| September, 1915 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
Pass by the Collie that shows the least inclination 
to wave his tail wildly over his back 
dropping forward. A Collie, as 
many people do not know, should 
wear a double coat — a long, straight, 
rather coarsish overcoat and under¬ 
neath a soft, wooly waistcoat. The 
tail, as I have intimated, should 
sweep downwards, with just the 
suggestion of a bend at the extremity, 
but never, even in tbe greatest ex¬ 
citement, wave erect. 
The Shepherd dogs, as a family, 
are probably tbe most ancient of 
canine races, and the Collie, the 
Shepherd dog of northern Britain, 
is not by any means the exception 
that proves this rule. Ever since 
Buffon first said so, zoologists have 
inclined to the theory that the Shep¬ 
herd dogs were the first domesticated dogs, and dog lovers have 
pounced upon their broad statements and tried to prove that that 
particular Shepherd dog they fancied was literally man's first 
friend. Because a noted Greek scholar has said that Argus, the 
faithful dog of Ulysses, was a Shepherd dog, a Collie enthusiast 
has gone to considerable length to prove that he was the ancestor 
of the Collie. Here is this fine pedigree. Argus’ descendants 
migrated to Rome; the Roman armies brought some of their 
descendants to Britain ; the marauding Piets and Scots carried 
off some of these classically bred Sheepdogs to their Highland 
fastness, where they flourished and multiplied, establishing the 
family there. Like the man who had traced his own ancestry 
back to Adam, but was always forced to admit that along about 
the time of the Flood it was “just a little 
bit doubtful in one or two cases,” this 
pedigree is more ingenuous than convinc¬ 
ing. However, it is as good as any pro¬ 
posed, and it has the attractive distinction 
of founding a new school of canine 
mythology, the classical- 
romantic. All we really 
know about tbe Collie is 
that he has lived so long in the 
ancient kingdom of Scotland that 
whether he was originally a native 
or an immigrant has long since been 
forgotten. 
For centuries, then, the Collie has 
been the trusted and valuable assist¬ 
ant of Scottish shepherds and dro¬ 
vers. Unless one is familiar with 
their work, one can have but little 
idea of what this means. It is hard 
work, this, calling for endurance, cour¬ 
age and intelligence of no mean order. 
Scotland is a rough and rugged 
country, and Scottish sheep and cat¬ 
tle are small, wiry, active and far- 
grazing. Up on the hills and down 
in the glens it is indeed strenuous work to round up and keep 
together these nimble charges. Moreover, in years gone by, there 
were robbers, both four-legged and two-legged, who must be 
warned away from tbe flocks. Finally, the damp, penetrating 
mists, the biting north winds, and the blinding drives of snow 
add not a little to the difficulties and dangers of this work. 
The Collie who best performed these duties was a lithe, little 
dog, very active and very intelligent, whose double, waterproof 
coat was a real protection. This was the prevailing type a hun¬ 
dred years ago. Ears were semi-erect as to-day, and the dogs 
came in all the recognized colors, though the 
black and whites, the tri-colors and the merles 
(then called tortoise shell) were more com¬ 
mon and more popular than the sables and 
whites. There have been curious changes 
of fashion in this matter of color. In the 
Highlands, black and white was highly es¬ 
teemed. About i 860 , 
when the first dog 
, A .- shows were held, the 
tri-colors were in high 
( Cont. on page 61 ) 
The master of the Old Faithful breed—International champion, Knocklayde King Hector 
See to his coat — a long, straight, rather coarsish 
overcoat, and underneath, a soft wooly one 
Carteret Queen of Hearts—a type of the active, faithful, intelligent 
Collie, that lacks none of the old-time hardy, hard-working spirit 
