California's best kept secret

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 first mention of this breed is in 1885 during the ranch and farming days of the young state of California. 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. A year later he returned with his young family and a Border Collie 1. In 1885, sixteen years later, he returned to Scotland for the expressed purpose of obtaining new sheep dogs. He purchased two Border Collies from the Grampian Hills of central Scotland named Peter and Fred.
Peter worked either lead or drive, while Fred was strictly a lead dog. These two, breeding with selected females 2, originated in the United States, the line of McNab shepherds. The original stock was supported from time to time by importations from Scotland. Border Collies are of two varieties, long haired and short haired. The long haired type is particularly adapted to the severe weather of Scotland, but the dry, steep ranges of Mendocino County required a short-haired dog, both because of the summer heat but also on account of the burs, fox-tails, and stickers which are not picked up so easily by the short-haired dog. For these reasons, the importations by the McNab family have been mostly of the short-haired type.
The McNab to this date is not recognized by any kennel club, and this is a great blessing to the breed. The day breeders start breeding the McNab for a club standard is the day we will loose the true essence of the original McNab.
Height: 15 to 25 inches at the shoulder
Weight: 25 - 50 lbs
Coat: Short to Medium
Coat color: Black&white,red&white, tri
Ears: Pricked, flop over
Tails: Long,natural bob
Eyes: Almond shape
Eye color: brown, hazel, copper
Shape of head: Sharp
Feet: tight :cat like

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