A History of the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd

Historically, the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd dog was essential to the lives of many rural Tennesseans. But the utility of these all-purpose working dogs spread beyond the borders of Tennessee. In the Southeast, Black and Tan English Shepherds were well-known to farmers in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. To the west, these gritty dogs were especially useful to cattle ranchers in Texas. To the north, Black and Tan English Shepherd dogs earned a living on farmsteads throughout the Ohio river valley. And further east, these dogs were well-known to rural citizens of the Mid-Atlantic region. But the history and use of these farm dogs is particularly well-documented in Tennessee.