74 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



breed is styled in the North would occupy a larger space than is at our disposal to bestow ; 

 but all who are best acquainted with him unite in attributing to a well-trained Sheep-dog almost 

 human intelligence. The narratives which have appeared in so many publications, and which tell 

 of his wonderful devotion to his master cannot, too, be disbelieved by those who have had so many 

 opportunities as we ourselves have encountered, of seeing the obedience with which he regards not 

 only the voice, but even the slightest gesture of his owner when they are at work together upon 

 the hills. Doubtless the fact of his Collie having been the almost inseparable companion of his 

 daily existence since it was old enough to accompany him about, has tended to increase the natural 

 intelligence of the shepherd's dog to a very great extent ; but still there must have been a very 

 superior instinct born in the dog to enable him to, as it were, anticipate his master's wishes and act 

 accordingly. 



There has been an attempt made by one or two writers in The Live Stock Joiirnal which 

 devotes no inconsiderable portion of its pages to canine matters to designate this dog the 

 Highland Collie, but there was an utter absence of any reasoning in justification of claiming 

 for the Highlands of Scotland the honour of being the peculiar home of the Collie. We 

 are rather disposed to think that the pastoral dales of the Lowlands of Scotland and the 

 North of England have had more to do with breeding the dog to his present high state 

 of perfection as a shepherd than the North Highlands, where the more peaceful occupation 

 of stock-farming did not so early take the place of petty warfare and the chase, which 

 formed the chief employment. We may here observe that the system of breeding these 

 dogs by shepherds has been altogether independent of consideration of pedigree, which, no 

 doubt, has given rise to the very considerable diversity of colour and coat which we find 

 among true-bred Collies. Rough and smooth are mated, the result being pups of each kind 

 and intermediate, the first consideration with the shepherd being to produce a useful and 

 intelligent dog, that will take naturally to his work and be easily rendered amenable to 

 discipline. With this view the sire selected is always one known to be clever, con- 

 siderations of outward appearance being made greatly subservient to that. We would not 

 however be understood to say that the Scotch shepherd is heedless of the good appearance 

 of his dog ; he has generally an eye for a " bonny dowg," and if he can add that Glen 

 or Rover is "as guid as he's bonny," depend upon it he is proud of his dog, and there 

 is a friendship between them which money will not part. 



There exists a difference of opinion as to the relative merits of the rough and smooth 

 for hill work. Very heavily-coated dogs, such as is demanded for exhibition purposes, would 

 soon lose a portion of their jacket in rough work; and for winter a long-haired dog has the 

 disadvantage that in travelling through snow it attaches to his coat in constantly-increasing 

 lumps, which heavily handicap him. This the smooth-coated dog escapes, and although the rough 

 dog would appear the better protected against the cold, the smooth does not suffer much 

 in that respect, nature supplying him with an increased jacket as the winter approaches. 



Collies, like other dogs, differ individually in temperament, but it is not too much to 

 say that most of them are shy, reserved, and sometimes dangerous, to strangers. Indeed, 

 we have personally known not a few that not only would permit no liberties to be taken 

 with them, but were of a treacherous disposition, sneaking round and snapping without 

 warning ; especially suspicious are they of strangers approaching their homes, and no more 

 alert watch-dog exists than the Collie. They are, however, always amenable to the voice of 

 their master, and under his command, and to those in whom they once place confidence they 

 are for ever faithful. There is no breed of dog with iu;h a wise look as the Collie; the 



