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Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men: Searching Through Scotland For A Border Collie
According to a Scottish saying, "There is no good flock without a good shepherd, and there is no good shepherd without a good dog." Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men is the story of Donald McCaig's search through rural Scotland for just the right sheepdog to bring back to his farm in West Virginia. McCaig delves into the mysterious pact between dog and man, which involves trust and deep communication. Traveling the countryside, to competitions and farms, meeting shepherds and trainers, McCaig introduces us to unforgettable animal and human characters. A must for dog lovers, and anyone interested in the relationship between animals and humans.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
26 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Donald McCaig
35 books127 followersDonald McCaig was the award-winning author of Jacob’s Ladder, designated “the best civil war novel ever written” by The Virginia Quarterly. People magazine raved “Think Gone With the Wind, think Cold Mountain.” It won the Michael Sharra Award for Civil War Fiction and the Library of Virginia Award for Fiction.
Donald McCaig wrote about rural American life, sheepdogs, and the Civil War. He also wrote poetry and wrote under various pseudonyms.
Donald McCaig wrote about rural American life, sheepdogs, and the Civil War. He also wrote poetry and wrote under various pseudonyms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 26, 2021
Very good book with some great stories in it. Love his descriptions of Scotland and the Sheep dog trials, really makes me want to go. I like the philosophy you can see in these quotes:
"It is not the job of the dog trainer to summon the dog’s generics, not to impose man’s will over dog’s. It may be worth noting that many Scottish hill dogs never know the weight of a collar around their neck."
"The trainer Tony Illey has said, “The most difficult thing I ever saw a dog do was bring a ewe who’d just lost her lamb through a field full of lambing ewes.”
Let me offer a gloss: Ewes with new lambs are extremely protective of their lambs and often charge a dog. When they lose sight of their lamb, they assume the dog has killed it, and despite his teeth will try determinedly to trample him. A ewe who’s lost her lamb will rush back and forth seeking it, bleating to other newborn lambs trying to collect one. The other mothers are confused by this, and when the dog gets near them they, too, go on the attack.
Unlike Tony Illey, I don’t think what this dog did was difficult. It was impossible. Knowing that the dog can read sheep better than any man and can react much quicker than any man, what commands would you give him?
Correct answer: his name."
Since his search to find a dog is not a series of progressions, the pacing of the book doesn't build so much as travels around and visits with some interesting people before he is able to take a 'bonny wee bitch away.' If you have read other books from Donald McCaig, it covers ground you will have read before as he educates us on how border collies work with the sheep and the way the trials are held and sometimes go, but I still enjoy it.
Also in the book is an 1803 account from James Hogg of a dog Sirrah. I didn't seem to get as much out of the tale as Mr. McCaig seems to, but I love how dogs have been faithful and loyal servants and friends for hundreds of years.
When I get through all of McCaig's books I will have to rank them. Love to hear from anyone who has read all his books and has an opinion on them in terms of ranking.
"It is not the job of the dog trainer to summon the dog’s generics, not to impose man’s will over dog’s. It may be worth noting that many Scottish hill dogs never know the weight of a collar around their neck."
"The trainer Tony Illey has said, “The most difficult thing I ever saw a dog do was bring a ewe who’d just lost her lamb through a field full of lambing ewes.”
Let me offer a gloss: Ewes with new lambs are extremely protective of their lambs and often charge a dog. When they lose sight of their lamb, they assume the dog has killed it, and despite his teeth will try determinedly to trample him. A ewe who’s lost her lamb will rush back and forth seeking it, bleating to other newborn lambs trying to collect one. The other mothers are confused by this, and when the dog gets near them they, too, go on the attack.
Unlike Tony Illey, I don’t think what this dog did was difficult. It was impossible. Knowing that the dog can read sheep better than any man and can react much quicker than any man, what commands would you give him?
Correct answer: his name."
Since his search to find a dog is not a series of progressions, the pacing of the book doesn't build so much as travels around and visits with some interesting people before he is able to take a 'bonny wee bitch away.' If you have read other books from Donald McCaig, it covers ground you will have read before as he educates us on how border collies work with the sheep and the way the trials are held and sometimes go, but I still enjoy it.
Also in the book is an 1803 account from James Hogg of a dog Sirrah. I didn't seem to get as much out of the tale as Mr. McCaig seems to, but I love how dogs have been faithful and loyal servants and friends for hundreds of years.
When I get through all of McCaig's books I will have to rank them. Love to hear from anyone who has read all his books and has an opinion on them in terms of ranking.
November 10, 2008
Non-fiction but I think any doglover would enjoy it. Especially if you've ever had the high-intensity, smart ass, herding dog type that drives you nuts but you love to death.
April 17, 2013
I enjoyed this read, although I did not expect it. I picked it up at a library booksale, probably with the vague idea that it was about dogs in general or war dogs something related to Fala. It's actually all about Border Collies, but not in the sense of an all-about-the-breed profile. The setting is mostly Scotland, a wonderful surprise for me, and the bond between man and dog. Sadly, no women get featured. McCaig obviously loves dogs, but his book is not overly sentimental about the connection between canine and human. He thinks Americans anthropomorphize dogs too much, but spends a whole chapter giving a legendary sheep dog a narrative. He respects them, he respects the intelligence of the border collie, but he has the detachment of many people who grow up on farms about farm dogs. It's an interesting perspective. Not one I favor, but get it. And I think he's a little more sentimental about them than he would like to admit.
September 12, 2011
Dogs, many dogs, sheep, mist, mud, Scottish landscapes, and the people who are intimately involved in the breeding, training, admiring and regretting everything involved with those dogs fill this book. McCaig shows us his aspirations and doubts, the struggles of his hosts and acquaintances, and includes an interview in heaven that is not to be missed.
March 20, 2012
"A splendid journey through rural Scotland, where champion Border Collies and the shepherds who raise them demonstrate how the relationship between man and animal can ennoble both.
"When the author searches Scotland for just the right sheepdog to bring back to his farm in America, the result is not simply a vivid and pleasurable journey through the Highlands. It is also a serious exploration of the ancient,extraordinary pact between man and dog.
"The characters here, both human and animal, are unforgettable. The landscape resonates with legends, from the bloody tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie to stories about heroic sheepdogs of the past. Bred by humble shepherds since the seventeenth century, the Border Collie is a brilliant animal with a great heart. Its history is the history of the Highlands themselves.
"A good dog must be able to direct sheep both at a handler's commands and on his own, often under taxing conditions. To do so he must have more than courage and skill -- she must also be a shrewd strategist and honest to the bone. Here is a man-beast relationship that illuminates intense moral and esthetic concerns: deep communication, exquisite control, pure faith.
"McCaig tells the story of this exceptional breed as he travels the rugged, beautiful land of his ancestors and comes to know the local heroes who are among the world's most dangerous competitors in dog trialing. He takes us from demanding field work to the great International Sheepdog Trials, possibly the most difficult test of an animal ever developed.
"A stirring book not only for dog lovers, but for all who are fascinated by our desire, human and animal, to hear and respond to each other."
~~front flap
I disagree with some of that -- I don't think the book goes into the aspect of man-dog communication all that much. It's much more about the people who inhabit the world of Border Collies, working and trialing. I agree that it's fascinating -- I had expected the book to be rather dry and instead I could hardly put it down.
"When the author searches Scotland for just the right sheepdog to bring back to his farm in America, the result is not simply a vivid and pleasurable journey through the Highlands. It is also a serious exploration of the ancient,extraordinary pact between man and dog.
"The characters here, both human and animal, are unforgettable. The landscape resonates with legends, from the bloody tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie to stories about heroic sheepdogs of the past. Bred by humble shepherds since the seventeenth century, the Border Collie is a brilliant animal with a great heart. Its history is the history of the Highlands themselves.
"A good dog must be able to direct sheep both at a handler's commands and on his own, often under taxing conditions. To do so he must have more than courage and skill -- she must also be a shrewd strategist and honest to the bone. Here is a man-beast relationship that illuminates intense moral and esthetic concerns: deep communication, exquisite control, pure faith.
"McCaig tells the story of this exceptional breed as he travels the rugged, beautiful land of his ancestors and comes to know the local heroes who are among the world's most dangerous competitors in dog trialing. He takes us from demanding field work to the great International Sheepdog Trials, possibly the most difficult test of an animal ever developed.
"A stirring book not only for dog lovers, but for all who are fascinated by our desire, human and animal, to hear and respond to each other."
~~front flap
I disagree with some of that -- I don't think the book goes into the aspect of man-dog communication all that much. It's much more about the people who inhabit the world of Border Collies, working and trialing. I agree that it's fascinating -- I had expected the book to be rather dry and instead I could hardly put it down.
September 30, 2015
I find it hard to believe that Donald McCaig has existed as a dog writer for my whole life, and I am only just now reading him. I think when I was younger I was completely uninterested in herding dogs in general, border collies in particular, and Great Britain as a whole. It's a shame I missed these books back then, but I'm glad I'm reading them now.
Donald McCaig goes to Scotland to search for a working border collie bitch. Along the way, he meets and talks with various members of the herding/trialling community in Scotland. He is one of the best writers on the subject of working dog-human relationships, and manages to capture perfectly the glory, beauty, momentousness, and practicality of the bond pretty much on every other page of the book. Border collies and the people who work them are different, that is for sure.
This book did NOT make me want a border collie (which is good, because the author says at the end of the book that if you want one after reading this book, then he didn't do a good job of writing it). But it did make me want to go out and watch them work. Shepherd-sheepdog is one of the oldest human-working dog relationships in history, and one of the most complex and mystical.
Donald McCaig goes to Scotland to search for a working border collie bitch. Along the way, he meets and talks with various members of the herding/trialling community in Scotland. He is one of the best writers on the subject of working dog-human relationships, and manages to capture perfectly the glory, beauty, momentousness, and practicality of the bond pretty much on every other page of the book. Border collies and the people who work them are different, that is for sure.
This book did NOT make me want a border collie (which is good, because the author says at the end of the book that if you want one after reading this book, then he didn't do a good job of writing it). But it did make me want to go out and watch them work. Shepherd-sheepdog is one of the oldest human-working dog relationships in history, and one of the most complex and mystical.
May 16, 2008
Dog owners might especially enjoy this book. It was enlightening in trying to understand why dogs are willing to 'work'. Also I liked the author's impressions of Scotland and it's people as he traveled all around there for months looking for a dog to purchase. Probably more than I ever wanted to know about competitive contests in shepherding sheep using border collies. I am not sorry I read it, but I would hesitate to recommend it to others. You have to like reading about animal behavior, which I do. But I doubt that there are very many others who share that interest.
March 25, 2024
A really sweet book about border collies and their people, tested in grueling dog trials in Scotland. The late Donald McCaig, who had a sheep farm and sheep dogs in Virginia, traveled to Scotland on the 1970s to look for a successor to his beloved Pip. (The book was published in 1991.) Along the way, he encountered a who's who of the powers that be in sheepdog trials in the UK. And, as he travels the hills and dales of sleepy parts of Scotland, he looks for a dog to take back to Virginia.
There are laugh-aloud moments, especially when McCaig is stymied by the indecipherable dialects or logic he encounters. There's a fair bit of tippling, too. But, it always comes back to the connection between sheep dogs and their humans.
Some of McCaig's wisdom:
"Border collies, the dogs of poor, frequently illiterate shepherds, have been rarely sung."
"The only statue in the town square is a statue of a sheep. One day, perhaps Moffat will erect one to the tourist, who is much easier to shear."
"Geoff Billingham sat with his hands in his lap, a gangling aristocrat in a straightback chair, seeing [his dog] Tweed's amber eyes, the relentless drifting snow. 'I sometimes think ... when I'm on my deathbed ... they'll come back. All the dogs I've trained will come filing by.' " I got teary, thinking about the dogs I've loved.
"Nor can you train a sheepdog if you have too great faith in words." This from a writer!
"He has the calm, pale face of a medieval saint, someone whose concentration on salvation is absolute."
"It has been twenty thousand years since man and dog formed their partnership. That we have altered the dog genetically is well understood; it is hardly known how they changed us."
"Working within and against their limits, a flawed man and flawed dog can sometimes achieve a kind of elegance that looks very much like perfection."
"Like politicians, when threatened, sheep rush toward the center, the stronger pushing the weaker to the left or right. The very old and sickly are left outside the solid wooly mass for predator selection. Too bad for senior citizens, but as a survival strategy, it works well."
Recommended for dog lovers.
There are laugh-aloud moments, especially when McCaig is stymied by the indecipherable dialects or logic he encounters. There's a fair bit of tippling, too. But, it always comes back to the connection between sheep dogs and their humans.
Some of McCaig's wisdom:
"Border collies, the dogs of poor, frequently illiterate shepherds, have been rarely sung."
"The only statue in the town square is a statue of a sheep. One day, perhaps Moffat will erect one to the tourist, who is much easier to shear."
"Geoff Billingham sat with his hands in his lap, a gangling aristocrat in a straightback chair, seeing [his dog] Tweed's amber eyes, the relentless drifting snow. 'I sometimes think ... when I'm on my deathbed ... they'll come back. All the dogs I've trained will come filing by.' " I got teary, thinking about the dogs I've loved.
"Nor can you train a sheepdog if you have too great faith in words." This from a writer!
"He has the calm, pale face of a medieval saint, someone whose concentration on salvation is absolute."
"It has been twenty thousand years since man and dog formed their partnership. That we have altered the dog genetically is well understood; it is hardly known how they changed us."
"Working within and against their limits, a flawed man and flawed dog can sometimes achieve a kind of elegance that looks very much like perfection."
"Like politicians, when threatened, sheep rush toward the center, the stronger pushing the weaker to the left or right. The very old and sickly are left outside the solid wooly mass for predator selection. Too bad for senior citizens, but as a survival strategy, it works well."
Recommended for dog lovers.
January 17, 2019
I've had this book in my collection for over 25 years, and I finally read the thing. It is an enjoyable book, mostly because I have the requisite interest in border collies and herding dogs in general. While I enjoyed the information Mr. McCaig provides, I waffle on how good a writer I think he is. His way of relating the search he had for finding a proper dog by visiting Scotland is interesting, but often random. Not much of a story here, just a retelling of his trip from small village to small village.
Toward the end, he describes some sheepherding trials in detail, and that was worth the read. Also, his characterizations of the people that he met were great. You definitely get a feel for the type of people who do this type of competition. While I liked reading the book, I'm glad that I am done and can get on to something a little better to read... and yet, it was a worthwhile way to spend a few evenings.
Toward the end, he describes some sheepherding trials in detail, and that was worth the read. Also, his characterizations of the people that he met were great. You definitely get a feel for the type of people who do this type of competition. While I liked reading the book, I'm glad that I am done and can get on to something a little better to read... and yet, it was a worthwhile way to spend a few evenings.
October 10, 2025
I liked this book slightly less than four stars and slightly more than three stars. It is an excellent book for lovers of sheep dogs and shepherds. Mr McCaig goes to Scotland to find a border Collie but he appreciates his own dog back in Virginia. The book starts off slowly for me but ended on an upward track . Much of the subtleties of sheep dog training and ins and outs of Trials was lost on me, but it didn't matter. Mr McCaig captures the beauty, the pathos, the tragedy and triumps of this endeavor. These men and women are not gushy and sentimental but dearly love their dogs. They know they are workers not pets . I loved his descriptions of the people, the dogs and the Scottish landscape. He is emotional but not maudlin. A great read for those who know this world and those who don't but love dogs, and I learned what an Eminent Dog and a Dangerous Man is!
June 16, 2025
I have enough interest in the subject that I don't regret reading it - a lots was fascinating. However, it could also be very hard going. Despite being a celebration of Border Collies - there's enough descriptions of dogs treated badly, that yeah. I wanted to make police reports. In some cases the author describes bad behavior (not necessarily towards animals) by people he's friendly with - and you have wonder if there were consequences. In one egregious example of animal abuse, he carefully doesn't name the perpetrator - possibly to avoid a libel suit - but he evidently socializes with them and there's no indication that hementioned the abuser's proclivities to the breeders who might sell to him.
I doubt I read this author again.
I doubt I read this author again.
November 1, 2021
Grand read. The author includes much information on dog psychology especially pertinent to the border collies and sheep dogs.
The book is written as kind of a diary of the author's visit to Scotland's dog trials and his attempt to purchase a dog to take back to his farm in Virginia. Dog training and trial men and women are met as well as their dogs. Brief analyses of dog trial runs and what went right or wrong in the run.
The book is written as kind of a diary of the author's visit to Scotland's dog trials and his attempt to purchase a dog to take back to his farm in Virginia. Dog training and trial men and women are met as well as their dogs. Brief analyses of dog trial runs and what went right or wrong in the run.
November 14, 2017
Wonderful insight into sheep dog trials. The author tells an interesting story of dogs and men, with moments of dry humor and quick characterization of individual dogs and men.
I would recommend the book to all who admire a well trained dog and might rarely if ever manage to watch a man and dog working together.
I would recommend the book to all who admire a well trained dog and might rarely if ever manage to watch a man and dog working together.
March 2, 2019
Short course on border collie
Part novel, part biopic, part educational dog training for shepherding. I've liked the authors other books better. Four stars as it was not as expected.
Part novel, part biopic, part educational dog training for shepherding. I've liked the authors other books better. Four stars as it was not as expected.
June 30, 2023
I enjoyed this account of the author traveling to Scotland to buy a border collie to work his farm in America. I learned a lot about Scotland in the late 80s, border collies, sheepdog trials, and sheep.
July 23, 2017
Read this probably 20 years ago and loved it
May 21, 2019
I loved this book for the fact it well represents a dogs talent and relationship to people. Love the setting and the tale.
December 9, 2019
I learned some interesting facts about Boarder Collies, but the story was a bit drawn out and I never felt fully engaged.
September 9, 2023
An absolute must for dog lovers, I learned so much more than I expected about border collies.
May 11, 2016
I want to own a dog and have lived in Scotland - these are things that qualify me to read this book, I think. Also, I've read a lot of James Herriot.
McCaig uses the through line of his own visit to Scotland to procure his next working dog as his first heads towards retirement. The latter has taught him much already about dog training, the unique majesty of border collies, and the special, enduring relationship that exists between dog and master. His time among the who's who of Scottish shepherds of the time of this book (late 80s/early 90s) further deepens his understanding.
It's not necessarily a clear cut explanation of sheepdog trial competitions, so be prepared to not fully understand it all ... but really the magic lies in the author's prose.
Ever heard a line of music, that you instantly clicked with subconsciously, but eluded your ability to nail down/hum again or otherwise explain why it moved you? McCaig's writing was like that for me. Haunting and beautiful, and sometimes just tantalizingly out of reach for my poor brain. Something beautiful was being unfolded in front of me, but darn if I could put it into words.
McCaig uses the through line of his own visit to Scotland to procure his next working dog as his first heads towards retirement. The latter has taught him much already about dog training, the unique majesty of border collies, and the special, enduring relationship that exists between dog and master. His time among the who's who of Scottish shepherds of the time of this book (late 80s/early 90s) further deepens his understanding.
It's not necessarily a clear cut explanation of sheepdog trial competitions, so be prepared to not fully understand it all ... but really the magic lies in the author's prose.
Ever heard a line of music, that you instantly clicked with subconsciously, but eluded your ability to nail down/hum again or otherwise explain why it moved you? McCaig's writing was like that for me. Haunting and beautiful, and sometimes just tantalizingly out of reach for my poor brain. Something beautiful was being unfolded in front of me, but darn if I could put it into words.
August 15, 2013
Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men is McCaig’s account of his middle-age adventure to Scotland to search for a promising dog. Unfortunately for McCaig, few Scots would part with them. And those who would, preferred to sell them to countrymen. As he bounces from various farms to sheepdog trials, McCaig recounts gossip of colorful Scottish shepherds, their great deeds and fabulous flops. Woven into Eminent Dogs are Highland lore. He tells us about The Big Hats—top handlers—their eminent dogs, and the tricky sheepdog trials they mastered or fell apart on.
a beautifully written and engaging book.
a beautifully written and engaging book.
October 27, 2012
The warning is out there: "will herd anything," and I've seen it in action, and it's awesome. Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men is an exploration of the dedication it takes for frequently laconic enthusiasts to breed, train, and sometimes part with their remarkable Border Collies. Scotland also shines, if you enjoy mud, rain, mists, wet wool, and eccentrics.
March 24, 2014
Almost gave it 5 stars. I really loved reading it. May look for his first book to read now. Found myself reading little bits aloud to my husband - always the sign of a really good book. He is a good writer, and an excellent raconteur. You feel, as you read it, that he is just sitting or standing next to you having a conversation, while the two of you watch the sheepdog trials.
October 10, 2014
You have to like sheepdogs to get into this one, but most people do. Think of the thrills and chills that a working dog demo elicits at the fair. Sidebar: watch the you tube called something like the "Baa Studs" Onward: a little too technical at times unless you go trialing, but an enjoyable read with a lovely ending.
May 14, 2016
There is something about a man and his dog and the lengths he will go to find the best. Author McCaig traveled about Scotland looking for the best sheep dog he could buy with limited funds. The author provides a local perspective on owners and their sheep herding dogs as they compete in field trials and a lucrative Scottish market for the best in show.
August 27, 2014
I liked this book. It was wonderful to read about border collies and their history and I really enjoyed the Scottish landscape. But my enjoyment was somewhat marred by the writing style and the self-deprecating tome of the author. It did not make me warm to him.
March 1, 2016
McCaig goes on an epic adventure, through the world of Border Collies of Scotland. His sharp eye, direct style of writing and acerbic wit in evidence throughout. This is Donald McCaig at his best. Especially recommended for Border Collie fans and dog lovers in general.
August 23, 2016
I met McCraig at an international herding trial and unlike some of his characters he is easy to talk to. He is very knowledgeable about what he writes, and like the other 2 books of his I read I like this one also.
December 27, 2008
Great book. Especially if you are into Border Collies and Sheep Dog Trials.
May 13, 2009
i learned so much about the Border collie breed and gained a heightened respect for them -- they truly are intelligent!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews