354 The Dog Book 



"Texture of coat is often mentioned, and may be misunderstood by 

 novices. Therefore it should be worthy of note that where the undercoat 

 is plentiful the outercoat is prevented from feeling harsh to the touch. 



"Then there is the question of size, and the reason why the craze for 

 extra big dogs should exist can only be attributed to the fact that the inestim- 

 able value of the work this breed of dog should be capable of performing on 

 the hills is being lost sight of. Collies are not naturally such big, heavy 

 dogs as one sometimes reads about, or they would be too cumbersome to 

 encounter rough mountain work. 



"There is not the slightest reason why collies should not be judged 

 on the exact lines that serve to suit them for the work they have to fulfil, 

 because general appearance need not be sacrificed thereby. Therefore 

 in giving due consideration to the important working qualities of this, the 

 most useful of all breeds of dogs, an additional advantage should not be 

 given to exaggeration in size (other points equal) over a competitor whose 

 size fits him for the work of a sheep dog. 



"It is often said that a good big one can beat a good little one, but it 

 does not apply in the case of a sheep dog's work on the mountain. As for 

 instance, with the sheep trial dog, Ormskirk Charlie, by Christopher, no 

 dog could display a better exhibition of work when on the lowland, but he 

 very often had to give way to smaller dogs when the run out was up a 

 mountain, his extra size and weight proving a disadvantage. 



"The weights given below of some of the dogs that took part in laying 

 the foundation of our present strain of collies will serve to convey an idea of 

 the natural size of a sheep dog, but it is necessary to point out that the 

 animals of the lighter weights were in working condition: Lufra, 30 pounds; 

 Old Bess, 28 pounds; Lorna Doon, 28 pounds; Nesta, 28 pounds; Bonnie 

 Laddie, 44 pounds; Druce, 44 pounds; Malcom I., 49 pounds, and Loafer, 

 49 pounds. 



"The prevailing characteristic that most strongly denotes the breed of 

 any dog is the head and expression, and in the typical collie these features 

 are most pronounced, the formation of head and placement of eye rendering 

 an expression peculiar to the race which is not easy to describe. Upward 

 of twenty years ago, Mr. J. A. Doyle described the true expression of a 

 collie as being a mixture of "kindliness and craft," which seems as near 

 correct as possible. Of late years there has been too much discussion in 

 favour of abnormal length of head, which seemed likely to have the per- 



