, the McNab needs mental stimulation as much as physical exercise. Procida, David A. McNab Shepherd Registry. Gaye LeBaron; The McNab Shepherd is a Homegrown North Coast Dog; Santa Rosa Press Democrat 1998 23 (137), 481-488. Frederiksen, Justine. The McNab Shepherd is bred for its working ability and is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Nine Mile Sheep Ranch. The Press Democrat. McNab had brought a Scotch Collie from Scotland named Flora and she was the first official dog on the ranch. Robert was a family pet. Looking to develop a herding dog that could handle the rough conditions on his ranch, Alexander crossed the Scottish Collies he brought with him with the tough dogs of the nomadic Basque sheepherders he met near his ranch. (2014). His youngest son, John McNab, a successful attorney and stockman, took over the ranch and reinvigorated his father’s breeding style. The Field Illustrated 1915: The Scotch Collie. By the early 1970s, the McNab family and their sheep were gone from the McNab Ranch. Lulu McNab; The Collie in Mendocino (From Overland Monthly, May 1894) Myrtle G. Brown; The McNab Shepherd Now the breed is spreading across the United States and Canada with a few McNabs working as stock dogs in Germany and some sporting McNabs as far away as Japan. My first dog was a McNab, which I got in 1962, when I was 5 years old. Another distinctive trait of the McNab is that it lacks dew claws on the rear feet, as opposed to the Border Collie where this is a common occurrence. The McNab is an athletic, small or medium-sized dog with a short, black coat that usually has white markings on the muzzle, chest, feet and tip of the tail. McNab Shepherds are hardy dogs with no breed specific health problems. Pardee, Mike. Sheep Dog Trials At Healdsburg Set. At Rockin’ KR McNabs, we strive to breed and raise dogs true to the origin of the Scottish Fox Collie and Basque Shepherd’s dogs that Alexander McNab crossed. The breed started in the United States of America with stock brought from Scotland. John McNab, Alexander’s son, later became sole owner of the McNab Ranch. Russian River Riders Plan Horse Show. His wife and children followed, arriving by cart to set up housekeeping in a log house in the fields of the main valley of Ukiah, a ranching community in Mendocino County. (27 November 1960, p. 39). Agricultural Service. The first mention of this breed is in 1885 during the ranch and farming days of the young state of California. Farm Dogs: A Celebration of the Farm’s Hardest Worker. Alvina Butti and Donna Seigmund; The McNab Dog (19 February 1950, p. 2c).