Overview
The McNab was developed in the late nineteenth century by a Scottish rancher in northern California who crossed collies from home with local herding dogs to produce a heat-tolerant, short-coated stock dog. It looks like a lean, smooth Border Collie, usually black or red with white, and it works both sheep and cattle with a mix of eye and drive.
Think of it as a working collie without the fluff and with a bit more independence. McNabs are quick, athletic and intensely focused, but they are also said to be less obsessive than some Border Collies and more able to switch off at home. They remain very rare in the UK.
Exercise and walking needs
Two hours a day of real activity is the realistic figure. Fetch with rules, agility-style games, directional work and long off-lead runs all count. A lead walk does not, except as a warm-up.
Mental tiredness matters more than mileage. Five minutes of sending the dog around obstacles on command does more good than another lap of the field.
On the walk
- Herding: Moving things get herded: joggers, bikes, dogs, children. Call the dog in before it commits and give it a legitimate target such as a ball.
- Recall: Usually excellent, because the breed lives to take direction. If the owner has not trained it, the dog will make its own plan.
- Other dogs: Tolerant and not especially playful. It would rather run than wrestle and may try to manage the rest of the group.
- Lead: Manageable once exercised. Plan the run before any pavement stretch.
Tips for professional walkers
- Bring a frisbee or ball on a rope that comes back to hand. Control of the toy is control of the dog.
- Change the route often. Routine bores a stock dog and a bored stock dog invents work.
- Keep the dog out of fields with sheep or cattle unless the owner has specifically cleared it.
- Teach a reliable down at a distance early in your relationship; it is the most useful cue with this type.
What to ask the owner
- Which commands does the dog know for stopping, lying down and changing direction?
- Does the dog work stock or do a sport, and what cues should you keep consistent?
- How does it behave around bikes and joggers?