Collie Pyrenees

Collies were bred as a working and herding dog that would drive, manage and herd livestock. It is unknown exactly where this breed was originally from, but it is assumed that centuries ago, these dogs were found in Northern England and Scotland. There is documentation stating that they were brought to the British Isles by Romans around 2000 years ago. Old Cockie is a dog that was born in 1867 and is thought to be the dog who specified the characteristics of the rough Collie. He was also suspected of introducing the sable colored coat to the breed. In 1873, a smooth Collie by the name of Trefoil was born. The smooth variety is descended from this dog. Queen Victoria discovered the breed while on a trip to Scotland. She adored and sponsored both varieties of the breed, which made them very popular during the 1860s and 1870s. Some believed that the Borzoi was part of the Collie mix and contributed to their long legs, slender muzzle and elegant silhouette. The breed became well known in the United States and was popular among the famous and the rich. They were imported from England for high prices, in a kennel that was established and owned by J.P. Morgan. Jump forward half a century, and the breed is on demand in Japan, which led to the importation of these dogs by American breeders. The popularity of the breed was revived in the 20th century when Queen Alexandra began breeding them. They are well known for starring in the popular series Lassie. In Europe sometime between 1800 and 1000 B.C., is when the Great Pyrenees had made its first appearance. They are thought to have originated and migrated with the Aryans from Siberia or Central Asia. They were descended from Mastiff type breeds, including the Maremma Sheepdog and the Hungarian Kuvasz. Between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains is where the breed spent several thousand years with peasant shepherds. Their job was to guard flocks from predators such as wolves and bears, among others. Signs of these dogs were found in artwork from the Middle Ages. It was determined that the breed was used as guard dogs in the 1400s and followed jailers on their rounds. They were often used as property sentinels on manor grounds in southern France, and later on in the 1600s became popular among royalty. These dogs were crossbred with English Retrievers owned by English settlers when the French Settlers took them to the Canadian Maritime Provinces. This combination was used to create the Newfoundland and Landseer breeds. Wild predators began to diminish in the high mountains and consequently the breed began to lose popularity in France during the 19th century. These dogs were used as smugglers for contraband between France and Spain during the First World War.