THE COLLIE 55 



English Sheepdog are much alike in appearance, but that 

 the bearded is a more racy animal, with a head resembling 

 that of the Dandie Dinmont rather than the square head of the 

 Bobtail. The strong-limbed bearded Collie is capable of 

 getting through a good day's work, but is not so steady nor 

 so wise as the old-fashioned black and white, or even the 

 smooth coated variety. He is a favourite with the butcher 

 and drover who have sometimes a herd of troublesome cattle 

 to handle, and he is well suited to rough and rocky ground, 

 active in movement, and as sure-footed as the wild goat. 

 He can endure cold and wet without discomfort, and can live 

 on the Highland hills when others less sturdy would suc- 

 cumb. In the standard adopted for judging the breed, many 

 points are given for good legs and feet, bone, body, and coat, 

 while head and ears are not of great importance. Movement, 

 size, and general appearance have much weight. The colour 

 is varied in this breed. Cream-coloured specimens are not 

 uncommon, and snow white with orange or black markings 

 may often be seen, but the popular colour is grizzly grey. 

 Unfortunately the coats of many are far too soft and the 

 undercoat is frequently absent. 



Working trials to test the skill of the sheepdog have become 

 frequent fixtures among shepherds and farmers within recent 

 years, and these competitions have done much towards the 

 improvement of the working qualities of the Collie. In 

 general the excelling competitors at working trials are the 

 rough-coated black and white Collies. The smooth-coated 

 variety and the Beardie are less frequent winners. The 

 handsome and distinguished gentlemen of the Ch. Wishaw 

 Leader type are seldom seen on the trial field, although former- 

 ly such a dog as Ch. Ormskirk Charlie might be successfully 

 entered with others equally well bred from the kennels of that 

 good trainer and fancier, Mr. Piggin, of Long Eaton. A 

 good working Collie, however, is not always robed in elegance. 

 What is desirable is that the shepherd and farmer should fix 

 a standard of points, and breed as near as possible to that 



