Shollie

The Shollie is a hybridization of two popular, hard-working, intelligent canine breeds.  Despite the popularity of both parents, the Shollie is not a well-known hybrid, and little documentation is available on the history of this breed.  However, owners and those interested in adopting a Shollie can benefit from understanding the respective histories of both the German Shepherd and the Border Collie. The German Shepherd is a large herding dog that developed in Germany in the late 1800s due to the efforts of Captain Max von Stephanitz.  Stephanitz desired a herding dog for German farms that was unmatched in both herding and guardianship. Herding dogs in the region had existed for several centuries, but a distinct German breed was not established by the time Stephanitz undertook the endeavor.  However, as the German Shepherd developed, the need for herding and farm dogs significantly dropped as a result of industrialization and demand for herding dogs dropped.  Instead of abandoning the breed or live with low demands, Stephanitz convinced the military and police agencies of Germany to use the German Shepherd as canine units.  The German Shepherd played a major role in Europe during World War II for both the Germans and the Allied Forces as a Red Cross, messenger, rescuer, and sentry dog.  During the war, one German Shepherd puppy was pulled from a bombed wreckage in France by an American Corporal.  The puppy was taken back to the U.S. where he went on to play the role of Rin Tin Tin in several movies and television shows.  The German Shepherd has had many roles to fill in its history, including service dog for the blind, guardian, military,  police canine, and sniffing out drugs and bombs. Unfortunately, the German Shepherd has also experienced negative publicity as an aggressive dog over the years.  While the breed may have a heightened degree of innate aggression, the German Shepherd is a loyal and loving breed that still ranks at the American Kennel Club's 2nd most popular dog. The Border Collie rose from a long line of English Shepherds in the British Isles after fanciers took note of the intelligence, grace, and agility of the herders in the region.  The Border Collie's predecessors were native dogs that crossbred with invading Roman breeds and were left to develop on the farms and pastures along the border of Scotland and England.  The Border Collie draws its name from the Scottish and English border country, and Collie is Scottish Gaelic for sheepdog.  Fanciers wished to develop an agility dog with superior herding abilities for show, and the Border Collie was the result of these enthusiastic efforts.  Today, Border Collies are bred for the excellent herding and agility qualities as well as for conformation.  However, some believe the Border Collie is so superior as a working dog that conformation standards should not weigh in the breeding program and breeders should focus on the dog's working role instead.   The American Kennel Club recognized the Border Collie in 1995.