THE MINIATURE COLLIE. 



469 



has drawn up the following standard and 

 scale of points : 



1. General Appearance. — A miniature English 

 Greyhound, more slender in all proportions, and 

 of ideal elegance and grace in shape, symmetry, 

 and action. 



2. Head. — Skull long, flat and narrow. Muzzle 

 very fine. Nose dark in colour. Ears rose shaped, 

 placed well back, soft and delicate, and should 

 touch or nearly touch behind the head. Eyes 

 large, bright and full of expression. 



3. Body. — Neck long and gracefully arched- 

 Shoulders long and sloping. Back curved and 

 drooping at the quarters. 



4. Legs and Feet. — Fore -legs straight, well set 

 under the shoulder ; fine pasterns ; small delicate 

 bone. Hind-legs, hocks well let down ; thighs 

 muscular. Feet long — hare foot. 



5. Tail, Coat and Colour.— Tail rather long and 

 with low carriage. Skin fine and supple. Hair 

 thin and glossy like satin. Preferably self-coloured. 

 The colour most prized is golden fawn, but all 



shades of fawn — red, mouse, cream and white 



are recognised. Blacks, brindles and pied are 

 considered less desirable. 



6. Action. — High stepping and free. 



7. Weight.— Two classes, one of 8 lbs. and under, 

 the other over 8 lbs. 



THE MINIATURE COLLIE. 



If there were any real scarcity of toy 

 dogs it might be possible to rear a new 

 variety from our own midst by a recourse 

 to the diminutive Shetland Collie, which 

 has many recommendations as a pet. Like 

 the sturdy little Shetland pony, this dog 

 has not been made small by artificial 

 selection. It is a Collie in miniature, no 

 larger than a Pomeranian, and it is perfectly 

 hardy, wonderfully sagacious, and decidedly 

 beautiful. 



They are scarce, even in their native 

 islands, where chance alone seems to breed 

 them rather than design ; but occasionally 

 one may be brought to the mainland or to 

 Ireland by the fishermen in the herring 

 season, and left behind as a gift to some 

 friend. At first glance the dog might easily 

 be mistaken for a Belgian Butterfly dog, 

 for its ears are somewhat large and up- 

 standing, with a good amount of feather 

 about them ; but upon closer acquaintance 

 the Collie shape and nature become pro- 

 nounced. 



The body is long and set low, on stout, 

 short legs, which end in long-shaped, 



feathered feet. The tail is a substantial 

 brush, beautifully carried, and the coat is long 

 and inclined to silkiness, with a considerable 

 neck-frill. The usual weight is from si.\ to 

 ten pounds, the dog being of smaller size 

 than the bitch. The prettiest are all white, 

 or white with rich sable markings, but many 

 are black and tan or all black. The head is 

 short and the face not so aquiline as that 

 of the large Collie. The eyes are well pro- 

 portioned to the size of the head, and have 

 a singularly soft round brightness reminding 

 one of the eye of a woodcock or a snipe. 



The Shetlanders use them with the sheep, 

 and they are excellent little workers, in- 

 telligent and very active, and as hardy as 

 terriers. Dog lovers in search of novelty 

 might do worse than take up this attractive 

 and certainly genuine breed before it be- 

 comes extinct. An anonymous writer in 

 one of the kennel papers recently drew 

 attention to its possibilities as a pet ; and 

 the Editor of this work is acquainted with 

 a lady in Belfast who owns a typical speci- 

 men, but as yet the fascinations of the tiny 

 Sheltie are commonly ignored. 



R. L. 



