Customer Reviews

Gael: Sheepdog of the hills

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The book is thoroughly enjoyable from any collie owner's point of view, as it depicts a collie in the land of its ancestry doing its original work in modern times. Collies are a heritage breed with a proud working background that we should not forget.

Be prepared because Gael is a small English working type of collie, not a show collie to which we are accustomed in North America. At first glance I thought she was a sheltie, but in the introduction of the book Halsell refers to what he considers the fine points of a collie (p.11). You would think he means border collie from the written word, but Gael is a sweet looking, little sable and white collie, with great adventures!

I loved learning about the nature of the British countryside, with the illustrations and photos complementing the stories about Gael. As a sheep farmer, I appreciated Halsell's knowledge on this topic as well.

Having read the previous review I have to tell readers that the dog is in fact a Shetland. Eric Halsall wrote in the forward of the book that Gael is of Shetland descent with the inbred wisdom and sheep sense of the little collies of the Islands. Whatever kind of sheepdog she is, Gael is a fine animal. It is as much about the animals she encounters and lives with as about her. Her kind nature and intelligence made her a great working dog and companion.