86 .The Collie or Sheep Dog. 



short tail is natural or whether it has been made so 

 artificially ! 



Returning to the disposition of the animal, " Idstone" 

 says the English sheep dog is slower and heavier than 

 the collie. I must add that he is not so sprightly as 

 his northern cousin, nor on the whole so sagacious. He 

 partakes, as do all the dogs (especially pastoral ones) of the 

 character of his teacher. The English shepherd is surly, 

 silent, and for the most part ignorant, and he has an 

 especial dislike to strangers. Then this writer argues that 

 the dog takes after his master. But this evil character 

 for the English shepherd is by no means correct, only in a 

 slight degree so as applied to those of the southern and 

 midland counties, and not at all to the northern ones, who, 

 had " Idstone" been acquainted with them, would no doubt 

 have been coupled with the Scotch caretakers of sheep. 



The same writer calls these dogs " blue-grizzled, rough- 

 haired, large-limbed, surly, small-eared and small-eyed, 

 leggy, bob-tailed dogs," and says they are chiefly found in 

 Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hants, and Dorsetshire. 

 He continues, they " would obey no lighter instrument of 

 punishment than an iron-shod crook, listen to no voice unless 

 seasoned with a strong provincial twang, and coil himself 

 up on none other than the inevitable drab blanket coat 

 into whose sleeves no shepherd was ever known to put his 

 arms." 



I think from these statements the conclusion may safely 

 be reached that at present, and for some time back, these 

 " old English bob-tails " are, and have been, for the most 

 part confined to the southern counties, where the level roads 

 and comparatively easy country to work are much more 

 fitted for their somewhat ponderous frames than are the 



