CHAPTER V. 



PASTORAL DOGS, AND THOSE USED FOR THE PUK 

 POSES OF DRAUGHT. 



THE ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG. THE COLLET. THE GERMAN SHEEP-DOG. 

 POMERANIAN OR SPITZ DOG. THE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR 

 DOGS. THE ESQUIMAUX DOG. THE GREENLAND DOG. 



THE ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG. 



There are so many different breeds of the English Sheep-dog that 

 it is difficult to describe him. He has a sharp muzzle, medium- 

 sized head, with small and piercing eyes ; a well-shaped body, 

 formed after the model of a strong low greyhound, but clothed in 

 thick and somewhat woolly hair, which is particularly strong about 

 the neck and bosom. The tail is naturally long and bushy, but, as 

 it has almost invariably been cut off until of late years, its varia- 

 tions can hardly be known. Under the old excise laws the shep- 

 herd's dog was only exempt from tax when without a tail, and for 

 this reason it was always removed ; from which at last it happened 

 that many puppies of the breed were born without any tails, and 

 to this day some particular breeds are tailless. In almost all sheep- 

 dogs there is a double dew-claw on each hind leg, and very often 

 without any bony attachment. The legs and feet are strong and 

 well formed, ami stand road- work well, and the untiring nature of 

 the dog is very remarkable. The color varies greatly, Mit most are 

 grey, or black, or brown, with more or less white. 



Such is the true ol 1 English sheep-dog, but a great proportion 



of those in actual use are crossed with the various sporting dogs, 



such as the setter, which is very common, or the pointer, or even 



the hound ; and hence we so often find the sheep-dog as good in 



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