J68 BRITISH DOGS 



a host of others, laboured most assiduously for the breed. Nor 

 must one lose sight of the good work done by the Old English 

 Sheepdog Club that was founded in 1888, and has been much in 

 evidence ever since. 



From the foundation of the Club there has been a great 

 improvement in uniformity of type. Differences of opinion have 

 existed, and will exist, with regard to how the ideal dog should 

 be made up. At present size is one of the vexed questions of the 

 Fancy. A very short time ago there was an outcry against the 

 dog being bred too small ; to-day, if anything, the other extreme 

 obtains, the dog being too big, added to which not a few of 

 the modern Bobtails are deficient in that indefinable if very well 

 understood quality expression. Colour of coat also exercised very 

 greatly the minds of the early breeders, and it was a long time 

 before the much coveted pigeon-blue was found combined with 

 dogs of the right stamp. Frequently it was associated with weedy- 

 looking specimens. Gradually, however, breeders overcame the 

 difficulty, and the pigeon-blue came to stay. Indeed, though the 

 blue marie is undeniably handsome, yet the pigeon-blue dog, even 

 in the twentieth century, has a host of admirers. 



To put down the Old English Sheepdog (Fig. 46) in the pink of 

 coat condition is no easy task. Constant grooming it must have ; 

 but there is such a thing as over-grooming. If the novice be 

 well advised, he will early in his career enter the Club already 

 named. Once a member of that body, he will come in contact 

 with men and women who have made the showing of this dog 

 a speciality, and these will be willing to help him over the stile. 



In purchasing an adult dog, the description of the breed as 

 furnished by the Club should be the guide ; but to select a 

 young puppy is not so easy. The chief points to look for are the 

 promise of a big square head, short back, strong loin, a coat that is 

 harsh to the feel, and plenty of bone. If called upon to select from 

 the nest, the puppy that is biggest and most closely approximates 

 to the one described should be chosen. Colour in puppies is 

 frequently deceptive, the very dark-coloured ones sometimes 

 assuming the coveted blue, but after many months. 



The following is the description of the breed as drawn up by 

 the Old English Sheepdog Club : 



Skull. Capacious, and rather squarely formed, giving plenty of room for 

 brain-power. The parts over the eyes should be well arched and the whole well 

 covered with hair. 



Jaw. Fairly long, strong, square, and truncated. The stop should be defined, 

 to avoid a Deerhound face. [ The attention of judges is particularly called to the 

 above properties ', as a long narrow head is a deformity.} 



Eyes. Vary according to the colour of the dog, but in the glaucous or blue 

 dogs a pearl, wall, or china eye is considered typical. 



Nose. Always black, large, and capacious. 



