As the show scene settled into a
recognisable pattern, and society began
to think of dogs as companions and
fashion accessories, breeding became an
acceptable pastime for the new elite, with
most kennels housing a variety of breeds
covering a wide section of the canine race.
In collie terms possibly the first serious collie
breeder was Mr Henry Lacy, whose principal interest was Black and Tan (Manchester) Terriers, then shown in three sizes. Although active in Collies for no more than five or six years, he was to provide the foundation stock for the likes of Bissell, Ashwin, and Wheeler who all entered the fancy during the decade. His bitches Scott, herself an important show winning collie, and full sister Clyde founding family d, which remains influential, on both sides of the Atlantic, to this day. Shirley was another enthusiast who made a considerable contribution, more especially to the male line, with his carefully bred Irish strain of working collies. Others to succumb to the Collie’s charms included Mr W. W. Thomson, the Charles brothers, and Mr W. P. Arkwright who did so much to establish the blue merle as an acceptable colour.
But perhaps the most significant addition to the ranks of Collie breeder was the Rev. Hans F. Hamilton who, having purchased the Hon. Everard Digby’s collie kennel around 1878, established himself as the breed’s first specialist breeder, his foundation bitches, Eva and Ruby III, both granddaughters of Elsie, establishing the dominance of family a with bitches like the already mentioned Madge I.
