In this episode of SpiritDog Training Stories I speak with Denise Maher, president of the Scottish Collie Preservation Society (SCPS).

I had not heard of the Scottish Collie myself until I met this stunning dog of a client a year ago:

The SCPS strives to bring back and expand the breed of the Collie, as it was originally developed as a working breed, used to herd and protect sheep in the often harsh and inhospitable terrain and weather of the Scottish Highlands.

Scottish Collies are now enjoyed by a growing number of dog owners in North America for their temperament, versatility, athleticism and health and that’s all thanks to the efforts of the SCPS.

Listen to the interview to get to know the breed, its characteristics and the breeding program aimed at bringing back the original Collie:

And a little introduction of Denise Maher:

I grew up in Virginia and we always had dogs, mostly Labrador Retrievers.  When my husband and I moved out to the Black Hills of South Dakota, we purchased our first herding dog and my youngest daughter began to train and compete in dog events through 4h and eventually AKC and NADAC Agility. I have worked with horses for years and about three years ago, I decided I we Ted to purchase a dog of my own to work with.  After much research I decided I wanted an old fashioned collie like Lassie, that led me to the Scottish Collies which are the original working collies traced back to the 1800’s before the breed was introduced to the show ring. I purchased my first Scottish Collie over two years ago and fell in love with this breed. 

My husband and I currently live own twelve acres with horses, barn cats and three dogs:  a Black Lab, a Border Collie, and a Scottish Collie.  My background is in Corporate Development and Training, however I am also a 4-H dog instructor and judge for Agility events in my local county and Director of Marketing & Communication Director for SCPS.  I also compete with my Scottish Collie Titus in agility and we are training in herding, trick training as well as finalizing his verification as a therapy dog.

You can find out more about the Scottish Collie, including upcoming litters on their website and Facebook page .

Enjoying this podcast? Check out our other episodes!
About Agility And Van Life I
About Agility And Van Life II
My Thoughts On Puppy Raising
Living With A Spirited Dog
Your Dog, The Experience Junkie