Those old collies bred many years ago would hardly know some of the great winners of today. They were a short, broad-headed dog, as most dogs’ heads are made. A short jaw for strength. But man wanted a different head, and we have it. It is likely, too, that we do not have near as many dogs that can be trained to drive cattle and sheep as the old kind will, too. And if they can be taught to do driving so well, they can be taught the many other things we would like the dog to do.

Remember the collie is a dog of many uses. He will guard property as well as catch a chicken or drive sheep. I have pups now that are but seven months old, yet they stayed by my man’s coat in the field after he had gone to town. The next day I found them staying by the rubber that he had left up in the path to the feed house. It was no place to rest at all, but they knew it was part of his property, and they stayed by it. I have no trouble to teach them to stop cocks when they are fighting. A few times showing will do it. A few catchings of hens, and they will do it. They very soon learn to open doors and gates. All these things show the wonderful adaptability of the collie.

The present collie females are in size from twenty to twenty-three inches tall and weigh from forty to sixty pounds. The males are from forty to seventy pounds each, and are from twenty, for the small ones, up to twenty-six inches tall. But, remember this, if you want the best worker and the best learner do not select the largest in the litters. The medium and smaller ones will, as a rule, be the best in mind and quickness of body.

The present day standard calls for a long head. The value of a show collie depends first on the head and then coat, yet all parts of the body count, but these are the fad parts. The head must be narrow at the top and taper to the muzzle. Ears must be small and set on the top of the head and half pendant.

If the head is not too faddy, it makes a beautiful dog, that is sure, but, as I have said, some have suffered in intelligence tto get it.

The coat must be dense and straight. The outside coat is rather coarse, but the under coat is soft and fine. It should be so dense that you will have difficulty to part it to the skin.

The limbs should be straight. Feet like a cat, short and round.

I very much dislike to see faulty front legs. The body should be long and well ribbed out. A flat ribbed dog is not a good collie. If the front legs are set well apart you will generally have a good chest.

Much is added to the collie if it has what is called the collie expression. That is a gentle look. It is one of the scoring points in a collie and is a strong point in their favor.

A collie should be of trusty, gentle disposition to all of the people of the family and not treacherous to strangers. That is, if he is what we call cross, he should give warning to you that he wants you to stop or get out.

They should be and are the protection of the children. Do not keep on? if you find it will turn on them in anger if they abuse it, for if anything goes wrong in its mind, it will turn on them. I never yet had a child bitten by a collie, but I had one that would grab a man behind. I do not like that. I like them to do as one of my best bull terriers would do. She would give them fair warning, and if they were at the same place too long there would be trouble. She never bit a man, for they were so quick to give in to her wishes.

Some persons will say a collie cannot be trusted with children. Ever since I have raised collies, and that is for some years, the neighbors’ children have played with them from the beginning. They lead, drive, ride or do just what they wish, and never did one of them turn on them. But now and then there is in some strains one that will not stand it. You had better not keep it. as I have said, for it may, some day. get angry and bite a child. One such will give many honest ones a bad name.

Remember, it is a dog’s nature to want to be with humans, and it is their joy to please and serve them. No other animal has this desire in any way near the degree the dog has. And the collie is one of the very best of them all — W. W. Kulp, in Industrious Hen.

Excerpted from Poultry Topics and Western Poultry News, July 1907

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Ch. Inma Select, a beautiful tri-color of the modern type

The term ” Collie ” originated in a part of Scotland, and gradually spread down to the east coast of England. It was then spelled “Colley,” but was subsequently changed to the present spelling. Probably no breed of dogs is better known than the Collie, and no dog appeals more strongly to the genuine dog lover.

The animal we term the Collie is properly the common English Sheep Dog of the farm, and from the ordinary, rough-haired dog, akin to that of northern Europe, down to the doglike elegance of today, the modern prize Collie, the relationship is unquestionable. In looking through some of Landseer’s portfolios we see an intelligent head, but not the sharp-pointed, narrow skull of today; but we must recognize the fact that the Collies painted by Landseer were working dogs, and not show animals. We find one characteristic in all the old time drawings of Collies that must have been a characteristic of the breed, but which is now bred out as a disfigurement, the twist at the end of the tail. We find this in Burwick’s Shepherd Dog and in Howitt’s beautiful etchings. Quite a number of writers on the Collie have quoted from Caius’ description of the shepherd dog in a way that would include all dogs that cared for sheep as shepherd dogs and not a specific breed, such as we now recognize. It is beyond doubt that these dogs were first used by shepherds for caring for the flock, and their sagacity and common sense are more highly valued than any minor esthetic point that we today recognize as essential to the breed. When the breed became fashionable as a house hold pet some of the most handsome specimens were obtained from the North, and thus the show type started. At this period Collies were seen of every imaginable color—buff, red, sable, black, tan and white, and also what is now called blue merle. Probably the first dog of this breed to attract much attention in the show ring was old Cockie, a grand dog, which in his day had no peer. He was whelped in 1867.

Faithful Collie guarding his master, J.H.Hale, the "Peach King."

In 1886 Mr. Mitchell Harrison, of Philadelphia, brought some of the finest English specimens to this country, and he and Dr. Jarrett bred some of the greatest dogs in America. Next, Pierpont Morgan became one of America’s biggest importers, and his and the Samuel Untermyer kennels became the equal of the best in the country. It is said that Mr. Morgan paid over $5,000 each for several of his breeding bitches. Among the most prominent exhibitors today is Mr. Thomas Hunter, of the Knocklayde Kennels, also Miss Bullock, of the Inma Kennels, and Mrs. Lunt, of the Alstead Kennels, but for an unknown reason, unless it be the caprice of the popular fancy, the Collie today has not as many followers as he had a few years ago. Can it be that the real common sense, the working instinct and companionship have been bred out?

"Grey Mist," champion Blue Merle, for four years at W. K. C. Show

In the illustration of Grey Mist we have one of the home-bred Collies. He is blue merle in color and was bred by Miss Hydon of Bogota, NJ. His son is owned by Mrs. Ogden Mills, and is a wonderful blue puppy—Grey Cloud. If we note the long and slender head we see how it differs from the broad but intelligent head of the older Collies known in the working world.

Take the celebrated Jetty, from the Colores Ranch, and although she has not the aristocratic, slender head formation, there is no denying her wonderful intelligence. Then there is the Black Scotch, which saved many lives, and did wonderful work in northern Montana, and is a pure-bred Collie of the old type, but differs distinctly from the modern Collies, whose only record for prominence is on the show bench. Take Ch. Inma Select. Can anything be more exquisite in headline and feathering, but, again notice the old-fashioned type of Collie in the picture of the two from the Colores Ranch, and can that beauty beat the wonderful intelligence of the dogs here shown?

America has spent enormous sums on her Collies, and probably we will have to thank Mr. James Watson for most that has been written about them. However, even today, with all the high-class dogs that we have, we have not been able to establish as prominently as should be the field trials, showing their work, ability and value.

"Jetty," a very intelligent and useful Collie of the old type.

A well-trained and experienced Collie appears to rule a flock of sheep by force of his dominant nature. In Great Britain the sheep dog trials attract much attention, and have been witnessed by many thousands who would never have had a chance to see the dog in his native home. The natural and direct result of this making his merits known, is that the Collie has been taken up as a decided pet, and has exchanged the pasture for the parlor. If the American farmer had a better understanding of Collies’ value, I am convinced that his place in American dogdom could give way to no other. It is hoped that in the near future, when so much is being done for sheep breeding, this wonderful dog will come into his own and be more than a mere show pet, as we see him today.

As Ollivant writes in “Bob, Son of Battle,” “A shepherd without his dog is like a ship without a rudder.” American farmers are beginning to realize the value of a well-trained Scotch Collie for farm work.

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Shepherd’s Dogs

Whenever sheep are kept in such numbers as to constitute a considerable flock, the owner can well afford to keep a good shepherd’s dog. One who has never seen a well-trained shepherd’s dog can form no idea of their extraordinary sagacity and usefulness. We have ridden leisurely across a wide prairie in a wagon, accompanied by a Scotch colley, half-breed slut, driving five hundred sheep better than three men could have done without a dog.

If there were none but such dogs in the country, there would be ten times as many sheep kept. One man would be entirely competent to manage a thousand. He should have two dogs, so that they would be company for each other, and so that, in case of accident to one, the other would remain serviceable.

The Scotch colley very much resembles a prairie-wolf (coyote), having a broad forehead and pointed nose. The ears are short and upright, the fleece shaggy and slightly curly, with a bushy tail. These dogs are very intelligent, docile, and faithful, and possess an instinctive sagacity in everything that relates to the care of sheep. In a pleasant little book called “Anecdotes of Dogs,” some wonderful evidences of the sagacity of Scottish shepherd dogs are to be found, and they should be read by all farmers’ boys.

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. The Irish shepherd dog is larger and more ferocious; some of them would tear a man sadly, if he interfered with the flock at night while in charge of the dog. The Scotch dog is always gentle, and generally very affectionate. In France, the shepherd dogs are somewhat like the Scotch, but smaller. The Spanish shepherds have a breed of dogs peculiar to that country. They are the size of a full-grown wolf, with large head, thick neck, mastiff-looking, fierce and strong, and are often armed with a spiked collar, to make them more formidable to jogs, wolves and bears, if the should attack the flock. Their color is generally black and white – their daily ration tow pounds of black bread, with milk and meat when it can be had. In Spain, the great flocks of the country, always in charge of shepherds and dogs, make long migrations every year from their lowland home to the mountain pastures, two or three hundred miles distant, feeding all the way in the roads and commons.

Sheep are the wealth of Spain, and without the aid of shepherd dogs, that wealth, under the present system of management, could not be produced.

Excerpted from: Facts for farmers: also for the family circle. A variety of rich materials for all land-owners, about domestic animals and domestic economy; farm buildings; gardens, orchards and vineyards; and all farm crops, tools, fences, fertilization, draining, and irrigation
Edited by Solon Robinson – 1869

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Drawing by Gainsborough. Study for his painting Squire Hallet and His Wife. In this picture is shown a typical highbred collie of the period.

The early Romans had their Shepherd dog (canus pastorales) but no line of descent can be traced to help us to identify the exact type of Shepherd dog of that day. Dr. Cains, author of Tretis of English Dogges (1570) is the first writer to refer to Shepherd dogs. In that work he says: “Of dogges under the coarser kind we will deal first with the shepherd’s dogge whom some call Bandogge, the Tydogge, or the Mastyne, the first name is imputed to him for service (Quoniam pastori famulator), because he is at the shepherd’s, his master’s, commandment. The second a Ligamento of the band or chain wherewith he is tyed. The third Sagina of the fatness of his body.” In the Foure Books of Husbandrie (1586) reference is made to “The Shepherd’s Masty, that is for the fold, must neither be so gaunt nor so swift as the greyhound, nor so fatte nor so heavy as the Masty of the house, but verie strong and able to fight and follow the chase that he may beat away the woolfe or other beasts, and to follow the sheepe, and to recover the pray. And therefor his body should be rather long than short and thick, in all points he must agree with the ban-dog.”

About two hundred years later (1790) we find in Bewick’s History of Quadrupeds illustrations of the “Cur-dog” and the “Ban-dog.” Bewick says of the Bandog that “It is lighter, smaller, more active and vigilant than the mastiff, but not so powerful, and its nose is smaller (narrower) and possesses in some degree, the scent of the hound. Its hair is rough and generally of a yellowish grey, streaked with shades of a black or brown color. It does not invariably, like the preceeding kinds, attack its adversary in front, but frequently seizes cattle by the flank. It attacks with eagerness and its bite is keen.” Bewick says of the Cur-dog: “It is a useful servant of the farmer and grazier, and although it is not taken notice of by naturalists as a distinct race, yet it is now so generally used, especially in the north of England, and such great attention is paid in breeding it that we cannot help considering it a permanent kind. In the north of England this and the foregoing, the shepherd’s dog or Scotch Collie, are called Coally dogs.” There is little doubt from these remarks that Berwick referred to the dogs which we now class under the heading of Scotch Collie and English Bob-tail Sheep dog.

The derivation of Collie is somewhat puzzling. Some dictionaries give it that Collie is identical with cooly, colly, coley and cooley, having reference to black. Certain lexiconographers suggest that the name Collie comes from col (black), and that certain Highland sheep, known as colleys on account of the black color of their faces and legs, were tended by a dog, hence the name Collie-dog. Chaucer evidently used the word Colle as a proper name. In the Nun’s Priest’s Tale he writes, “Ran Colle our dog, and Talbot and Garland.”

In his “Twa Dogs” (1786) Burns says:

The tither was a Ploughman’s Collie,
His breast was white, his touzie back
Well clad wi’ coat o’ glossy black
His gawcie tail, wi’ upward curl
Hung owre his hurdies wi’ a swirl.

There, at least, is a description of our black and white Collie of today, both as to color and carriage of tail. The dog, in Burns’ time, had come to be a well recognized type; just how far back of that period the type existed we cannot know for a certainty, as there are no definite records on the subject existing for determination.

Promenade Au Jardin. E. Murato

In the New York Show of 1878 there were but nineteen entries, but the popularity of the Collie breed now brings together entries of a hundred and over at our large shows. The beauty of the Collie, his artistic lines, and the fine coat of a really good specimen have done much to make him the popular favorite that he is, but outside of the fact that he is a truly beautiful animal, many owners have selected him as being a companionable dog, to say nothing of his ability as a worker. It is not, as some people think, impossible to have a show dog and a worker at the same time. There are many excellent show dogs that are fine workers, this dog being so full of intelligence that it is not hard to bring even a fine bench show specimen back to his natural instincts and teach him to handle sheep.

The late Hugh Dalziel, one of the best authorities on the breed, wrote of the Collie, “It would, indeed, be difficult to overestimate the intelligence of a good Collie; he thinks and acts for himself under difficulties and conditions new to him, and in matters relative to his special duties rarely fails to strike out the true path. That he feels the responsibility of his charge, and acts independently of special orders, all who have had the opportunity to observe him must have noted.” I have seen a dog in charge, under the shepherd, of a flock of white-faced sheep on the south side of a hill, and where the water shed was the boundary and no fence to mark it, over and over again, without the slightest hint from his master, get up and leisurely pick out and drive back to the north side of the hill the hardier black-faced sheep that had stolen over the crest and down the south slope among their white-faced friends in search of the better bite they well know grew there.”

Those who have watched the collie at his work, whether on the hills or in the dales, or taking his flock from one place to another, can testify to the great intelligence displayed by the Collie in many ways on such occasions. I was brought up in East Anglia and lived not many yards from one of those famous old Roman roads which run in a perfectly straight line across hill and through valley for miles; in many stretches of such a road one can see a long distance ahead. I have seen two flocks of sheep approaching one another, and without waiting for orders, I have seen the dog of each flock advance beyond his charge, as it were, approach one another and stand sentry, as it were, in the middle of the road, each Collie diverting its flock to one side to prevent its becoming mixed, nor would they relinquish their positions until their entire individual flocks had passed the sentry and “all was well.”

The Sheep dog Trials of recent years have done much to stimulate an interest in the working dog. At these trials, which are frequently held in connection with the county agricultural shows of England, a certain number of sheep are liberated, and it is the work of the dog to bring them into a given fold in a limited number of minutes. Sometimes the sheep are too far off for the shepherd to give instructions verbally and orders are conveyed by signal to the dog; this proves again his marked intelligence. The Sheep Dog is able to display some of his best ability at the sheep auction marts; without a well-trained dog at such places it would be impossible to keep flocks from mixing. As a companion, and as a dog to have around the house or on the farm, he cannot be beaten, very little teaching is required to make any puppy know what is required of him.

A black and tan collie of the working type which was commonly met with some twenty-five years ago. This strongly contrasts with later dogs.

Many there are who consider the Collie a treacherous dog; this is mainly because they do not know him. There are good and bad individuals in every breed, and, taken all round, the Collie is the reverse of treacherous, if not properly checked his one fault is over-exuberance, he is inclined to be noisy, but above all things there can be no question of his faithfulness. There is little doubt that the Collie stands unrivaled for beauty and intelligence. Therefore, in the former case it is not to be wondered at that he has been selected so often as a subject for the artist’s brush, and in the latter instance, if not as a worker, as a boon companion.

As to the matter of selection, the choice is a large one, there are many varieties both in rough and smooth. One seldom now sees the rich black-and-tan that was associated with the dog in his early show days. The popular colors of today are sable, sable-and-white, black-and-white, and that most striking combination black, tan and white, or as it is commonly called, tricolor, and the Marled or marbled sometimes called tortoise-shell, having reference to its bizarre coloring combination. Years ago it was thought that these colored dogs were mere accidental color sports, but it has been clearly proved by many that Marled Collies can be bred true to type, the most beautiful of this class being the blue-marled, which is a combination of white, light slate, dark slate, and here and there a light flecking of fawn or sable. Nothing among the Collies is more pleasing to the eye than a really fine specimen of the rough-coated male. Whites have taken a strong hold in the West, and are exceedingly attractive. In bygone days there was a prejudice against the white, that it was liable to be deaf; this was more a question of inbreeding than a natural defect in the dog. The late Queen Victoria owned some very beautiful whites, and I remember about the time of her Jubilee one of the younger Rothschilds, then a student at Cambridge University, had a remarkably beautiful white Collie. This color was, at that time, quite rare in the dogs of the breed.

There is a third type of Collie but little known outside of Scotland. He is essentially a working dog—the Bearded Collie, much resembling the dog illustrated in the painting of The Piping Shepherd by Fripp. This dog is a sort of combination of the Scotch Collie and the old English Sheep dog, the Bearded is a shaggy hard-coated dog but, unlike the Bobtail, he is allowed to carry the whole of his tail, which is quite bushy and carried low. He is very strong and well fitted for the rough usage that is apt to to be his on the northern hills. In general form the only difference between the rough-coated and the smooth-coated dog, is the question of length of coat. But the only way thoroughly to realize it is to see a full-coated dog clipped.

Eclypse. After an engraving by Joseph B. Pratt from a painting by Frank Paton.

Among the well known Collie fanciers in America the late J. Pierpont Morgan took prominent place. Mr. Morgan had a very large kennel of both rough-coated and smooth-coated Collies. Some of the best prize-winners were exhibited by the Morgan Kennels. The Morgan kennels had the famous “Ormskirk Alexandra,” purchased from that great Scotch fancier, the late Panmure Gordon. As a worthy rival to the Morgan dogs were W. Samuel Untemeyer’s many fine dogs;his “Southport Sculptor” was one of the most remarkable. Dr. Jarrett of Philadelphia benched many successful dogs in both rough and smooth classes, and Mrs. J. L. Kernochan of Hempstead, Long Island, had a fine collection of smooth-coats. Mr. Andrew Carnegie’s enthusiasm for the Collie was naturally to be expected.

The show Collie of today has changed but little in general from the type of twenty years ago except so far as the formation of head is concerned; in this there is an inclination toward the narrow head of the Borzios or Russian Wolfhound, which is longer and more Greyhound-like than was customary in the Collie. A general description of the type of dog follows: The skull should be flat, moderately wide between the ears, gradually tapering to the eyes, the cheek should not be full or prominent. The muzzle should be of fair length, tapering to the nose, and must not be lippy. Whatever the color of the dog the nose must be black; the teeth level, and the jaws clean cut and powerful; the eyes of medium size set somewhat obliquely, and brown in color, except in the case of Maries, when one or both may be blue and white, the expression full of intelligence with an alertness when listening; the ears small, moderately wide at base but not too much at the side of head. When in repose they should be carried thrown back, and when alert bought forward with tips slightly drooping. The neck should be muscular, of fair length and somewhat arched. The body should be rather long with well-sprung ribs, deep chest, loins slightly arched, and powerful. The forelegs should be straight and muscular, a fair amount of bone, showing flexibility without weakness. The hind legs muscular at thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks. The feet should be oval, soles well padded, and toes arched and close together. The brush should be profuse, moderately long, carried low when the dog is quiet, with slight upward “swirl” at end, gaily carried when the dog is excited, but not over his back. The coats should be dense, the outer coat harsh to the touch, the undercoat soft, furry and very close. The mane or frill should be very abundant, the face smooth, also the ears at tips, but they should carry more hair toward the base, the fore legs well feathered, also the hind legs above the hocks. In size dogs should measure from 21 to 24 inches at shoulder, and weigh from 45 to 65 pounds. The general character should be lithe and active, deep of chest, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, his expression highly intelligent. He should be a fair length on the legs, giving him somewhat a racy appearance. These characteristics apply to both rough and smooth except so far as length of coat is concerned.

The Collie figures prominently in literature and in art and has deserved the attention given him not only because of his picturesqueness but likewise because he is very distinctly a dog of character and of lovable traits that endear him to those who take the trouble to know him.

"Twa Dogs" by William Wells. In the collection of Mr. Andrew Carnegie

Written by T. C. Turner
Published in Art & Life Magazine, August 1919

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At one year old they are able to perform full duty herding sheep, cattle and other stock, attending them all day when necessary, keeping them together and where they belong and driving off all strange intruders. They learn to know their master’s animals from others in a very short time, and a well-trained dog will gather them home and put each into its right stall. They have a dainty carriage and fine style, profuse silky hair of various colors. Others incline to the conviction that practical purposes have been lost sight of in breeding, and that appearances have been sought to such an extent that the present day pure bred collies lack some of the attributes of intelligence and hardihood that made the collie famous. In view of this fact it is quite likely that for general purposes and certainly for hunting purposes, a dash of alien blood is advantageous.

The crossed collie, or the well-known shepherd dog, so common to the farm, are very often used with success in all forms of night hunting. There are some who go so far as to maintain that the shepherd or a cross of shepherd and fox hound are ideal for coon, rabbit and squirrel hunting.

The use of these dogs as sheep herders has deteriorated in this country, although they are still bred for practical purposes with marked success in parts of England.

HOW TO TRAIN A COLLIE.

The best way to make a start is to get a pure-bred puppy from a good working strain. To gain the best results and secure the full worth of a Collie as a stock dog, I would say, take him as a little puppy.

There are many reasons why we favor the little puppy to the dog nearly or quite grown. Most collies are sensitive and suspicious and of fine temperament and this characteristic often makes them appear rather more cowardly than brave. A Collie that has been properly cared for and considerably handled during his puppyhood up to maturity should have plenty of courage. A puppy should never be permitted to have a place of refuge where he can run away and hide on hearing a slight noise or unusual disturbance of any kind, or at the sight of a stranger.

If he is kept under conditions where he can see all that may be going on, and in that way become familiar with active life, learning that noises and strange persons do not harm him, he will develop plenty of courage, without which there is but little hope of great usefulness.

First, teach him his name, and to come when you call him. Teach him to mind but always by kind methods. Let him love and trust you, gaining his affection by gentle treatment. He should be accustomed to the collar and chain when young, though it is much better to keep him in the yard than confined by a chain while he is growing. Teach him one thing at a time — to lie down and remain in that position until excused; to follow at your will, and stop at the word, to come in at once at command, and to turn to the right or left.

All these lessons can be easily managed by use of a small cord and always using the appropriate word with emphasis. He should always be made to keep at your heels when out for a walk with you. In that way, after telling him to go to heel whenever he tries to run away, he will understand the word better when he goes with you to drive the cattle for the first time.

Let him keep back of the stock with you, while you drive the cattle to and from the field or pasture without undertaking to teach him, for as he learns by observation, he must have the example made plain. He will quickly show a desire to help and then you may take advantage of this act, encouraging him to help you, and after he has been with you a time or two, he will soon become a driver at the heel. Give him plenty of practice, and when he becomes a good driver at the heel, taking a positive interest in his work, he can then be. easily taught to turn the cattle to the right or left, to head them off, stop them or go alone into the distant fields and bring the cattle to the stable.

He should never be allowed to drive the cattle fast for if once allowed to run them, he will become careless and develop a disposition to worry them.

Do not weary him with over-commanding nor notice every little mistake which unnoticed may not occur again. If you gain his affection and do not forget to tell him that he has been a good dog when he has done well for you, he will learn fast for he has a wonderful memory and never forgets the things he has learned to do. Thus we are amply repaid for the care and time used in making the lesson plain.

I might say a few words about feeding the puppy, as he should have good food when young. The first few months he should be fed on bread and milk, never giving him any meat at any time, and as he grows older, give him the bread dry and the milk as a drink. A comfortable sleeping place should also be given him. The best place is in the house or stable and he should be kept in at night at all times of the year.

You will find that a well looked after Collie is a valuable and life-long friend and helper.

Excepted from
Hunting dogs: Describes in a practical manner the training, handling, treatment, breeds, etc., best adapted for night hunting as well as gun dogs for daylight sport
by Oliver Hartley

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There have been three phases, or we might call them “epochs.” in collie exhibiting, says “Trefoil.” First there came the workman epoch, when judges would only award prizes to fine working dogs; when good size, bone, legs and feet, quality and density of coat were a sine qua non, while masculine faces with intelligent expressions were looked for as the correct head properties. Then came the coat epoch, when judges went crazy over the collie’s dress, which terrible infatuation too often made them blind to the most serious defects and faults. It was then such dogs as Smuggler, Dublin Scot, Rutland and their progeny had their innings. Some call it “the flat-catcher age.” However this may be, it is true that at this time the collie, like the nightingale in the feathered world, which is voice and nothing more, had coat and little else beside to recommend it Yet the craze of this epoch was not nearly so pernicious to the collie’s welfare as is the infatuation of the present day. Judges and fanciers, with a few exceptions, now bow down and worship before the narrow head of a brainless idol.

The collie’s historic sphere of utility and unique qualities and properties with which he was so liberally endowed to carry out the arduous work in that sphere are now thought of little moment in comparison with a long, refined head and semi-erect ears. The manufacturing towns of the North appear to be the rallying point of this false worship, for seven out of every ten prize winners of this type hail from this locality. A strange nursery indeed for the guardians of the flock on the snow-clad Grampians! A poet might write some touching lines on these poor exiles; how, amid the din and bustle and smoke, they turn their sad expressionless faces towards the thin blue Hue of their native hills and sigh over an enforced degeneracy. That they are beautiful dogs in their way nobody can deny, but to speak of them as lovely collies is another matter, for the majority of them are no more fitted to perform the work of the old Scotch collie than is the Laird, the lion of some London drawing room, to pursue the avocation of his Highland shepherd. There is no reason why beauty should not go hand in hand with utility, but at present unfortunately such is not the case.

There are now two classes of exhibitors —the moderates, who work quietly on the old lines, seeking to beautify and refine a working dog, and the progressives, who sacrifice utility and intelligence for beauty. At present the progressives hold the fort, and consequently the old Scotch collie is in danger of being improved off the face of the earth. “Why did you part with that bitch which was winning for you all over the country,” said one well-known exhibitor to another. “Because she was a fool,” was the reply. This, surely, should be the true spirit. Winning honors and prizes with brainless idiots should be but a poor compensation for the loss of intelligence and companionship, which every true fancier should look #for in his dogs. Unfortunately, the spirit of mammon is abroad, and “grist to the mill” is often the sole consideration.

The Collie Club has still a great work before it, and if the members will only rally round it, giving it a genuine and hearty support, there is no question that the club will do good service in bringing forward the true stamp of collie, and ensuring success in the show ring for specimens of the right sort. At the last general meeting it was evident that many members had the welfare of the club at heart; subscriptions towards a show early in the year were liberally given and everything points to a well-deserved success. It is to be hoped that such will be the case—otherwise it will sooner or later have to be recognized that the show bench collie is absolutely distinct from his ancient prototype, and the formation of an old Scotch Collie Club will have to be seriously considered.

Among the successful dogs of the year have been Metchley Wonder, Stracathro Ralph, Sefton Hero, Mons Meg, Southport Pilot, Edgbaston Excelsior, Red Comyn, Blair Athol II and Donovan II. Metchley Wonder has been too often criticised to need repetition. Good dog that he is, as a working sheep dog he would go down before the heroes of old times. Stracathro Ralph is on more workmanlike lines, full of quality and about at the top of the tree. Southport Pilot excels in head and ears. Edgbaston Excelsior, a dog of a different type, is spoilt by his expression, but still a useful sort. Blair Athol II is a beautiful dog, full of character, with plenty of bone and substance, and a grand coat of the right texture. Unfortunately, he is not a good mover behind, otherwise he would be hard to beat. Donovan II is the right stamp and a good mover withal. Sefton Hero has plenty of quality to satisfy modern tastes, the length of his head is prodigious, but he has a soft expression, and has the appearance of being more at home on the hearth rug or show bench than on the side of some snow-clad hill.

Among the bitches plenty of weeds have been prominent, but in selecting Portington Belle, Barwell Pearl and Pansy, Ormskirk Goldie, Mother Shipton and Dorothy for pride of place, we have in them beautiful specimens of what a collie bitch should be, and which,with judicious mating, ought to produce stock combining beauty, utility and intelligence.

To conclude this retrospect, the question has to be answered, has the breed made any progress? The answer depends solely on the light in which the collie is viewed. As a thing of beauty, or as a drawing-room pet, there has been distinct progress; as a working animal the retrograde movement is still to be lamented. The breed’s working qualities ought no more to be lost sight of than those of a pointer, setter or spaniel, but since this has been the case it is impossible to speak of material progress and advance. Give us a good working dog and let beauty come as an adornment and an added grace, and we shall cry content.

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The Sheep-Dog Trials at Troutbeck

A Remarkable Test of Dog Intelligence.

By A. Radclyffe Dugmore

Up in the North of England, in the famous Lake Country, there is a small village known as Troutbeck. Here every year the community of sheep-herders gather together to witness a sport as dear to them almost as their very homes, being connected as it is with their actual livelihood. It is a sport absolutely unknown to the greater mass of the people, even in England, yet it calls forth the unqualified admiration of all who see it. For it is a display, not of brute force, nor of human powers, but of the intelligence of dogs. Not ” instinct,” mind you, but quick, thoughtful intelligence.

It is of the North Country sheep-dog trials that I am speaking. While horseracing calls for highly-developed wind and muscle; and hound trials are but examples of speed, endurance, and the natural instincts of the dogs; and human sports, such as jumping, wrestling, running, and the like, need little more than strength and cunning; the dog trials require, beyond all of these attributes, a very high degree of intelligent reasoning power.

J. R. stood on one side of the pen and beckoned Laddie to bring the 3 scared looking sheep forward.

For a long time the Troutbeck dog trials have taken place each year in August, and until quite recently the prize given was always a silver cup, which was treasured as a proof of the winning dog’s skill and the herder’s patient training. Now, however, by the desire of the younger participators, money has been substituted.

Friday, August 23, 1901, was the day set for the most recent Troutbeck trials. It was a perfect day, somewhat hotter than one would have expected, with a clear blue sky overhead, intense in color, and almost cloudless.

The course selected was on the Applethwaite Fells, where the rough hillsides are covered with bracken and heather, with gray lichen-coated rocks jutting out here and there in strong relief against the golden browns and yellow of the bracken and the purple of the heather. The fells were treeless from top to bottom; strange-looking loose stone walls encircled the hills, winding their seemingly purposeless way, serpent-like, through crag and hollow; a small stream, almost hidden from view by the tall bracken, came trickling down the hillside. Quite inconspicuous was this stream, and yet it influenced the fortunes of more than one good dog, for the day was hot and the water cool, and many dogs gave way to the temptation and stopped to slake their thirst.

One of the sheep made a bolt toward the lower part of the crag, but Laddie turned it back quick as a flash.

The course along which the dogs were to take the sheep began at the small triangular pen, running thence in a northeasterly direction uphill and to the east of a flag. From there it went northward down hill, across the stream already mentioned, uphill, and between two flags which were placed to the eastward of a high, rocky crag; then nearly due west, crossing a small gully, and passing between other two flags; next southward, along fairly level ground thickly covered with bracken, to and between the last pair of flags; and from there to the finishing pen. The whole distance from start to finish was about three-quarters of a mile.

The man whose dog was working stood on a knoll about one hundred and fifty yards from the starting point, and not until the sheep were almost at the finishing pen was he allowed to leave his place. From the knoll he had to guide his dog as best he could by signs and signals, shrill whistling, and sometimes calling.

Shepherd and dog working together at the finishing pen.

Forty-two dogs were entered on the lists, divided into three classes: competitors for Local Stakes for the district within a radius of ten miles from Windermere Railway Station; Special Stakes for the district within twenty miles of the station; and Open Stakes for all comers. Among the principal rules governing the trials were the following: “Any dog that injures a sheep will be disqualified.” “No dogs except those competing will be allowed on the grounds.” “All sheep-dogs entered must have been not less than three months the bona fide property of the exhibitor, and except when competing, must be held by a cord or chain, under penalty of disqualification.” “No person will be allowed with the dog competing except the man working it, and he will be placed where the judged direct.

Slowly they came until near the goal; then, before man or dog could stop them, all three bolted fast.

The number of sheep for each dog was three, two of which were Herdwicks and the third a half-breed. For each trial three fresh sheep are used, these being taken from the herd penned behind the stone wall which marked the southern boundary of the grounds, and placed in the small starting pen.

At 9.30 A.M. the trials commenced, and the first herder, J. R., stood on the knoll, holding in leash his splendid gray dog Laddie. The dog seemed to realize that some special effort was called for to-day, and looked inquiringly first at his master and then toward the judges’ tent. He seemed to be waiting eagerly to be released. The waving of a red flag was the signal for the simultaneous release of the three penned sheep and the anxious gray dog. At once the latter made toward the three bewildered sheep, directed at first by his master’s call, for the bracken was high and hid the animals from the dog’s view.

At last, by coaxing ever so gently, they were taken to the pen.

It was not long before he saw them, however. Without seemingly paying the slightest attention to his master’s call, he hurried them along at a lively speed. Up the stone-covered hillside they scampered till they reached the first flag; then Laddie stopped an instant for orders—a simple whistle, which he understood—and once more the three sheep were off, with the dog following close behind, guiding them carefully and keeping all three closely bunched together as they passed the first of the series of flags. Then, following the master’s signals, Laddie urged them on over still rougher ground, watching intently lest any should attempt to escape. Over the top of the hill and down the slope they went, faster and faster, until, still well bunched, the brook was passed and they were going uphill toward the first pair of flags. Then one of the sheep made a bolt toward the lower part of the crag, but Laddie turned it back quick as a flash, thereby saving much time. Once more they made for the opening between the two flags that seemed to be planted so very close together. When quite near, they hesitated and had to be urged on. As soon as they started in the right direction Laddie lay down and watched them as they walked slowly along, leaving the flags on either side.

The winner of the prize for the handsomest collie.

Looking toward his master for new directions, he quickly overtook his charges, who were slowly making their way for the hilltop, and, turning them in the direction of the next flag, now forced them into a gallop. Over the rocks they went, surefooted as goats, frequently lost to view among the bracken, but each time reappearing with the gray dog close at their heels.

Nearer and nearer they came, to within six feet of the flags, and seemed to be going well, when suddenly, without warning, they galloped off on the wrong side. The bracken was so high that the poor dog had not seen the second mark. “Coom t’me, lad! coom t’me!” shouted his master, and then the dog realized that a mistake had been made, and ran to a clear piece of ground, from which he could see his master and get his signals. The sheep, fortunately, had stopped soon after passing the flag, and the dog understood that they must be driven back outside the mark (for such is the rule), then turned sharply round and brought between the two flags.

How he understood it is difficult for us to realize, but that he did was proved by his actions; try as the sheep might to go the wrong way, Laddie, now coaxing, now forcing them, soon had all three in position for starting again for the narrow way that led between the two fluttering flags.

“T’hame, Laddie! t’hame!” called his master; and Laddie turned those sheep sharply round and brought them between the two red and white flags at full gallop.

It was well done, and the people gave the dog three subdued cheers—subdued because much noise would have distracted his attention. For this reason you seldom hear much shouting or clapping of hands until after the penning has been accomplished.

Sheep and dog came rapidly toward the pen, jumping the high bracken, dodging thick clumps of heather, and scrambling over loose rocks. Straight as a die they came until they were within a hundred yards or so of the pen, when Laddie was signalled to lie down, while the sheep, no longer driven, were glad of the opportunity to rest. J. K., leaving the knoll, came running down among the heather that clothed the steep hillside, to help at closer quarters in the penning. The trial was a near thing, for only one minute and twenty seconds of the allowed time remained, and the penning is a difficult matter, which requires care as well as time. The pen consists of three hurdles, the entrance being but wide enough to admit a full-sized sheep. Standing as it does in the open, without anything in the way of a path leading to it, it is the very last place that a sheep would think of entering of its own accord.

J. R. stood on one side of the pen and beckoned Laddie to bring the three scared-looking sheep forward. Slowly they came until near the goal; then, before man or dog could stop them, all three bolted past, and fully half a minute was lost in bringing them back.

At last, by coaxing ever so gently, they were taken to the pen, and two were passed through the narrow entrance and penned. The third, however, turned at the critical moment and bolted.

Time was nearly up; but a few seconds remained. Could the animal be recovered before those seconds had passed?

The spectators held their breath and watched intently; the time-keeper stood, watch in hand, ready to call the fatal word “Time,” while the man and the dog were working with nervous energy. It was a race against the second-hand of a watch, and the odds were in favor of the secondhand. Fortunately the two sheep in the pen had remained there, so the undivided attention was given to bringing in the third, which had run about fifty yards before Laddie could turn it. Back they came, the driven and the driver, until once more they were close to the pen. Then the dog dropped down, with his head on his paws, watching the sheep as it stood near the narrow entrance.

Nearer and nearer came the man, with arms outspread, while the dog crawled on his belly toward the staring, panting sheep. Once the sheep turned, as though to run, when, quick as a flash, Laddie stood up and took a step forward, ready to cut off the retreat; but the sheep, thinking better of it, turned toward the pen, and, after hesitating a moment, slowly entered, one second ahead of time.

It was a good piece of work; the dog had missed no points, had made some good retrieves, and had penned his sheep within the required time. So the crowd gave the plucky fellow three hearty cheers that bounded against the rocky sides of the mountain, and went echoing over the fells and fens until lost to hearing.

Of the many other dogs entered in the first class, but few were as fortunate as Laddie. Some were unlucky enough to have a bad trio of sheep—and much depends on how the sheep behave. Some are wild and will not run together; others travel too fast and cannot be checked; while others again are too slow and require constant urging. One of the dogs lost control of his sheep at the very commencement, each of the three running in a different direction, and the dog, though a good oneb(as he proved himself in the open stakes, which he won), was unable to collect them in the time allowed. The first class was won, not by Laddie, but by an old dog named Jack, who gave one of the finest exhibitions of the day, making some wonderful retrieves, keeping his sheep well in hand, while he completed the course and penning in seven minutes and thirty seconds.

The next class was run during the extreme heat of the day, and now it was that the tantalizing brook proved a temptation too strong for many of the dogs. One dog who was doing good work owed his failure to the strains of music that came across the hills from a band of itinerant musicians who, with an eye for gain, had taken their stand near the crowd of spectators. Their lively tunes distracted the dog, very much to his master’s disgust, and he became confused by the strange mixture of sounds, and lost many minutes in his endeavors to understand his master’s orders.

The time for this, the second class, was reduced to eight minutes, and of the thirteen dogs entered only one penned within the time without missing a point. That fortunate dog was Laddie, who had a minute to his credit when the sheep were safely in the pen.

One of the shepherds lost his temper completely because his dog, a young one, little over a year old, gave tongue when the sheep refused to do his bidding. It is against the rules and regulations for a dog to bark during the trials, and as the young dog broke these rules, his master’s voice came ringing through the air. He cried out angrily, “Shoot yo’ mouth, will ye! Hae ye nowt better to do than yowl? What’ll yon people think on ye, ye miserable yowling tyke! I’ll make it proper hot for ye, an’ I get ye hame, oor I’m gradely mistaken.” Whether or not he made it “proper hot” for the dog was not known, but the people said his anger was to some extent justified.

The gray dog at home.

It will be noticed by any one who witnesses the sheep-dog trials that the actual penning within a certain limit of time does not always call forth the greatest amount of applause, for so much depends, of course, on how the sheep behave. The dog that does well with difficult sheep, making good recoveries and generally handling them well, receives far more of the public’s commendation, and certainly deserves more, than the dog who chances to have a set of sheep that are easily worked.

At the conclusion of the trials three prizes were given to the handsomest collies competing. When the name “collie” is used, it must be understood that these dogs are not the handsome, heavily coated dogs known in Cumberland as “fancy collies,” but more or less shaggy dogs with not very thick coats. They are lighter in build and rather longer than the fancy collie, and vary greatly in color – black, black and tan, blue, gray, and sable being the colors usually seen.

From the point of view of the amateur photographer, the sheep-dog trials are a great disappointment, as no spectator is allowed within about a hundred and fifty yards of the course, and it was only through the extreme kindness and courtesy Mr. A. B. Dunlop, the honorary secretary, and prime mover in the trials, that I was allowed the freedom of the grounds, with the privilege of using the camera.

Excerpted from Everybody’s Magazine – August 1902

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There should be a distinction made between the English sheep dog; German shepherd and the Scotch Colley. But if all are exhibited in our shows as Scotch Colley, they should be judged by the Colley standard, and by no means to lower the Colley standard to the advantage of off-colored specimens or English or German varieties. These last two could compete on the same basis of any color competing and no injustice done. But to judge them by the Colley standard, ignoring color altogether, is a gross injustice to the race of Colleys, which to be perfect demands a fixed definite color.

All authorities demand for the Colley that he be “black with pale tan points, with little or no white.”

The English sheep dog may be any color. The German sheep dog fawn colored. In fact, any color.

Let there be three classes then one to be called:

Class one—Colley.— These to be judged strictly by the standard and score cards used for Colleys.

Class two — English Shepherd.— In which all shepherd dogs not of Colley color could compete, being judged independent of color. Standard to be made.

Class three—Scotch Shepherd.—These to take the short and close-haired black and tan sheep dog that have no Colley coat. This then would do away with the correspondence in relation to coat. A Colley would mean a Colley then.

Color of the Colley, I have said the standard authority says, “black with pale tan or fawn markings, with little or no white”—Lee Stonehenge in Dogs of America, and the wording of the standard now used, “the tan, the tan paled out.” Nearly all my readers have seen a pile of tan bark that has come from the vats that has been exposed to the weather and dried by the sun. Some would conceive a more correct idea of the color if described as a reddish fawn. Charity to the taste of all breeders would be to say that the Scotch Colley shall be black with tan or fawn markings, and such, if no white (or a few hairs on tip of tail and small spot between fore legs not exposed to general view), may be deemed perfect in surface color. This is a fair interpretation of the reading.

The points or markings of this tan or fawn color are the upper lips, under jaw, small round spots over the eyes, the hair of inside of ears, a crescent or shield-shaped spot at throat, shoulder points inside of legs and flank, feet and up the outside of legs to a point below the knee and hock joints. All this should be of the light color described, the balance black with the rear of hind legs black or dark brown. While in this connection comes the under or Colley coat. This in color should be a grayish fawn or black, and when wholly of a tan, fawn or black, defective, as the skin generally follows the color of the under coat. This under thick coat lifts the outer wiry coat into a wavy and sometimes quite rough appearance, which shows the under coat through in a strong light, but altogether making a thick bushy coat of hair. The head, breast, belly and legs have little or none of this woolly coat described. It seems to be nature’s thatch that keeps the Colley dry under all circumstances, as wind, rain or snow will not penetrate it.

I have said nothing so far of form of structure to save repetition, as I present form and color of each section in the proposed standard description.

The standard scale of points :
Symmetry 10 points
Size 8 points
Condition 8 points
Colley coat 10 points
Head and cars 10 points
Throat and neck 8 points
Breast and lower body 10 points
Back and loin 10 points
Rump and flank 10 points
Feet and legs 10 points
Tail 6 points
Total 100 points

Standard Description.

Symmetry— To be perfect must combine in harmony all the other sections, they being perfect in form, as described by the standard, general appearance, style, carriage and form being considered under this head and if perfect has a value in the scale of ten points.

Size or weight—The latter perhaps most perfect, as a male weighing forty-four or more pounds and a female weighing forty or more pounds should be deemed first class. While those falling below should be cut one point to each pound of deficit when in good healthy not over fat condition. Full value of this section eight points.

Condition—Controls our action in relation to health, condition of flesh, unhealthy condition of hair and skin, and when the specimen is exhibited all right in this respect has a full score which is eight points.

Colley coat.— This is the soft woolly under coat of hair growing upon neck, back and sides of the dogs, and seems to be nature’s provision to keep dry and warm the animals much exposed. Exposure increases its development and for the herder’s use much to be preferred; but for the gentleman’s pet the less of it the better. Therefore in saying what shall be perfect in the show pen, we say in view of these two interests, so long as the coat is fairly developed it with all heavier development shall be entitled to the full score, and shall be cut for defect, as it shall diminish, from one to ten points, and where total absence of the coat is the case the coat shall be cut the full number and value ten points.

Head and ears. — The head should be rather broad and indicative of intelligence, having good brain development, muzzle fine, apparently long, lower jaw fine and taper, showing but little below the upper lip ; ear small, erect to the extent of two-thirds its length, the upper third falling to the front over the ear cavity ; head proper, outside of ears, upper surface of muzzle and around the eyes black in color, lower jaw, upper lips, inside of ears, and two round spots over the eyes, pale tan or fawn. Value of section ten points.

Throat and neck.—The throat should be clean cut. the hair growing down and outward curling to the front at the ends, thus making a frill from back of ears to chest, making a shield shape pale tan surface viewed from front; neck of equal length with head put on to shoulder at an angle of about thirty degrees; covered with a rough coat of black hair, under coat being generally darkest at this point. Value eight points.

Breast and lower body.—Breast prominent and black in color of hair which terminates in a point between shoulder points: shoulder blade long and flat, color black ; shoulder points strong and pale tan or fawn in color. Lower body wedge shape giving free action to limbs and in hair black or may shade from black at back to a reddish brown at line with belly. Value ten points.

Back and loin.—Back, owing to the bridge shape low body, may be said to be broad and long (the well turned sloping rump with back give the dog a long appearance for his height). Loin broad and full and deep in flank all of which is covered with a black heavy wavy coat of hair. Value ten points.

Hump and hips.—Rump long and well turned, sloping somewhat to tail; hips broad as consistent with back and loin development but not so high as to appear prominent; color of hair black, which in a strong light will sometimes show reddish, it being the effect of the under coat which is often light in its color at this point. Value ten points.

Feet and legs.—The legs fine in bone and apparently long, the fore legs quite straight, the hind legs much curved being long from hip to hock and short from hock to foot; thigh broad and flat inside of legs, feet and outside up to a point near knee and hock, pale tan or fawn color ; rear of hind legs black or reddish brown ; balance of limbs black. Feet should be oblong and not spread. A loose spread round foot being a defect. Value ten points.

Tail.—Long and curved, taking a second downward curl at the tip and to the right side generally; when moving in an animated way the tail is carried gaily but not much above the spine line in height. The tail is well flagged with black hair the lower fringe generally more or less mixed with grayish fawn and black giving the tail a shaded black to slate color in appearance. Value six points.

Remarks.-In the above standard description we give a pen picture of a perfect Colley dog. This absolute perfection is seldom and we may say never seen; to posses whose whole eleven sections are perfect would be a wonderful sight, yet in making a standard we would not do other than describe the perfect. When we apply a perfect standard to an imperfect specimen it is then that we detect the outs, and thus we say if a dog be small in loin, light in flank, too short in legs, and carries his tail over his back, that he is faulty in symmetry at least 2-1-1-1-5 points out in symmetry, now the same specimen will be faulty in all the sections named, and as we reach these sections we say small in loin, 2; light in flank, 1; too short in leg, 1; and feet it may be spread a little, 1. While if the muzzle be black in the upper lip 1 to 1 1/2 points will have to be cut there and thus we have a specimen scoring 11 1/2 points out of 88 1/2 points. We take another case to wit.

Sample No. 2.-Symmetry perfect:
Size: weighing 42 pounds out… 2 points
Condition hair dead, hot and dry… 2 points
Head shape is all right but has white between the eyes and the tip of muzzle (color)… 2 points
Breast narrow white stripe down the center cutting the black points in twain… 1 points
Colley coat but partially developed… 3 points
Back and loin all right… 3 points
Rump and hips… 3 points
Legs and feet… 3 points
Tail one-half white… 1 points
Total… 11 points

Or scoring 89 points

We claim by this standard to give 15 points for color. The question for the judge to ask mentally when an out appears is, what percentage of the whole section does it effect. The practice of cutting 1-2 or 3 points without considering the natter as I suggest, often will prove unwise and severe in judgement. For instance a tail half white would seem to be faulty to a degree that should demand a cut of more than one part but the standard admits a little white and the tip of the tail is the place where in most cases it appears, but as we could not call color more than two of the six points to cut one point for such a defect seems just. One thing is certain, the specimen should be cut something standard does not describe a Colley with a white tail. We believe judges will be compelled to come down close to standard points and use a score card and until they do we shall not have good even judging. Hoping that time is not distant I am yours truly.
I.K. Felch

Excerpted from The Poultry Monthly, September 1881

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