About Us
"...mountains breed learned men and shepherds' huts house philosophers."
~Further Reading~
History of the American Sheepdog
Dogs have worked alongside mankind for thousands of years, moving to new lands with the migrations of their humans. Dogs came to the "New World" alongside colonists and immigrants, and were often bred to face a new set of challenges requiring a versatile working companion. This section explores the origins of the Australian Shepherd, English Shepherd, and other American shepherding breeds.
Sheepdogs of the American Southwest During the 1800s
"Sheepdogs on the wide open ranges in the Southwestern United States were common a century or more ago. Without his services, the shepherds would have been hard pressed to care for their huge flocks in the sheep-raising districts. The New Mexican sheep dog traced its bloodline back to Spain, where its ancestors had guarded wandering flocks from wolves and were introduced to the Americas at the time of the Conquest. They were larger and tougher than the Scotch and English breeds..."