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Through the course of two previous Lassie television
series and more than ten Lassie movies, Lassie was
played by eight generations of collies - all male incidentally
- owned by California trainer Rudd Weatherwax and his son,
Robert Weatherwax. The new series, however, did not feature
a Weatherwax-trained dog. To put it mildly, Lassie's most
ardent fans were not happy with the change.
"We're
sick of losing our heros, seeing them downsized with cheap
imitations by corporations that couldn't care less," wrote
movement leader Joan Neidhardt on a "Save Lassie" Web page,
speaking for fellow Lassie diehards, if not for the nation.
"Lassie never let us down, and now we'll be there for her.
Lassie lovers will accept nothing less than the real thing,
and we'll fight until we get it."
Neidhardt
and a small but vocal band of followers waged a media campaign
against the three corporations involved in the project: Cinar
Films, the Canadian production company that produced the series;
Golden Books Family Entertainment, the New York publisher
of children's books that shares control with Weatherwax of
Lassie's image; and Animal Planet.
Like any
good Lassie episode, this story has a happy ending.
In January 1998, Cinar Films announced that it had reached
an agreement with Bob Weatherwax to feature a ninth generation
of Weatherwax-trained Lassie on the program.
Lassie's
enduring popularity has had a profound effect on the collie.
The breed is one of America's favorites and has become synononmous
with the virtues that make Lassie such an icon - intelligence,
sensitivity and loyalty.
Living
up to that image would be difficult for any dog, but the collie
pulls it off with flying colors. The collie is typically a
loving, loyal dog that gets along with all family members
- man or beast. Collies are alert, playful and eager to please.
Their sensitivity, both physical and mental, make them generally
easy to train, while their handsome, striking appearance is
usually the envy of the neighborhood.
Celebrity
Status
In truth
the collie enjoyed widespread popularity long before Lassie
became a superstar. In nineteenth century America, the collie
rode the coattails of early breeder and enthusiast J.P. Morgan,
one of the era's richest men, to a place of distinction at
many of the most prestigious American kennels. The Collie
Club of America Inc. was organized in 1886, two years after
the establishment of the American Kennel Club (AKC), and was
the second breed parent club to join the AKC.
The collie
remained a popular show and working dog for several years.
The stories and novels of author Albert Payson Terhune, particularly
his 1919 book Lad: A Dog, first introduced the collie
to fame on a large scale. The hero of the book is an extraordinary
collie named Lad, "a thoroughbred in spirit as well
as in blood." In each tale, Lad exhibits his pure strength
of character as he fights off burglars, rescues an invalid
child from a poisonous snake, wins ribbons in dog shows and
otherwise leads a dog-hero's life.
Terhune's
books made the collie a hit with the general public, but that
popularity climbed into the stratosphere in 1943 with the
appearance of the first Lassie movie, starring Elizabeth
Taylor and Roddy McDowell.
The collie's
star has faded somewhat in the retriever-crazed '90s. In 1999
the breed ranked 32nd among 147 breeds in new AKC registrations,
down from 31st the previous year. Still, the active promotion
of the Collie Club of America - the club now has a membership
numbering about 3500, and its annual specialty show attracts
more than 400 collies from across the country - and the enthusiasm
of Lassie fans such as Joan Neidhardt show the breed continues
to hold a special status among America's dogs.
British
Accents
Americans
may have adopted the collie as its own, but the breed originated
on the windswept pastures of Scotland and north Britain. Some
sources suggest collies descended from the herding dogs brought
to Britain by the Romans. Others believe collie-type herding
dogs were indigenous to the north of Britain. Whatever the
origin, there is no question the collie developed from the
sheep-herding dogs of the Scottish Highlands. These original
collies were quite a bit smaller than today's dogs, more of
the Border collie-type with a broader head and shorter muzzle.
Eventually
two types of collies emerged - the familiar rough collie,
featuring a long, distinguished coat; and the less flamboyant
smooth collie, whose coat is short and flat. The smooth collie
was used primarily as a drover dog to drive livestock to market.
The rough collie was used as a sheep-herding dog working directly
with the flocks.
Borzoi
stock may have been introduced into the early rough collies
to give the dog a distinctive appearance. Even today certain
borzoi characteristics crop up in rough collie heads. Other
sources indicate the Irish setter was used in early breeding
- the collie's sable color may be the indirect result of such
a cross. Smooth collies may contain a Greyhound influence
- smooth collies still occasionally turn up with hound-like
traits, and they are much faster than their rough counterparts.
Today's
smooth collie has been interbred with the rough collie, eliminating
many of the early differences between the breeds, aside from
the coat. It is likely the smooth collie, because of the differences
in use, developed along distinct lines in the early years
of the breed.
The rough collie remained a utilitarian sheepdog until the
1860s. In 1861, when the young Queen Victoria made her first
trip to Balmoral, Scotland's royal castle, she admired the
rough collies she saw there and accepted one as a present.
She brought the dog back with her to London, where the breed
soon became fashionable among the English. News of the Queen's
patronage carried across the Atlantic, where it caught the
attention of J.P. Morgan and other high society dog enthusiasts.
Tending
the Flocks
Today's
collie rarely spends its day tending to flocks of sheep. Flocks
of children, however, are another matter. The collie is often
referred to as the ideal family dog, and in truth, many collies
are extremely loyal, loving and protective of the children
in their charge. One Scottish writer has even suggested employing
collies in that country's schools to keep rowdy school children
in order during recess.
Although
the collie is often an ideal family dog that enjoys the company
of humans, owners should bear in mind the dog was bred to
work and enjoys both mental and physical challenge. Exercise
is mandatory, especially when young. A good walk or jog on
leash or a fun play session is needed every day. As herding
dogs, collies can be chasers and should be exercised in safe
areas.
Sensitive,
alert and eager to please, the collie is often more easily
trained than other herding breeds. It is typically outgoing
and will happily get along with other dogs. Aggressive or
nervous rough collies are untypical, but not unheard of -
rampant and indiscriminate breeding has created some neurotic
collies. Perhaps not as gregarious as their rough cousins,
the smooth collie is also a naturally outgoing breed that
should be happy and friendly toward other dogs and people.
Its temperament should be rock-steady, never displaying aggression
or nervousness.
Physically,
both varities of collies are extremely similar. They share
the same official breed standard, with the exception of their
coats. The standard describes both collies as lithe, strong
and active dogs, "carrying no useless timber, standing naturally
straight and firm. The collie presents an impressive, proud
picture of true balance, each part being in harmonious proportion
to every other part and to the whole."
As distinctions
go, the difference between the collies' coats is a big one.
Although the smooth collie possesses a short, dense coat that
is relatively easy to maintain, the rough collie's coat is
long, abundant and a true grooming challenge. Because of this
profuse coat, daily grooming of the rough collie is advisable.
It is essential the brushing be thorough, going right down
to the skin - many owners are oblivious to the weighty mats
which are forming closer to the dog's skin. When the coat
starts to "blow," it is best to give the dog a really good
bath, which should remove all the dead hair. In stark contrast,
the grooming requirements of the smooth collie are relatively
small, consisting of semi-regular brushing and the occasional
bath.
Popularity
has not done the collie's health any favors. Some collies
suffer from collie eye anamoly - a condition of collie dogs
where the narrow shape of the head causes the eyes to be malformed.
It takes a prevalent problem to be named after a breed; before
buying a young collie be certain the parents' eyes are tested.
Dermatomyositis is another common collie problem. This is
an autoimmune skin disorder that begins with lesions and skin
ulcers on the face. It can progress into muscular atrophy
that makes chewing or swallowing difficult. Collie nose, more
technically known as discoid lupus erythematosus, is a series
of rashes that affect the nose and face of collies.
Despite
these problems, the collie remains a wonderful breed - everybody's
all-star dog. Although some may lament the effect Lassie and
Lad have had on perceptions of the breed - creating, perhaps,
heightened expectations - certainly a dog could do worse than
to represent the virtues of loyalty, grace and courage. No
breed could wear the heavy mantle of hero more naturally than
the collie.
Reveille,
Texas Style
Lassie
may be the most famous collie in the rest of America, but
in College Station, Texas - a unique college town in the heart
of a state that has always preferred to follow its own star
- the leading celebrity collie is Reveille VI, Texas A&M
University's official mascot.
Throughout
the years, many have questioned how a school with the nickname
of "The Aggies" adopted a purebred rough collie as their mascot.
According to Aggie lore, some Texas A&M students, referred
to as "cadets" in the school's military nomenclature, were
returning to campus in 1931 and accidentally ran over a black
and white dog. They took the injured dog back to their dormitory.
In the morning, when the bugler sounded reveille, the dog
started barking and promptly received her nickname. Reveille
was soon adopted by the marching band and led them onto the
field for the year's first football game, immediately earning
a position as the school's mascot.
The first
Reveille was not a purebred collie but did resemble one. When
she died in 1944, a rough collie was selected to replace her
as Reveille II. Reveille VI now carries on the tradition of
her fabled predecessors, proudly serving as the mascot of
this historic Texas institution.
Laddie,
Come Home?
As it
has made fun of pretty much everything else, The Simpsons™
turned their deliciously sharp colored pencils on the collie's
reputation as a superdog in an episode titled "The Canine
Mutiny."
In this
episode, Bart gets his hands on a credit card. He sees a mail
order ad for the "World's Best Dog" (bred in Vermont) and
promptly places his order. Several weeks later a crate arrives
containing an incredibly handsome, athletic and intelligent
male collie - a dog in stark contrast to Bart's somewhat haggard
but loyal greyhound, Santa's Little Helper. In case any of
us have missed the allusion, Bart names the collie "Laddie."
While
Santa's Little Helper is sacrificed to the repo men in the
collie's place, Laddie quickly becomes one of Springfield's
most popular citizens, admired by everyone from Homer to Mr.
Burns. He even wins a special medal from Mayor Quimby after
rescuing a baby. Bart soon begins to regret forsaking the
love and loyalty of Santa's Little Helper for Laddie's bland
perfection.
In the
show's patented formula of television-imitating-television-skewering-life,
boy and his dog are ultimately reunited. Laddie goes on to
a sparkling career with Chief Wiggum's police department,
and Homer, being Homer, says, "D'oh."
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