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THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



Sheepdog Club, a society founded in 1888, 

 with tlie avowed intention of promoting the 

 breeding of the old-fashioned English Sheep- 

 dog, and of gi\'ing prizes at various shows 

 held under Kennel Club Rules. 



The pioneers of this movement, so far as 

 history records their names, were Dr. 

 Edwardes-Ker, an enthusiast both in theory 

 and in practice, from whose caustic pen dis- 

 sentients were wont to suffer periodical 

 castigation ; Mr. W. G. W'eager, ^\•ho lias 

 held office in the club for some twenty 

 years ; Mrs. Mayhew, who capably lield 

 her own amongst her fellow-members of the 

 sterner sex ; Mr. Freeman Lloyd, who wrote 

 an interesting pamphlet on the breed in 1889; 

 and Messrs. J. Thomas and Parry Thomas. 



Theirs can have been no easy task at the 

 outset, for it de\'oh-ed upon them to lay 

 down, in a succinct and practical form, 

 leading principles for the guidance of future 

 enthusiasts. Each of them owned one or two 

 good animals, which each, no doubt, con- 

 sidered — if one may generalise from a wide 

 experience of exhibitors — to be a little 

 better than those of anybody else. 



To reconcile conflicting opinions, and to 

 evolve a practical working standard, can have 

 been no easy matter, and the recorded 

 minutes of their meetings, could one but 

 unearth them, should furnish entertaining 

 reading. Their original definitions, no doubt, 

 have been amended and edited from time to 

 time, as occasion has required, but the result, 

 as published by the club to-day, does them 

 infinite credit. It runs thus : 



1. Skull. — Capacious, and rather squarely 

 formed, giving plenty of room for brain power. 

 The parts over the eyes should be well arched 

 and the whole well covered with hair. 



2. Jaw. — Fairly long, strong, square and 

 truncated ; the stop should be defined to avoid 

 a Deerhound face. 



The alteiilion of judges is particularly called 

 to the above properties, as a long, narrow 

 head is a deformity. 



3. Eyes. — Vary according to the colour of 

 the dog. but dark or wall eyes are to be preferred. 



4. Nose. — Always black, large, and capacious. 



5. Teeth. — Strong and large, evenly placed, 

 and level in opposition. 



6. Ears. — Small, and carried flat to side of head, 

 coated moderately. 



7. Legs. — The forelegs should be dead straight, 

 with plenty of bone, removing the body a medium 

 height from the ground, without approachino- 

 legginess ; well coated all round. 



8. Feet. — Small ; round, toes well arched and 

 pads thick and hard. 



9. Tail. — Puppies requiring docking must have 

 an appendage left of one and a half to two inches 

 and the operation performed when not older than 

 four days. 



10. Neck and Shoulders. — The neck should be 

 fairly long, arched gracefully, and well coated 

 with hair ; the shoulders sloping and narrow at 

 the points, the dog standing lower at the shoulder 

 than at the loin. 



11. Body. — Rather short and very compact, 

 ribs well sprung, and brisket deep and capacious. 

 The loin should be very stout and gently arched, 

 while the hindquarters should be round and mus- 

 cular, and with well let down hocks, and the hams 

 densely coated with a thick long jacket in excess 

 of any other part. 



12. Coat. — Profuse, and of good hard texture, 

 not straight but shagg>' and free from curl. The 

 undercoat should be a waterproof pile, when not 

 removed by grooming or season. 



13. Colour. — Any shade of grey, grizzle, blue or 

 blue-merled, with or without white markings, or 

 in reverse ; any shade of brown or sable to be 

 considered distinctly objectionable and not to be 

 encouraged. 



14. Height. — Twenty-two inches and upwards 

 for dogs, slightly less for bitches. Type, character, 

 and symmetry are of the greatest importance, 

 and on no account to be sacrificed to size 

 alonr. 



15. General Appearance. — A strong, compact- 

 looking dog of great symmetry, absolutely free 

 from legginess, profusely coated all over, very 

 clastic in its gallop, but in walking or trotting 

 he has a characteristic ambling or pacing move- 

 ment, and his bark should be loud, with a peculiar 

 pot casse ring in it. Taking him all round, he is a 

 thick-set, muscular, able-bodied dog, with a most 

 intelligent expression, free from all Poodle or 

 Deerhound character. 



Scale of Points. 



Head 5 



Eye 5 



Colour 10 



Ears 5 



Body, loins, and liindquarters . . 20 



Jaw 10 



Nose 5 



Teeth S 



Legs 10 



Neck and shoulder? 10 



Coat 15 



Total . .100 



