i6 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 191s 
ago i met, at a cottage gate in Ryton, an old shepherd, who had 
forsaken the hills and the sheepfold to spend his last years with 
his son and daughter-in-law. We fell to talking, nor was it long 
before we got to the congenial subject of Sheepdogs. He com¬ 
plained bitterly in broad Scotch that the “Coallies” nowadays 
were big ’way out of reason. His practical complaint has been 
justified by the test of the Sheepdog trials. Here the larger dogs, 
excellent on the level ground, have not displayed the stamina of 
the smaller ones, nor have they 
been their equal over rough or 
hilly country. Even granting 
that the vast majority of Collies 
are no longer working dogs and 
allowing that the larger dog is 
more impressive, still it does not 
seem very sensible to sacrifice 
any working dog for a fancy 
point. 
This same old Ryton shep¬ 
herd, as he leaned over his rose- 
banked gate, gave me out of his 
lifelong work with Collies a 
capital bit of advice on selecting 
a Collie puppy. “A’ways pick 
oot,” he said, “a poop wha’s a 
wee bit shy.” The youngster 
that is a little shy, provided reasonable care is exercised not to 
cow him, makes the more satisfactory grown dog. The bolder, 
more forward puppies are very attractive babies, but they are 
more apt to run wild at the hobbledehoy stage of puppyhood, and 
they are not so easy to train up in the way you would have 
your Collie go. 
Were I picking out a Collie pup for myself, I should go to 
some well-known breeder. Here, I should have confidence in his 
representation as to pedigree, and, though I might pay a few 
dollars more, I would be sure the puppy was sound and healthy. 
I would select a bright, active youngster, for “a poop wha’s a 
wee bit shy” does not mean a stupid wreckling. He would have 
a long head, with smallish eyes and ears; nice, straight, well¬ 
Be sure that your pup is sound and healthy. 
Select a bright active youngster, for “a 
poop wha’s a wee bit shy,” as the old Scot 
advised, does not mean a stupid wreckling 
boned legs; a short, straight, strong back, with depth of chest 
and a nice spring of rib. Most assuredly would I pass by any 
that showed the least inclination to wave his tail wildly over his 
back, for a “gay tail,” a thing of joy in a terrier, is the abomina¬ 
tion of desolation in a Spaniel or a Collie. As to color, well, 
personally, I should like to find a nice, blue merle, that old Collie 
color that is just beginning to be properly appreciated, a blue- 
grey, mottled with black spots and with tan flecks on the face. 
Of course, you may prefer a rich, golden sable, with a broad 
white collar and a narrow white blaze up his face; or you may 
like a tri-color, a sheeny black with white marks and tan points. 
“A good horse cannot be a bad color,” so each can humor his 
fancy in this matter. 
Such a puppy I could reasonably expect 
to become, when grown, a Collie close 
enough to the ideal type, so that I should 
never have to make excuses for him should 
a friend who knows the points of a good 
Collie meet us out walking. The thorough¬ 
bred Collie is indeed a dog of which to be 
proud. As the little girl, who was the happy 
possessor not only of a handsome Collie, but 
also of a beautiful new spring bonnet, con¬ 
fessed to her mother, “It’s most annoying 
to take ‘Bruce’ out walking. Everybody savs 
‘What a lovely dog!’ and nobody even notices 
my hat.” 
One might just as well describe a trolley 
car or a cup of cofifee as to draw a word 
picture of so familiar a dog as the Collie, 
but some of his finer points are not always 
understood. Even breeders and fanciers 
have waxed wroth discussing what the cor¬ 
rect Collie ear should be. Without being 
dogmatic, the ideal can be described as small, 
but not too small, ordinarily carried lying 
back, hidden in the ruff of long hair that 
surrounds the head; but when at attention, 
lifted erect, with—this is important—the tips 
Southport Sweet and Olsterd Phoebe, which show the much-prized long head, with eyes and ears. The 
ears should be carried lying back, hidden in the ruff of hair that surrounds the head 
