• Lad: a dog
• Further adventures of Lad
• Buff: a collie: and other dog-stories
• Bruce
• His Dog

Right now it is merely an online record of farm collie pedigrees, I would like to take the next step and officially register dogs that meet certain standards to be considered an “Old Fashioned Scotch Collie” but I need more outside help for that. If this sounds appealing to you please take a look at the breed standard draft I wrote up a few weeks ago and let me know your thoughts on the Old Fashioned Scotch Collie Breed Standard Working Draft.

I think this is a huge improvement on most other online registries out there, the English Shepherd Club’s does not even have an online form, just pdf files that you can print out, and my Flash interface is, I think, real nice and is intended to be very easy to use. The forms for adding people and dogs should also be easy to use, but there is room for improvement there and I hope to refine this area soon. I hope to be able to add the ability to upload photos from the site soon, but for now just email them to me and I will get them added. I also want to add some spam protection and user registration, that way I can have trusted users who will have more freedom to add and edit data.

The flaw is almost at the top of the chart where it says “Old Working Shepherd’s Dog/Collie of Great Britain & Ireland”. All shepherd’s dogs of Great Britain were not the same, Great Britain is a large island and the home of at least three distinct people with unique languages and culture, how could a land so large and varied as to contain three nations develop only one type of shepherd’s dog? Before the mid-nineteenth century it was common for a person to be born live and die without ever leaving his home county, in such a climate distinct regional animal varieties developed and thrived. Reading old sources on British dogs we see that this was definitely the case with the shepherd’s dogs.

“In Scotland and the north of England, as well as in Wales, a great variety of breeds is used for tending sheep, depending greatly on the locality in which they are employed, and on the kind of sheep adopted in it. The Welsh sheep is so wild that he requires a faster dog than even the Highlander of Scotland, while in the lowlands of the latter country a heavier, tamer, and slower sheep is generally introduced. Hence it follows that a different dog is required to adapt itself to these varying circumstances, and it is no wonder that the strains are as numerous as they are.” The dogs of Great Britain – Stonehenge, 1879

“The Scotch shepherd’s dog, or colly. Characters: ears partly erect, head rather pointed, shaggy coat, and thick tail. To this animal large flocks are safely intrusted without any shepherd. He is also capable of managing cattle with great nicety.

The English sheep-dog, is larger. His colour is usually white and black, with half-pricked cars. He is an excellent cattle and farm dog.” The Farmer’s Dictionary – 1854

““The name collie,… properly belongs to the Scotch shepherd dog; there are several varieties of the shepherd dog, English, French, Scotch, Hungarian, and others, … we will drop the others and confine ourselves to the collie, or Scotch variety.” Dog Stories and Dog Lore – 1887

I could go on but my point is well made that the Scotch and English had two different and distinct breeds of sheep dogs. One needs merely to read the various descriptions of these breeds from the period to realize there are distinct differences between them and that these differences were carried on to the modern breeds they founded. English Shepherd’s Dogs largely became today English Shepherd while the Scotch Shepherd’s Dog has become the Rough and Smooth Collies, it is my considered opinion that the Border Collie is likewise a product of the border region and has existed in that area for much longer than anyone now assumes.

Now that I have clarified matters, allow me to muddy the waters a bit. Before the establishment of defined “breeds” in the mid 1800s and well into the 1900s it was common to cross a dog with whatever was available or seemed suitable, so there was quite a bit of cross breeding between the various types of shepherd dogs within Great Britain which no doubt accounts for their similarities in appearance and behavior, still this crossing was the exception rather than the rule.

America is sometimes referred to as the melting pot in reference to humans and that was also the case with shepherd dogs. Still, despite the inevitable crossing that took place these breeds tended to remain more or less distinct as can be seen from the following American sources.

“The English shepherd dogs vary considerably in appearance from the Scotch. The hair is smoother, and they do not appear so distinct a breed as the other. Both are of medium size, perhaps about fifteen inches high.” Facts for farmers – 1867

“Some person wants to know the difference between the shepherd and the Scotch collie dog and, being a breeder, I think I can give the information. They are distinct breeds of dogs. The collie… gets Its long hair from the sheep dog and its long muzzle from the wolfhound. Its color Is sable and white and black and white and some are pure white. They are not as good hunters as the shepherd dog. The shepherd is… more scrappy than the collie and some of them make good coon dogs. They vary in size and color, some are black, some black and white or black and tan, some with yellow legs, etc. Some of them have straight hair and some are curly.” Hunter-trader-trapper, 1910

No doubt since 1910 a lot more crossing has taken place in the form of Scotch Collies being admitted into the English Shepherd breed with it’s very broad breed standard. Even today old fashioned Scotch Collies are still being accepted into the ranks of registered English Shepherds, take McDuffie’s Old Time Farm Shepherds for example .

I suggest a revised collie family tree that takes into account the regional shepherd dogs and the breeds they produced. I have refrained from including some varieties which I don’t know enough about to comment on like the Kelpie, Australian Cattle Dog, Old English Sheepdog, etc.

SAVES THE LIFE OF A COW.

I have been furnished by my friend, Mr Peter Macarthur, with the following anecdote of a Shepherd’s Dog which, he assures me, belonged to his grandfather, who resided in the island of Mull:—Upon one occasion a cow had been missed for some days, and no trace of it could be found; and a Shepherd’s Dog, called Drummer, was also absent. On the second or third day the dog returned, and taking Mr Macarthur’s father by the coat, pulled him towards the door, but he did not follow it; he then went to his grandfather, and pulled him in the same way by the coat, but without being attended to; he next went to one of the men-servants and tugged him also by the coat. Conceiving at last there was something particular which the dog wanted, they agreed to follow him: this seemed to give him great pleasure, and he ran barking and frisking before them, till he led them to a cow-shed, in the middle of a field. There they found the cow fixed by the horns to a beam, from which they immediately extricated her and conducted her home, much exhausted for want of food. It is obvious, that but for the sagacity of this faithful animal she certainly would have died.

COULD NOT SURVIVE HIS MASTER’S DEATH.

I am favoured with the following by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Esq.:—” My grandfather, Mr Renton of Lammerton, had a herdsman at Blackadder, who one night pursuing a sheep that had run down the steep bank of Blackadder Water, fell into the river and was drowned. His dog, a common colley, returned home next morning, and led his wife, holding her by her apron in his mouth, to the spot. After the body was found, the dog attended the funeral in a drooping condition, and died in the course of a few days.”

SAVES HIS MASTER FROM AN AVALANCHE.

Mr John Cobb, farmer at Tillybirnie, parish of Lethnot, near Brechin, during the severe snow-storm in the year 1798, had gone with his dog, called Caesar, to a spot on the small stream of Paphry, (a tributary of the North Esk,) where his sheep on such occacions used to take shelter beneath some lofty and precipitous rocks called Ugly Face, which overhung the stream. While employed in driving them out, an immense avalanche fell from these rocks, and completely buried him and his dog. He found all his endeavours to extricate himself from this fearful situation in vain; and at last, worn out, fell asleep. However, his dog had contrived to work his way out, and returned home next day about noon. The dog, by whining and looking in the faces of the family, and afterwards running to the door, showed that he wished them to follow him; they accordingly did so, accompanied by a number of men provided with spades. He led them to the spot where his master was, and, after scraping away the snow which had
fallen from the time he had quitted the spot, he quickly disappeared in the hole by which he had effected his escape. They began to dig, and by night-fall they found Mr Cobb quite benumbed, standing in an upright posture; but as life was not quite extinguished, he was rolled in warm blankets, and soon recovered.
As may well be conceived, he felt the greatest regard for his preserver, and treated him ever afterwards with much tenderness. The colley lived to a great age, and when he died, his master said it gave him as much pain as the death of a child; and he would have buried him in a coffin, had he not thought that his neighbours would turn it into ridicule.

A REPROOF TO THE IDLER.

A shepherd, named Clark, travelling home to HuntLaw, parish of Minto, near Jedburgh, with some sheep, had occasion to pass through a small village, where he went into a public-house to take a dram with some cronies whom he had met on the road, leaving the sheep in charge of the dog. His friends and he had indulged in a crack for several hours, till he entirely forgot his drove. In the meantime the dog had wearied, and determined to take the sheep home himself, a distance of about ten miles. The shepherd, on coming to the spot where he had left the animals, found they were gone, but knowing well that he might depend on the fidelity of his dog, he followed the straight way to Hunt-Law. On coming to a gateway which had interrupted their progress, he perceived the dog and sheep quietly reposing; and had it not been for that bar to their course he would have taken them home. Two miles of their way was by a made road, and the rest through an open moor.

AN UNGRATEFUL DROVER.

“One of the most interesting anecdotes I have known,” says Sir Patrick Walker, to whom I am indebted for this and the one which follows, “relates to a Sheep-Dog. The names of the parties have escaped me just now, but I recollect perfectly that it came from an authentic source. The circumstances were these:—A gentleman sold a considerable flock of sheep to a dealer, which the latter had not hands to drive. The seller, however, told him he had a very intelligent dog, which he would send to assist him to a place about thirty miles off; and that when he reached the end of his journey, he had only to feed the dog, and desire him to go home. The dog accordingly received his orders, and set off with the flock and the drover; but he was absent for so many days that his master began to have serious alarms about him, when one morning, to his great surprise, he found the dog returned with a very large flock of sheep, including the whole that he had lately sold. The fact turned out to be, that the drover was so pleased with the colley that he resolved to steal him, and locked him up until the time when he was to leave the country. The dog grew sulky, and made various attempts to escape, and one evening he fortunately succeeded. Whether the brute had discovered the drover’s intention, and supposed the sheep were also stolen, it is difficult to say; but by his conduct it looked so, for he immediately went to the field, collected the sheep, and drove them all back to his master.”

A COLLEY GAME-FINDER.

“A few years ago, when upon a shooting party in the Braes of Ranoch, the dogs were so worn out as to be unfit for travel. Our guide said he knew the shepherd, who had a dog that perhaps might help us. He called, and the young man came with his little black Colley, to which, as soon as he had conversed with the guide, he said something in Erse. The dog set off in a sneaking sort of manner up the hill, and, when he showed any degree of keenness we hastened to follow, lest he should set up the birds; but the lad advised us ‘to be canny, as it was time eneuch when Lud came back to tell.’ In a short space Lud made his appearance on a knoll and sat down, and the shepherd said we might go up now, for Lud had found the birds. The dog waited till we were ready, and trotted on at his master’s command, who in a little cautioned us to be on the alert, for Lud signified we were in the midst of the covey. We immediately found this to be the case, and in the course of the day the same thing occurred frequently.”

THE OLD SHEPHERD’S DOG.

The Old Shepherd’s Dog, like his master, was grey,
His teeth all departed, and feeble his tongue;
Yet where’er Corin went, he was followed by Tray,—
Thus happy through life did they hobble along.

When fatigued on the grass the Shepherd would lie,
For a nap in the sun—’midst his slumbers so sweet,
His faithful companion crawl’d constantly nigh,
Placed his head on his lap, or lay down at his feet.

When winter was heard on the hill and the plain,
And torrents descended, and cold was the wind,
If Corin went forth ‘mid the tempest and rain,
Tray scorn’d to be left in the chimney behind.

At length in the straw Tray made his last bed,
For vain against death is the stoutest endeavour;
To lick Corin’s hand he raised up his weak head,
Then fell back, closed his eyes, and, ah! closed them for ever!

Not long after Tray did the Shepherd remain,
Who oft o’er his grave with true sorrow would bend,
And, when dying, thus feebly was heard the poor swain,
“O bury me, neighbours, beside my old Friend!”
Peter Pindar.

AN ACCURATE SERVANT.

“There was a shepherd lad near Langholm, whose name was Scott, who possessed a bitch famed over all the West Border for her singular tractability. He could have sent her home with one sheep, two sheep, or any given number from any of the neighbouring farms; and, in the lambing season, it was his uniform practice to send her home with the kebbed ewes just as he got them. I must let the town reader understand this. A kebbed ewe is one whose lamb dies. As soon as such is found, she is immediately brought home by the shepherd, and another lamb put to her; and Scott, on going his rounds on the hill, whenever he found a kebbed ewe, immediately gave her in charge to his bitch to take home, which saved him from coming back that way again and going over the same ground he had visited before. She always took them carefully home, and put them into a fold which was close by the house, keeping watch over them till she was seen by some one of the family; upon which she instantly decamped, and hastened back to her master, who sometimes sent her three times home in one morning with different charges. It was the custom of the farmer to watch her and take the sheep in charge from her: but this required a good deal of caution; for as soon as she perceived that she was seen, whether the sheep were put into the fold or not, she concluded her charge was at an end, and no flattery could induce her to stay and assist in folding
them. There was a display of accuracy and attention in this that I cannot say I have ever seen equalled.”

DETERMINED FIDELITY.

“The late Mr Steel, flesher in Peebles, had a bitch that was fully equal to the one mentioned above, and that in the very same qualification too. Her feats in taking sheep from the neighbouring farms into the Flesh-market at Peebles, form innumerable anecdotes in that vicinity, all similar to one another. But there is one instance related of her, that combines so much sagacity with natural affection, that I do not think the history of the animal creation furnishes such another.

“Mr Steel had such an implicit dependence on the attention of this animal to his orders, that, whenever he put a lot of sheep before her, he took a pride in leaving them to herself, and either remained to take a glass with the farmer of whom he had made the purchase, or took another road to look after bargains or other business. But one time he chanced to commit a drove to her charge at a place called Willenslee, without attending to her condition as he ought to have done. This farm is five miles from Peebles, over wild hills, and there is no regularly defined path to it. Whether Mr Steel remained behind, or chose another road, I know not; but, on coming home late in the evening, he was astonished at hearing that his faithful animal had not made her appearance with the flock. He and his son, or servant, instantly prepared to set out by different paths in search of her; but, on their going out to the street, there was she coming with the drove, no one missing; and, marvellous to relate, she was carrying a young pup in her mouth! She had been taken in travail on those hills; and how the poor beast had contrived to manage the drove in her state of suffering is beyond human calculation, for her road lay through sheep the whole way. Her master’s heart smote him when he saw what she had suffered and effected: but she was nothing daunted; and having deposited her young one in a place of safety, she again set out full speed to the hills, and brought another and another, till she removed her whole litter one by one; but the last one was dead. I give this as I have heard it related by the country people; for though I knew Mr Walter Steel well enough, I cannot say I ever heard it from his own mouth. I never entertained any doubt, however, of the truth of the relation; and certainly it is worthy of being preserved, for the credit of that most docile and affectionate of all animals,—the Shepherd’s Dog.”

AN IRRECLAIMABLE SHEEP-STEALER.

“The stories related of the dogs of sheep-stealers are fairly beyond all credibility. I cannot attach credit to some of them without believing the animals to have been devils incarnate, come to the earth for the destruction both of the souls and bodies of men. I cannot mention names, for the sake of families that still remain in the country; but there have been sundry men executed, who belonged to this district of the kingdom, for that heinous crime, in my own days; and others have absconded, just in time to save their necks. There was not one of these to whom I allude who did not acknowledge his dog to be the greatest aggressor. One young man in particular, who was, I believe, overtaken by justice for his first offence, stated, that after he had folded the sheep by moonlight, and selected his number from the flock of a former master, he took them out, and set away with them towards Edinburgh. But before be had got them quite off the farm, his conscience smote him, as he said, (but more likely a dread of that which soon followed,) and he quitted the sheep, letting them go again to the hill. He called his dog off them; and mounting his pony, he rode away. At that time he said his dog was capering and playing around him, as if glad of having got free of a troublesome business; and he regarded him no more, till, after having rode about three miles, he thought again and again that he heard something coming up behind him. Halting, at length, to ascertain what it was, in a few minutes there comes his dog with the stolen animals, driving them at a furious rate to keep up with his master. The sheep were all smoking, and hanging out their tongues, and their guide was fully as warm as they. The young man was now exceedingly troubled, for the sheep having been brought so far from home, he dreaded there would be a pursuit, and he could not get them home again before day: Resolving, at all events, to keep his hands clear of them, he corrected his dog in great wrath, left the sheep once more, and taking colley with him, rode off a second time. He had not ridden above a mile, till he perceived that his assistant had again given him the slip; and suspecting for what purpose, he was terribly alarmed as well as chagrined; for daylight now approached, and he durst not make a noise calling on his dog, for fear of alarming the neighbourhood, in a place where they were both well known. He resolved therefore to abandon the animal to himself, and take a road across the country which he was sure the other did not know, and could not follow. He took that road; but being on horseback, he could not get across the enclosed fields. He at length came to a gate, which he shut behind him, and went about half a mile farther, by a zigzag course, to a farm-house where both his sister and sweetheart lived; and at that place he remained until after breakfast time. The people of this house were all examined on the trial, and no one had either seen the sheep or heard them mentioned, save one man, who came up to the aggressor as he was standing at the stable-door, and told him that his dog had the sheep safe enough down at the Crooked Yett, and he needed not hurry himself. He answered, that the sheep were not his—they were young Mr Thomson’s, who had left them to his charge, and he was in search of a man to drive them, which made him come off his road.

“After this discovery, it was impossible for the poor fellow to get quit of them; so he went down and took possession of the stolen drove once more, carried them on, and disposed of them; and, finally, the transaction cost him his life. The dog for the last four or five miles that he had brought the sheep, could have no other guide to the road his master had gone, but the smell of his pony’s feet. I appeal to every unprejudiced person if this was not as like one of the deil’s tricks as an honest colley’s.”

THE MID-LOTHIAN SHEEP-STEALER.

“It is also well known, that there was a notorious sheep-stealer in the county of Mid-Lothian, who, had it not been for the skins and the heads, would never have been condemned, as he could, with the greatest ease, have proved an alibi every time on which there were suspicions cherished against him. He always went by one road, calling on his acquaintances, and taking care to appear to every body by whom he was known, while his dog went by another with the stolen sheep; and then on the two felons meeting again, they had nothing more to do than turn the sheep into an associate’s enclosure, in whose house the dog was well fed and entertained, and would have soon taken all the fat sheep on the Lothian edges to that house. This was likewise a female, a jet-black one, with a deep coat of soft hair, but smooth-headed, and very strong and handsome in her make. On the disappearance of her master, she lay about the hills and places where he had frequented; but she never attempted to steal a drove by herself, nor the smallest thing for her own hand. She was kept some time by a relation of her master’s, but never acting heartily in his service, soon came privately to an untimely end. Of this there is little doubt, although some spread the report, that one evenings after uttering two or three loud howls, she instantly vanished! From such dogs as these, good Lord deliver us!”

THE ASHIESTEEL COLLEY.

“I once witnessed a very singular feat performed by a dog belonging to John Graham, late tenant in Ashiesteel. A neighbour came to his house after it was dark, and told him that he had lost a sheep on his farm, and that if he (Graham) did not secure her in the morning early, she would be lost, as he had brought her far. John said he could not possibly get to the hill next morning, but if he would take him to the very spot where he lost the sheep, perhaps his dog, Chieftain, would find her that night. On that they went away with all expedition, lest the traces of the feet should cool; and I, then a boy, being in the house, went with them. The night was pitch dark, which had been the cause of the man losing the ewe, and at length he pointed out a place to John by the side of the water, where he had lost her. ‘Chieftain, fetch that,’ said John; ‘bring her back, sir.’ The dog jumped round and round, and reared himself upon end; but not being able to see any thing, evidently misapprehended his master, on which John fell a-scolding the dog, calling him a great many hard names. He at last told the man, that he must find out the very track that the sheep went, otherwise he had no chance of recovering it. The man led him to a grey stone, and said he was sure she took the brae (hill-side) within a yard of that. ‘Chieftain, come hither to my foot, you great numb’d whelp,’ said John. Chieftain came. John pointed with his finger to the ground. ‘Fetch that, I say, sir—bring that back; away!’ The dog scented slowly about on the ground for some seconds; but soon began to mend his pace, and vanished in the darkness. ‘Bring her back; away, you great calf!’ vociferated John, with a voice of exultation, as the dog broke to the hill. And as all these good dogs perform their work in perfect silence, we neither saw nor heard any more of him for a long time. I think, if I remember right, we waited there about half an hour, during which time all the conversation was about the small chance which the dog had to find the ewe, for it was agreed on all hands that she must long ago have mixed with the rest of the sheep on the farm. How that was, no man will be able to decide. John, however, persisted in waiting till his dog came back, either with the ewe or without her; and at last the trusty animal brought the individual lost sheep to our very feet, which the man took on his back, and went on his way rejoicing.”

Note: James Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote lovingly of his collies in the early 1800s. He lived in Ettrick, Scotland, which is in the border region. It is entirely possible that the Border Collie was distinct from the “Highland Collie” even as far back as this. I find the pointing behavior he describes in his dog of special interest as it is often theorized that the Border Collie’s “eye” came from crosses with bird dogs.

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD’S DOG, SIRRAH.

“My dog Sirrah,” says Mr Hogg, “was, beyond all comparison, the best dog I ever saw: he was of a surly and unsocial temper,—disdaining all flattery, he refused to be caressed; but his attention to my commands and interests will never again, perhaps, be equalled by any of the canine race. When I first saw him, a drover was leading him in a rope; he was both lean and hungry, and far from being a beautiful animal, for he was almost all black, and had a grim face, striped with dark-brown. The man had bought him of a boy, somewhere on the Border, for three shillings, and had fed him very ill on his journey. I thought I discovered a sort of sullen intelligence in his countenance, notwithstanding his dejected and forlorn appearance; I gave the drover a guinea for him, and I believe there never was a guinea so well laid out, at least I am satisfied I never laid one out to so good a purpose. He was scarcely a year old, and knew so little of herding, that he had never turned a sheep in his life; but as soon as he discovered that it was his duty to do so, and that it obliged me, I can never forget with what anxiety and eagerness he learned his different evolutions. He would try every way deliberately till he found out what I wanted him to do, and, when I once made him understand a direction, he never forgot or mistook it again. Well as I knew him, he often astonished me; for, when hard pressed in accomplishing the task that he was put to, he had expedients of the moment that bespoke a great share of the reasoning faculty.”

Among other remarkable exploits of Sirrah’s, as illustrative of his sagacity, Mr Hogg relates, that, upon one occasion, about seven hundred lambs, which were under his care at weaning time, broke up at midnight, and scampered off, in three divisions, across the neighbouring hills, in spite of all that he and an assistant could do to keep them together. “Sirrah,” cried the shepherd in great affliction, “my man, they’re a’ awa’.” The night was so dark that he could not see Sirrah; but the faithful animal heard his master’s words,—words such as, of all others, were sure to set him most on the alert; and, without more ado, he silently set off in quest of the recreant flock. Meanwhile the shepherd and his companion did not fail to do all in their power to recover their lost charge; they spent the whole night in scouring the hills for miles round, but of neither the lambs nor Sirrah could they obtain the slightest trace. It was the most extraordinary circumstance that had ever occurred in the annals of pastoral life. They had nothing for it, day having dawned, but to return to their master, and inform him that they had lost his whole flock of lambs, and knew not what was become of one of them. “On our way home, however,” says Mr H., “we discovered a lot of lambs at the bottom of a deep ravine called the Flesh Cleuch, and the indefatigable Sirrah standing in front of them looking round for some relief, but still true to his charge. The sun was then up, and when we first came in view, we concluded that it was one of the divisions which Sirrah had been unable to manage until he came to that commanding situation. But what was our astonishment when we discovered that not one lamb of the whole flock was wanting! How he had got all the divisions collected in the dark is beyond my comprehension. The charge was left entirely to himself from midnight until the rising sun; and if all the shepherds in the Forest had been there to have assisted him, they could not have effected it with greater propriety. All that I can farther say is, that I never felt so grateful to any creature under the sun as I did to my honest Sirrah that morning.”

Mr Hogg’s Renowned Hector.

“I once sent you,” says Mr Hogg, in a letter to the Editor of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, “an account of a notable dog of my own, named Sirrah, which amused a number of your readers a great deal, and put their faith in my veracity somewhat to the test; but in this district, where the singular qualities of the animal were known, so far from any of the anecdotes being disputed, every shepherd values himself to this day on the possession of facts far outstripping any of those recorded by you formerly. With a few of these I shall conclude this paper. But, in the first place, I must give you some account of my own renowned Hector, which I promised long ago. He was the son and immediate successor of the faithful old Sirrah; and though not nearly so valuable a dog as his father, he was a far more interesting one. He had three times more humour and whim about him; and though exceedingly docile, his bravest acts were mostly tinctured with a grain of stupidity, which showed his reasoning faculty to be laughably obtuse.

“I shall mention a striking instance of it. I was once at the farm of Shorthope on Ettrick head, receiving some lambs that I had bought, and was going to take to market, with some more, the next day. Owing to some accidental delay, I did not get final delivery of the lambs till it was growing late; and being obliged to be at my own house that night, I was not a little dismayed lest I should scatter and lose my lambs if darkness overtook me. Darkness did overtake me by the time I got half-way, and no ordinary darkness for an August evening. The lambs having been weaned that day, and of the wild black-faced breed, became exceedingly unruly, and for a good while I lost hopes of mastering them. Hector managed the point, and we got them safe home; but both he and his master were alike sore forefoughten. It had become so dark that we were obliged to fold them with candles; and, after closing them safely up, I went home with my father and the rest to supper. When Hector’s supper was set down, behold he was awanting! and as I knew we had him at the fold, which was within call of the house, I went out and called and whistled on him for a good while, but he did not make his appearance. I was distressed about this; for, having to take away the lambs next morning, I knew I could not drive them a mile without my dog if it had been to save me the whole drove.

“The next morning, as soon as it was day, I arose and inquired if Hector had come home? No; he had not been seen. I knew not what to do; but my father proposed that he would take out the lambs and herd them, and let them get some meat to fit them for the road, and that I should ride with all speed to Shorthope to see if my dog had gone back there. Accordingly we went together to the fold to turn out the lambs, and there was poor Hector sitting trembling in the very middle of the fold-door, on the inside of the flake that closed it, with his eyes still steadfastly fixed on the lambs. He had been so hardly set with them after it grew dark, that he durst not for his life leave them, although hungry, fatigued, and cold, for the night had turned out a deluge of rain. He had never so much as lain down; for only the small spot that he sat on was dry, and there had he kept watch the whole night. Almost any other colley would have discerned that the lambs were safe enough in the fold, but honest Hector had not been able to see through this. He even refused to take my word for it; for he would not quit his watch though he heard me calling both at night and morning.

“Another peculiarity of his was, that he had a mortal antipathy at the family-mouser, which was ingrained in his nature from his very puppyhood; yet so perfectly absurd was he, that no impertinence on her side, and no baiting on, could ever induce him to lay his mouth on her, or injure her in the slightest degree. There was not a day and scarcely an hour passed over, that the family did not get some amusement with these two animals. Whenever he was within doors, his whole occupation was watching and pointing the cat from morning to night. When she flitted from one place to another, so did he in a moment; and then squatting down, he kept his point sedulously, till he was either called off or fell asleep.

“He was an exceedingly poor taker of meat, was always to press to it, and always lean, and often he would not take it till we were obliged to bring in the cat. The malicious looks that he cast at her from under his eyebrows on such occasions were exceedingly ludicrous, considering his utter incapacity of wronging her. Whenever he saw her, he drew near his bicker and looked angry, but still he would not taste till she was brought to it, and then he cocked his tail, set up his birses, and began a-lapping furiously in utter desperation. His good nature was so immoveable, that he would never refuse her a share of what he got; he even lapped close to the one side of the dish, and left her room,—but mercy! as he did ply!

“It will appear strange to you to hear a dog’s reasoning faculty mentioned as I have done; but I declare I have hardly ever seen a Shepherd’s Dog do any thing without perceiving his reasons for it. I have often amused myself in calculating what his motives were for such and such things, and I generally found them very cogent ones. But Hector had a droll stupidity about him, and took up forms and rules of his own, for which I could never perceive any motive that was not even farther out of the way than the action itself. He had one uniform practice, and a very bad one it was; during the time of family-worship, and just three or four seconds before the conclusion of the prayer, he started to his feet and ran barking round the apartment like a crazed beast my father was so much amused with this, that he would never suffer me to correct him for it, and I scarcely ever saw the old man rise from the prayer without his endeavouring to suppress a smile at the extravagance of Hector. None of us ever could find out how he knew that the prayer was near done, for my father was not formal in his prayers; but certes he did know,—and of that we had nightly evidence. There never was any thing for which I was so puzzled to discover a motive as this; but from accident I did discover it, and, however ludicrous it may appear, I am certain I was correct. It was much in character with many of Hector’s feats, and rather, I think, the most outre of any principle he ever acted on. As I said, his great daily occupation was pointing the cat. Now, when he saw us kneel all down in a circle, with our faces couched on our paws, in the same posture with himself, it struck his absurd head that we were all engaged in pointing the cat. He lay on tenters all the while, but the acuteness of his ear enabling him, through time, to ascertain the very moment when we would all spring to our feet, he thought to himself, ‘I shall be first after her, for you all.’

“He inherited his dad’s unfortunate ear for music, not perhaps in so extravagant a degree, but he ever took care to exhibit it on the most untimely and ill-judged occasions. Owing to some misunderstanding between the minister of the parish and the session-clerk, the precenting in church devolved on my father, who was the senior elder. Now, my father could have sung several of the old church tunes middling well in his own family-circle; but it so happened, that, when mounted in the desk, he never could command the starting notes of any but one (St Paul’s), which were always in undue readiness at the root of his tongue, to the exclusion of every other semibreve in the whole range of sacred melody. The minister gave out psalms four times in the course of every day’s service, consequently the congregation were treated with St Paul’s in the morning at great length, twice in the course of the service, and then once again at the close. Nothing but St Paul’s. And it being itself a monotonous tune, nothing could exceed the monotony that prevailed in the primitive church of Ettrick. Out of pure sympathy for my father alone, I was compelled to take the precentorship in hand; and having plenty of tunes, for a good while I came on as well as could be expected, as men say of their wives. But, unfortunately for me, Hector found out that I attended church every Sunday, and though I had him always closed up carefully at home, he rarely failed in making his appearance in church at some time of the day. Whenever I saw him a tremor came over my spirits, for I well knew what the issue would be. The moment that he heard my voice strike up the psalm ‘ with might and majesty,’ then did he fall in with such overpowering vehemence, that he and I seldom got any to join in the music but our two selves. The shepherds hid their heads, and laid them down on the backs of their seats rowed in their plaids, and the lasses looked down to the ground and laughed till their faces grew red. I despised to stick the tune, and therefore was obliged to carry on in spite of the obstreperous accompaniment; but I was, time after time, so completely put out of all countenance with the brute, that I was obliged to give up my office in disgust, and leave the parish once more to their old friend, St Paul.

“Hector was quite incapable of performing the same feats among sheep that his father did; but as far as his judgment served him, he was a docile and obliging creature. He had one singular quality, of keeping true to the charge to which he was set. If we had been shearing, or sorting sheep in any way, when a division was turned out, and Hector got the word to attend to them, he would have done it pleasantly for a whole day without the least symptom of weariness. No noise or hurry about the fold, which brings every other dog from his business, had the least effect on Hector, save that it made him a little troublesome on his own charge, and set him a-running round and round them, turning them in at corners, out of a sort of impatience to be employed as well as his baying neighbours at the fold. Whenever old Sirrah found himself hard set in commanding wild sheep on steep ground, where they are worst to manage, he never failed, without any hint to the purpose, to throw himself wide in below them, and lay their faces to the hill, by which means he got the command of them in a minute. I never could make Hector comprehend this advantage with all my art, although his father found it out entirely of himself. The former would turn or wear sheep no other way but on the hill above them; and, though very good at it, he gave both them and himself double the trouble and fatigue.

“It cannot be supposed that he could understand all that was passing in the little family-circle, but he certainly comprehended a good part of it. In particular, it was very easy to discover that he rarely missed aught that was said about himself, the sheep, the cat, or of a hunt. When aught of that nature came to be discussed, Hector’s attention and impatience soon became manifest There was one winter evening I said to my mother that I was going to Bowerhope for a fortnight, for that I had more conveniency for writing with Alexander Laidlaw than at home; and I added, ‘But I will not take Hector with me, for he is constantly quarrelling with the rest of the dogs, singing music, or breeding some uproar.’ ‘ Na, na,’ quoth she, ‘ leave Hector with me; I like aye best to have him at hame, poor fallow.’

“These were all the words that passed. The next morning the waters were in a great flood, and I did not go away till after breakfast; but when the time came for tying up Hector, he was awanting. ‘The d—’s in that beast,’ said I,—’ I will wager that he heard what we were saying yesternight, and has gone off for Bowerhope as soon as the door was opened this morning.’

” ‘If that should really be the case, I’ll think the beast no canny, said my mother.

“The Yarrow was so large as to be quite impassable, so that I had to walk up by St Mary’s Loch, and go across by the boat; and, on drawing near to Bowerhope, I soon perceived that matters had gone precisely as I suspected. Large as the Yarrow was, and it appeared impassable by any living creature, Hector had made his escape early in the morning, had swam the river, and was sitting, ‘like a drookit hen,’ on a knoll at the east end of the house, awaiting my arrival with great impatience. I had a great attachment to this animal, who, to a good deal of absurdity, joined all the amiable qualities of his species. He was rather of a small size, very rough and shagged, and not far from the colour of a fox.”

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD’S DOG, LION.

“His son Lion was the very picture of his dad, had a good deal more sagacity, but also more selfishness. A history of the one, however, would only be an epitome of that of the other. Mr William Nicholson (footnote: A celebrated portrait-painter, and Secretary to the Scottish Academy of Painting. This gentleman also excels in the portraits of animals.) took a fine likeness of this latter one, which that gentleman still possesses. He could not get him to sit for his picture in such a position as he wanted, till he exhibited a singularly fine portrait of a small dog, on the opposite side of the room. Lion took it for a real animal, and, disliking its fierce and important look exceedingly, he immediately set up his ears and his shaggy birses, and, fixing a stern eye on the picture in manifest wrath, he would then sit for a whole day and point at it without budging or altering his position.

“It is a curious fact, in the history of these animals, that the most useless of the breed have often the greatest degree of sagacity in trifling and useless matters. An exceedingly good Sheep-Dog attends to nothing else but that particular branch of business to which he is bred. His whole capacity is exerted and exhausted on it, and he is of little avail in miscellaneous matters; whereas, a very indifferent cur, bred about the house, and accustomed to assist in every thing, will often put the more noble breed to disgrace in those paltry services. If one calls out, for instance, that the cows are in the corn, or the hens in the garden, the house-colley needs no other hint, but runs and turns them out. The Shepherd’s Dog knows not what is astir; and, if he is called out in a hurry for such work, all that he will do is to break to the hill, and rear himself up on end to see if no sheep are running away. A bred sheep-dog, if coming hungry from the hills, and getting into a milk-house, would most likely think of nothing else than filling his belly with the cream. Not so his uninitiated brother; he is bred at home to far higher principles of honour. I have known such lie night and day among from ten to twenty pails full of milk, and never once break the cream of one of them with the tip of his tongue, nor would he suffer cat, rat, or any other creature to touch it. This latter sort, too, are far more acute at taking up what is said in a family.

“The anecdotes of these animals are all so much alike, that were I but to relate the thousandth part of those I have heard, they would often look very much like repetitions. I shall therefore only, in this paper, mention one or two of the most singular, which I know to be well authenticated.”

CONSTANT EVEN IN DEATH.

On Tuesday, the 20th of August, 1828, Lachlan Maclean, a shepherd, in the service of Mr McMillan, commissary, Isle of Skye, left his home to visit his flocks, but not returning in the course of the day, his family became alarmed for his safety, and this alarm was increased by the return of one of the dogs which he had taken along with him. A search was begun by several persons in the neighbourhood, but Without success, till Sunday afternoon, the 24th, when the body was found in a sequestered place. It appeared from the position in which he was lying, and from one of his arms being bruised, that he had expired in a fit of epilepsy, and that the arm had received its injuries from his struggles in the paroxysm of the disease. One of his dogs remained with the body for three days, during which it was manifest that he had tasted no food.

LIFE SACRIFICED TO TRUST.

A shepherd had driven a part of his flock to a neighbouring farm, leaving his dog to watch the remainder during that day and the next night, expecting to revisit them the following morning. Unfortunately, however, when at the fair, the shepherd forgot both his dog and his sheep, and did not return home till the morning of the third day. His first inquiry was, whether his dog had been seen? The answer was, No. “Then he must be dead,” replied the shepherd in a tone of anguish, “for I know he was too faithful to desert his charge.” He instantly repaired to the heath. The dog had sufficient strength remaining to crawl to his master’s feet, and express his joy at his return, and almost immediately after expired.

A FAITHFUL MESSENGER.

In the month of February of the very severe winter, 1795, as Mr Boulstead’s son, of Great Salkeld, in Cumberland, was looking after his father’s sheep on Great Salkeld Common, not far from Penrith, he had the misfortune to fall and break his leg. He was then three miles from home, with no person within call, and evening very fast approaching. Under the impulse arising from the desperate circumstances of his situation, he folded up one of his gloves in his handkerchief, tied this about the neck of his dog, and ordered him home. Dogs which are trained to an attendance on flocks are known to be under admirable subjection to the commands of their masters, and execute their orders with an intelligence scarcely to be conceived. The animal set off, and arriving at the house, scratched at the door for admittance. The parents were alarmed at his appearance, and concluding, upon taking off and unfolding the handkerchief, that some accident had undoubtedly befallen their son, they instantly set off in search of him. The dog needed no solicitation. Apparently sensible that the chief part of his duty was still to be performed, he led the way, and conducted the anxious parents directly to the spot where their son had fallen. The young man was taken home, and the necessary aid being procured, he was soon in a fair way of recovery; nor was he ever afterwards more pleasingly employed than when reciting this anecdote, so illustrative of the sagacity and fidelity of his constant companion.

A CAREFUL GUARDIAN.

Mr Blaine relates the following circumstance:— “I remember watching a shepherd boy in Scotland, who was sitting on the bank of a wide but shallow stream. A sheep had strayed to a considerable distance on the other side of the water; the boy, calling to his dog, ordered him to fetch that sheep back, but to do it gently, for she was heavy in lamb. I do not affect to say that the dog understood the reason for which he was commanded to perform this office in a more gentle manner than usual; but that he did understand he was to do it gently was very evident, for he immediately marched away through the water, came gently up to the side of the sheep, turned her towards the rest, and then they both walked quietly side by side to the flock. I was scarcely ever more pleased at a trifling incident in rural scenery than this.”

AN EXPERT DROVER.

A butcher and cattle-dealer who resided about nine miles from the town of Alston, in Cumberland, bought a dog of a drover. This butcher was accustomed to purchase sheep and kine in the vicinity, which, when fattened, he drove to Alston market and sold. In these excursions he was frequently astonished at the peculiar sagacity of his dog, and at the more than common readiness and dexterity with which he managed the cattle, till at length he troubled himself little about the matter, but, riding carelessly along, he used to amuse himself with observing how adroitly the animal acquitted himself of his charge. At last, so convinced was he of his sagacity as well as fidelity, that he wagered he would intrust him with so many sheep and so many oxen to drive alone and unattended to Alston market. It was stipulated that no person should be within sight or hearing who had the least control over the dog; nor was any spectator to interfere, nor be within five hundred yards. On trial, this extraordinary animal proceeded with his business in the most steady and dexterous manner; and although he had frequently to drive his charge through other herds which were grazing, yet he never lost one, but, conducting them into the very yard to which he was used to drive them when with his master, he significantly delivered them up to the person appointed to receive them, by barking at his door. What more particularly marked the dog’s sagacity was, that when the path on which the herd travelled lay through a spot where others were grazing, he would run forward, stop his own drove, and then, driving the others away, collect his scattered charge and proceed. He was several times afterwards thus sent. alone for the amusement of the curious, or the convenience of his master, and always acquitted himself in the same adroit and intelligent manner. The story reached the ears of a gentleman travelling in that neighbourhood, who bought the dog for a considerable sum of money.

“Extraordinary as the circumstances are, I have (says Mr Blande, who related this,) no doubt whatever as to the perfect correctness of the statement. I resided for a twelvemonth within a few miles of the spot, and, as I before observed, the whole appeared fresh in every one’s recollection.”

CARRIES FOOD TO A LOST INFANT.

The following anecdote is an instance of that sagacity and attachment which so justly contribute to make the dog a favourite and confidant of man :— Those valleys, or glens as they are called by the natives, -which intersect the Grampian mountains, are chiefly inhabited by shepherds. The pastures over which each flock is permitted to range, extend many miles in every direction. The shepherd never has a view of his whole flock at once, except when it is collected for the purpose of sale or shearing. His occupation is to make daily visits to the different extremities of his pastures in succession, and to turn back, by means of his dog, any stragglers that may be approaching the boundaries of his neighbours. In one of these excursions, a shepherd happened to carry along with him one of his children, an infant about three years old. This is a usual practice among the Highlanders, who accustom their children from the earliest infancy to endure the rigours of the climate. After traversing his pastures for some time, attended by his dog, the shepherd found himself under the necessity of ascending a summit at some distance to have a more extensive view of his range. As the ascent was too fatiguing for his child, he left him on a small plain at the bottom, with strict injunctions not to stir from it till his return. Scarcely, however, had he gained the summit, when the horizon was suddenly darkened by one of those impenetrable mists which frequently descend so rapidly amidst these mountains, as, in the space of a few minutes, almost to turn day into night. The anxious father instantly hastened back to find his child; but, owing to the unusual darkness, and his own trepidation, he unfortunately missed his way in the descent. After a fruitless search of many hours amongst the dangerous morasses and cataracts with which these mountains abound, he was at length overtaken by night. Still wandering on without knowing whither, he at length came to the verge of the mist, and, by the light of the moon, discovered that he had reached the bottom of the valley, and was now within a short distance of his cottage. To renew the search that night was equally fruitless and dangerous. He was therefore obliged to return to his cottage, having lost both his child and his dog, which had attended him faithfully for years. Next morning by daybreak, the shepherd, accompanied by a band of his neighbours, set out again to seek his child; but, after a day spent in fruitless fatigue, he was at last compelled by the approach of night to descend from the mountain. On returning to his cottage, he found that the dog which he had lost the day before had been home, and, on receiving a piece of cake, had instantly gone off again. For several successive days the shepherd renewed the search for his child, and still, on returning in the evening disappointed to his cottage, he found that the dog had been there, and, on receiving his usual allowance of cake, had instantly disappeared. Struck with this singular circumstance, he remained at home one day, and when the dog, as usual, departed with his piece of cake, he resolved to follow him, and find out the cause of this strange procedure. The dog led the way to a cataract at some distance from the spot where the shepherd had left his child. The banks of the water-fall, almost joined at the top, yet separated by an abyss of immense depth, presented that abrupt appearance which so often astonishes and appals the traveller amidst the Grampian mountains, and indicates that these stupendous chasms were not the silent work of time, but the sudden effect of some violent convulsion of the earth. Down one of these rugged and almost perpendicular descents the dog began, without hesitation, to make his way, and at last disappeared in a cave, the mouth of which was almost upon a level with the torrent. The shepherd -with difficulty followed; but, on entering the cave, what were his emotions, when he beheld his infant eating with much satisfaction the cake which the dog had just brought him, while the faithful animal stood by, eyeing his young charge with the utmost complacence! From the situation in which the child was found, it appears that he had wandered to the brink of the precipice, and either fallen or scrambled down till he reached the cave, which the dread of the torrent had afterwards prevented him from quitting. The dog, by means of his scent, had traced him to the spot, and afterwards prevented him from starving by giving up to him his own daily allowance. He appears never to have quitted the child by night or day, except when it was necessary to go for its food, and then he was always seen running at full speed to and from the cottage.

A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED.

In the end of October 1828, a Shepherd’s Dog was observed wandering about a field in the neighbourhood of Bannockburn; he was supposed to have strayed from some of the dealers who had been attending Falkirk Tryst (market). He was extremely timid, and it was remarked, that, instead of wandering about in search of food, he never went near a house, although there were several in the neighbourhood. Still the circumstance attracted little notice, till four or five days after his appearance, when a sudden change in the habits of a dog of the same kind belonging to Mr Jaffray, farmer at Holm, led to a – discovery equally interesting and curious. We must have supposed that this animal had fallen in with his brother colley, and that, having taken pity on his forlorn condition, he had resolved on doing all that a dog could do to relieve his wants. Mr Jaffray’s family were surprised to observe, that their dog, instead of eating up whatever he got in the way of food, carried off the whole or at least a portion of it. On this being frequently repeated, their curiosity led them to follow him to ascertain what he did with it, and they were not more astonished than gratified, to find that he proceeded to the field where his strayed brother lay, and presented to him the fare which he stood so much in need of. He continued to perform his friendly offices with such regularity, that the wanderer was never in want; and it was even remarked, that when his own food happened not to be of a portable nature, he did not hesitate to cater for his friend, and pick up whatever bone or offal he could find, and carry them to him.

Reading the old accounts of these dogs, four characteristics stand out as defining them and setting them apart from separate but closely related breeds like English Shepherds and Border Collies. These should be the predominant defining elements of the Old Fashioned Scotch Collie today, they are:

1. Coat – Ideally, smooth on face but with longer fur at cheek and chest, indicating at least a suggestion of a collie ruff; fur long and dense over most of the body, and smooth legs below hocks, though feathers can occur.
2. Muzzle – pointed and fox-like.
3. Ears – semi-erect, sometimes fully erect, never low set or floppy.
4. Temperament – sweet, gentle nature with no hint of aggressiveness or hyperactivity, sagacious.

Note: This is nothing more than a proposal, any and all comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome here. The more input we receive the better, use the comment section at the bottom of this page to contribute to the discussion.

Head: Moderate length, neither too long like modern Rough Collies, nor too short like some lines of English Shepherd, with a moderate and well defined stop. No pick-headed types. Not overly narrow.

Muzzle: A sharp, fox-like muzzle should be the goal of any breeding program, however a moderately broad muzzle is acceptable as long as it is not overly short. Flews should show no sloppiness or drooping.

Eyes: Variable from round to almond with a slight oblique set, never should eyes be overly small. Eyes should express shrewd intelligence, and willingness to please.

Ears: Small, lying close to the head when relaxed and standing erect or partly erect when on alert. Never should ears be overly long or droopy showing any inclination towards hound or spaniel ears.

Neck: Strong, reasonable length and arched.

Body: Slightly long compared with height, back firm with a slight rise over loins; ribs well sprung, chest deep, fairly broad behind shoulders.

Tail: Moderately long with sweep toward end. Natural bobtails are acceptable up to eight inches long. Gay tails are acceptable.

Gait: Viewed from the front at a fast trot, front feet stay close together. Hindlegs powerful with plenty of drive. A reasonably long stride is desirable and should be light and appear effortless.

Coat: Over 2″ in length, most abundant on tail, breeches, mane and frill, smooth on face, front of forelegs and below the hocks. The longer and heavier coat is a distinguishing characteristic of the Scotch Collie helping to differentiate it from other, closely related breeds.

Color: Predominate colors are sable, tri-color (black, tan and white), black and white and blue merle, any combination thereof is acceptable.

Size: Height: 20 – 24″, weight: 35 – 65#, lean and fit condition.

Temperament: Gentle, caring, not high strung at all, friendly yet reserved with strangers, eager to obey, of above average intelligence. Content to lie about when not needed but ready to spring into action at a minutes notice. This is the most important item of all for it was the Scotch Collie’s temperament more than its beauty that made them so popular 100 years ago. This breed may serve well on a farm herding livestock for the same reasons it may serve well in town playing with children, bidability, sagacity and reciprocity. Any unjustified aggression should disqualify a dog.

More reading: Some of the historical sources on which this standard is based are listed below.

• The Shepherd’s Dog – 1829
• British Rural Sports – 1875
• What Did the Pre-Dog Show Scotch Collie Look Like?

A KNOWING ACCOMPLICE.

Few instances can be adduced of the sagacity of dogs more striking than the following of the Shepherd’s Dog:—The owner himself having been hanged some years before for sheep-stealing, the following facts, among others respecting his dog, were authenticated by evidence on his trial. When the man intended to steal sheep, he did not do it himself, but detached his dog to perform the business. With this view, under pretence of looking at the sheep, with an intention to purchase them, he went over the grounds with the dog at his feet, to whom he secretly gave a signal, so as to let him know the individuals he wanted, to the number perhaps of ten or twenty, out of a flock of some hundreds; he then went away, and from a distance of several miles sent back the dog by himself in the night time, who picked out the individual sheep that had been pointed out to him, separated them from the rest, and drove them before him the distance of ten or twelve miles till he came up with his master, to whom he delivered his charge.

MURDER PREVENTED BY INSTINCT.

M. Huet, bishop of Avranches, records the following transaction :—In a village situated between Caen and Vire, on the borders of a district called the Grove, there dwelt a peasant of a surly untoward temper, who frequently beat and abused his wife, insomuch that the neighbours were sometimes obliged by her outcries to interpose, in order to prevent the most dreadful calamity. Being at length weary of living with one to whom he had long entertained an unconquerable aversion, he determined upon getting completely rid of her by taking away her life. The better to carry this design into effect without creating suspicion of the intent he had formed, he affected the most perfect reconciliation; changed his behaviour from a system of habitual brutality to the most unremitting attention and tenderness, and thereby induced a belief in both wife and friends that his reformation was confirmed.

Having for some little time accustomed himself on the Sabbath, or a holiday, to take a walk with her in the fields by way of recreation, he proposed, on the evening of a sultry summer’s day, that she should go with him and repose upon the borders of a spring which was alike shady and retired. When seated there, he pretended to be very thirsty, and laying himself down upon his belly swilled large draughts of water, commending its sweetness, and prevailed upon her to refresh herself in like manner. She believing him, followed his example, but was no sooner in the position to obtain it, than he threw himself upon her, and endeavoured to force her head under the water with an intent to drown her,—to prevent which her struggles would have been ineffectual, but for the assistance of the dog, which had accidentally followed them, and who, perceiving the danger, immediately flew at the husband, seized him by the throat, and saved the intended victim from impending destruction.

The Editor has, at this time, a dog of a mongrel breed, who will not allow one of his family to lay hands on another, and he will actually bite his master if he persists in it. To amuse strangers, a pretence of striking each other is sometimes made in the presence of Carlo, who immediately interposes, first by grinning at the assailant, and then by sitting up and supplicating with his fore-paws to desist; and should they not yield to his remonstrance, he is sure to lay hold of the offending party.

LIFE PRESERVED BY ANIMAL HEAT.

About the year 1796, a Mr Henry Hawkes, farmer at Hailing in Kent, was late one evening at Maidstone market; and returning at night with his dog, which was usually at his heels, he again stopped at Aylesford, and, as is too frequently the case upon such occasions, he drank immoderately, and left that place in a state of intoxication. Having passed the village of Newhead in safety, he took his way over Snodland Brook, which, at the best season of the year, is a very dangerous road for a drunken man; and now the whole face of the country was covered with a deep snow, and the frost was intense. He had, however, proceeded in safety till he came to the Willow Walk, within half a mile of the church, when, by a sudden stagger, he quitted the path, and passed over a ditch on his right hand. Not apprehensive that he was going astray, he turned towards the river; but having a high bank to mount, and being nearly exhausted with wandering and the effect of the liquor, he was most fortunately unable to proceed, for, if he had, he must certainly have precipitated himself (as it was nearly high water) into the Medway.

At this moment, completely overcome, he fell among the snow, in one of the coldest nights ever known; turning upon his back, he was soon overpowered by sleep, the usual concomitant of cold, when his faithful attendant, who had closely followed him every step, scratched away the snow, so as to throw up a kind of protecting wall around his person ; then mounting upon the exposed body, he rolled himself round, and lay down on his master’s bosom, for which his shaggy coat proved a seasonable covering during the inclemency of the night, as the snow continued to fall all the time. The following morning, a Mr Finch, who was out with his gun in expectation of falling in with some wildfowl, perceiving an appearance rather uncommon, ventured to approach the spot; upon his coming up, the dog got off the body, and, after repeatedly shaking himself to get disentangled from the accumulated snow, encouraged the sportsman, by actions of the most significant nature, to come near the side of his master. Upon wiping away the icy incrustations from his face he recognized the farmer, who appeared quite lifeless; assistance was however procured to convey the body to the first house upon the skirts of the village, after which a slight pulsation being observed, every possible means were instantly adopted to restore animation.

In the course of a short time, the farmer was sufficiently recovered to be able to relate his own story, as above recited; and, in gratitude for his miraculous escape, ordered a silver collar to be made for his friendly protector, as a perpetual remembrance of the transaction. A gentleman of the faculty in the neighbourhood hearing of the circumstance, and finding it so well authenticated, immediately made him an offer of ten guineas for the dog, which the grateful farmer refused, exultingly adding, “That so long as he had a bone of meat, or a crust of bread, he would divide it with the faithful friend who had preserved his life;” and this he did in perfect conviction that the warmth of the dog in covering the most vital part, had continued the circulation, and prevented a total stagnation of the blood.

Note: This is the earliest detailed description of the Scotch Collie. Bewick described the collie’s behavior almost 40 years before this, but the only physical description Bewick gives other than his fine illustration relates to dewclaws.

This book is noteworthy for several reason;

• Its accurate description of the collie’s looks, this adds considerably to the body of evidence that the pre-dog show, pre-Queeen Victoria Scotch Collie was very similar in appearance to the Victorian era collies.
• The great illustration provided which corresponds nicely to Bewick’s and adds to the above argument.
• The many anecdotes provided which establish the collie’s character and intelligence.

(Cants Domcsticus, Linnaeus.)

This dog is distinguished by his upright ears and sharp muzzle with a great villosity of the under part of the tail, as well as on the back of the forelegs. The body is rather long, covered with a thick woolly-like hair, and the legs are rather short. There is a singularity in the feet of the Shepherd’s Dog, all of them having one, and some of them two superfluous toes ; which appear destitute of muscles, and hang dangling at the hind part of the leg more like an unnatural excrescence than a necessary part of the animal. But, as ” Nature has made nothing in vain,” these must certainly be destined for some useful purpose with which we are not yet acquainted. These dew-claws are likewise sometimes found in the spaniel, pointer, and cur dog; in the two former they are generally cut off at an early stage, as they are an impediment in covers, and frequently get torn, thereby creating sores, and sometimes rendering the dog unfit for use.

This useful and intelligent animal is one of the most placid, obedient, serene, and grateful members of the canine race. He is ever alive to the slightest indication of his master’s wishes, prompt and gratified to execute them; and he seems to enjoy the greatest delight when employed in any kind of useful service. Formed by nature with an instinctive propensity to industry, he is never more pleased than in exerting his talents for the benefit of man, and in giving constant proofs of his inviolable attachment.

The native calmness, patience, and devoted faithfulness of the Shepherd’s Dog, render him insensible to all attractions beyond the arduous duties connected with the flock under his care. When once properly trained, he not only becomes perfectly acquainted with the extent of his beat, but also with every individual in the flock; he will most correctly select his own, and drive off such as encroach on his limits. This appears the more extraordinary, when we consider the vast extent of mountain country and the numerous flocks committed to the charge of a single shepherd, a duty which he could not possibly perform but for the invaluable services of this sagacious animal. A word or signal from him will direct the dog so as to conduct the flock to any point required, and that signal he will obey with energy and unerring certainty.

The labour of a shepherd, with the assistance of a dog, is comparatively an easy task; but without one we can hardly suppose an occupation more arduous. Indeed, without the aid of this animal, it would be next to impossible to collect flocks in those extensive and precipitous tracts of mountain-land where the sheep delight to graze, and which in many places are quite inaccessible to man.

Many have supposed that this dog is naturally sleepy and indolent, as, when unemployed in the way which he seems conscious he was formed for, he is generally seen reposing by the side of his master. He is seldom observed running about in an active and sportive manner like other dogs, and, unlike most others of his species, too, he seldom receives the caresses of strangers, but generally regards them with a suspicious eye, or, with an appearance of timidity, endeavours to shun them altogether. Nor is he by any means that indolent and sullen animal which he appears to be. On the contrary, he is perhaps, of all other dogs, the most sagacious, affectionate, faithful, and active, possessing the greatest share of comprehension, penetration, and even courage. All those impressions so unfavourable to the general character of this dog originate in mistake, inasmuch as he seems to consider the tending of the flock the business of his life; and the frequent excursions he necessarily makes during the day afford him sufficient exercise. Accustomed to see none but his master in those dreary and generally unfrequented wilds, he naturally acquires a thoughtful and expressive gravity; and; like man himself, when unaccustomed to society, he becomes habitually taciturn and shy. We are here speaking of him in situations remotely situated; for where he is accustomed to see strangers, he shows all the amiable qualities of other dogs.

We shall adduce sufficient anecdotes of the Sheep Dog to prove his moral nature, and the sagacity, gratitude, and self-denial of this truly faithful creature.

The Shepherd’s Dog, from being inured to all weathers, is naturally hardy; and, accustomed to fatigue and hunger, he is the least voracious of the species, and can subsist upon a scanty allowance.

If a shepherd is travelling with his flock to a distance, his dog will only repose close to his feet; and should he wish to leave them for the purpose of taking refreshment, he has only to intimate his intention to his dog, and, in his absence, he will guard the sheep with as much care, and keep them within due bounds, as well as he himself could have done. Although left alone for hours, a well-trained dog always keeps the flock within the limits of a made road, even although there are no fences; he watches every avenue and cross-path that leads from it, where he posts himself until they are all past, threatening every one who attempts to move that way; and should any of them escape, he pursues them, and will force them back to their companions without injuring them.

The breed of this dog is preserved with the greatest attention to purity in the north of England, and in the Highlands of Scotland, where his services are invaluable. The Shepherd’s Dog of this country, with all his good qualities, is still greatly inferior in point of size and strength to those of the Alps, and of that extensive range of mountains which divide France from Spain, as well as to the variety which is found in the neighbourhood of Caucasus.

In this country there are two kinds of this dog,— that used by shepherds, which is of a small size, and the breed used by drovers and butchers.