354 British Dogs. 



chief end of his existence is to go to ground, and power to grapple with 

 his subterranean foe is the first consideration. That power must, how- 

 ever, be in a body small enough to enable him to reach the enemy in its 

 stronghold ; and it follows that the particular build or shape by which 

 the greatest amount of strength can most easily get into a small hole is 

 the shape best suited for the purpose. All animals intended by Nature 

 to hunt their prey in holes such as the weasel, stoat, marten, &c. are 

 very long in the body and short on the leg, and it is safe to assume that 

 this form is the most suitable for that purpose. The Skye is the longest 

 and lowest of all terriers, and is, therefore, better adapted to do the 

 work of a terrier than any other. The proportion of length to height, 

 even in the longest Skye, falls far short of what it is in animals of the 

 weasel kind ; yet objections are sometimes made to the Skye because of 

 the shortness of his legs. The advantage in going to ground which a 

 short-legged dog has over a longer-legged one must be apparent to every- 

 one, as the former can do his work in a natural position, while the latter 

 must crouch, and so lose power. Again, if there is burrowing to do, the 

 short-legged one has also the advantage of the other, as it is impossible 

 to use long legs properly in a hole. The shortest-legged of all burrowing 

 animals is the mole, and it is credited with being able to make a new hole 

 for itself in less time than any other animal can. 



" In general appearance the Skye terrier is a long, low dog, with a 

 large head, a very long, flat-lying, straight coat, and a sharp, intelligent 

 look. The head is long from the occipital bone to the eye ; it is also 

 broad, and has the appearance of being broader above the eyes than 

 between the ears. This is owing to the position of the ears, which are 

 set on high. The skull is flat, not domed like that of the Dandie. The 

 muzzle is long and broad, the jaws strong, and the teeth very large. It 

 is a much greater objection to the mouth of a Skye to be undershot than 

 overshot. 



" The perfect mouth is, of course, level, or, as many breeders prefer to 

 have it, with the upper teeth fitting closely over the under ones. The 

 eyes are dark brown or hazel in colour, of medium size, and are not 

 prominent. There should not be much falling away under the eye ; and 

 there is almost no hollow or stop between the forehead and the muzzle. 

 The ears should not be large, and if pendant, should hang straight down 

 and lie close to the side of the head ; if erect they should be set on high 



