Tim Longton was a Lancashire Hill farmer who was born
in 1919. He grew up to live, eat and breath Border Collies
and trialing. Like
his father before him, Tim fell in love with "the life"
of a shepherd. He had an undisputed way with dogs and when he
began trialing it was obvious to everyone around him that he
had a special talent.
His trialing career took off in 1950 when he won the Shepherd's
Championship. In 1966 he gained the ISDS Supreme Champion
Award with the same dog he won twice with at the Longshaw
trials. He's also won National Brace competitions three times
since 1973. And he won the English National Farmers' Championship
five times.
Also within his lifetime he served in the British Army, worked
for the Ministry of Agriculture as a patrol shepherd and starred
in the original series, One Man and His Dog, which brought
the art of shepherding and sheep trialing into the public
eye.
There's no disputing that Tim Longton put himself into a
position of authority when it comes to Border Collies. It
was when Tim moved home to take over for his aged father in
the management of the family's 730 acre farm, Rooten Brook
Farm, that Tim began to perfect his sheepdog-handling methods
before writing this ground-breaking book, The Sheepdog: Its
Work And Training in the late Sixties.
If there were only one book to read that describes every
aspect of the Border Collie's life, this book would be the
one to read. Tim covers every aspect of Border Collie ownership
and training. Chapters include how to chose, raise and breed
sheepdogs; training for farm work and herding trials; judging
trials; and working in the obedience ring. He also includes
a chapter on the ISDS, International Sheep Dog Society, the
foremost organization for registering sheep dogs of all kinds.
This group has been instrumental in maintaining standards
for all working herding dogs.
Being new to Border Collies myself I know there's a lot to
learn. Border Collies are a special breed that require a lot
of time and energy so that they can achieve their potential.
These dogs were bred for work, and through use on working
farms and herding trials this breed has grown to be what some
call the smartest dog on the planet. And from what I've seen,
that would be fairly accurate. These dogs seem to crave knowledge
as much as they crave the work. While they've been bred to
work sheep, the possibilities of work for this breed are endless.
I've met people who work their dogs in obedience rings, at
agility trials, flyball competitions, and even show in the
conformation ring. But their abilities don't stop there as
some dogs are used as service dogs for the blind and physically
challenged, as "sniffer" dogs in search and rescue,
and even companion dogs for people who suffer from seizures.
This book is a wonderful "all in one" guide for
anyone looking at Border Collies. Even though it was originally
published in 1976, the information in the book is timeless.
It's OOP now, but copies are still highly sought after because
the information is still so permanent. Sprinkled throughout
this 188 page book are photos, drawings, quotes and diagrams.
Also included is a very useful glossary of terms.
This book is quick reading but chock full of priceless information
and advice. I'd highly recommend that anyone considering getting
a Border Collie do their research thoroughly and enter into
the breed responsibly. These dogs are not family dogs, and
books like this will tell you why. You may not end up with
a Border Collie, but you'll gain a whole new respect not only
for the breed, but for those who are working hard to retain
the breeds original purpose.
It should be noted that Tim Longton handed control of Rooten
Brook Farm in 2002 to his second son, Timothy. Not long afterward
Tim passed away. Tim must have been proud to know that his
grandson Thomas is continuing the family love of Border Collies
and trialing, making himself a 4th generation Longton trialer.
