238 DOGS 



head, though thick, is short : a very wise provision 

 of Nature, for long locks would seal his eyes with 

 icicles. Like a horse, a good collie is of no parti- 

 cular colour, but for myself I should prefer red 

 or black and tan, and I believe they give the best 

 assurance of blood. 



There is another sheep-dog for which I have a 

 great fancy, though I never had the good fortune 

 to own one. I mean what is called the old English 

 sheep-dog. With his grim but honest face, his 

 sturdy, shaggy body and his queer bob -tail, I 

 admire and envy, as I see him trotting at the heels 

 of some veteran of the Downs, who still wears the 

 embroidered, old-fashioned smock frock. 



Other big dogs may be passed over. I have said 

 something already of the bulldog : like the mastiff, 

 though often amiable, he is a formidable follower 

 and may be dangerous on occasion. If either 

 bulldog or mastiff goes on the rampage, neither 

 man nor boy can control him. Coming to terriers, 

 the bull-terrier, supposed to be originally a cross 

 between the bulldog and the fox-terrier, is a more 

 manageable animal, though inclined to be quarrel- 

 some. His pluck, as a rule, is undeniable, and 

 Hke all well-bred terriers, he is a lively companion. 

 Plucky as he is, he is extraordinarily sensitive, and 

 his spirit may be easily broken by rough treatment. 

 He is intelligent enough to understand when he is 

 fairly treated, and to resent harsh punishment for 

 trivial faults. The best bull-terriers may be big 



