brookcove
Posted : 11/13/2006 11:00:17 PM
I dunno what a red fox shepherd is, but the McNab is an old breed - it actually precedes the Border collie breed - dating back to the time when the very first of the "trial bred" dogs were imported into the US and Australia (as opposed to the proto-collies which are the base of English shepherds, Australian shepherds, "German" coolies in Australia, NZ heading dogs, and of course the British collie dogs).
The story of the McNab is similiar to the much-wider distributed Kelpie. A few talented dogs founded a line of dogs with highly specific working abilities. They are named after the guy who imported them. The dogs that were imported were smooth coated, prick eared Border collies (except there was no such thing at the time - they were just "collies" or "sheepdogs"). They were pretty popular in California for a while. They were called McNabs to distinguish them from the wide variety of "sheepdogs" that were scattered about and interbred freely.
They look like Border collies but their working style harks back to the old fashioned collie. They also have "farm dog" instincts - watchdog, tending, and the ones that are bred true to the original standards will even go out to the gun.
They are sort of a curiosity now though they are getting more popular again. We see a McNab every so often at the stockdog trials and a good one can give the BCs a run for their money in the lower classes. If one could make it to Open, having one Registered on Merit would be a good way to get some old blood back into the studbook, just as incorporating the Beardies does.