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English Sheepdog, therefore, may be a curtal-dog without being a Cur in the sense of a degenerate dog, yet a Cur in the higher sense of the useful, shepherd's Cur of the old Welsh laws.

With regard to the character of the English Sheepdog, both old and modern writers differ greatly. Vero Shaw says: "The disposition of several rough Bobtail Sheepdogs we have met with has differed considerably from that of the Collie, being mild and affectionate."

Meyrick says: "The English Sheepdog does not possess the fidelity and sagacity of the Collie, but he is a teachable and intelligent animal. . . . In temper he is treacherous and savage, but not by any means courageous."

"Idstone" describes the dog as "surly," "slower and heavier than the Collie, and not so sprightly, nor, on the whole, so sagacious." Yet, in the same article, he says "the feats he performs are the result of his own marvellous sagacity." Then, according to "Idstone," the sagacity of the Collie is more than marvellous; or perhaps "Idstone" meant that whilst the mother-wit of the English Sheepdog was wonderful, the gumption of the Collie was incredible; or perhaps "Idstone" did not very closely consider the question in correcting his proofs.

Youatt, writing of the disposition of the Sheepdog, says: "If he be but with his master, he lies content, indifferent to every surrounding object, seemingly half asleep and half awake, rarely mingling with his kind, rarely courting, and generally shrinking from, the notice of a stranger; but the moment duty calls, his sleepy, listless eye becomes brightened, he eagerly gazes on his master, inquires and comprehends all he is to do, and, springing up, gives himself to the discharge of his duty with a sagacity, fidelity, and devotion too rarely equalled even by man himself."

It has been claimed as a characteristic of the Bobtailed English Sheepdog, that "he has the peculiar habit of running over the backs of sheep when in flock in order to head them, and on that account is highly valued in fairs and markets." "Stonehenge," "Idstone," R. J. Lloyd Price, and many others have all advanced this as special to the breed. Such a habit is not at all peculiar to the Bobtails: any Collie that is up to its business will do so when occasion requires, as every one must have observed who has attended a sheep-fair or a market.

Whatever reason there may have been for imputing bad temper to the Old English Sheepdog in the pre-exhibition days, there is certainly none now, for it is fairly well known that a more docile variety, taken generally, does not exist. A closer connection with the outside world than was possible when the breed was kept solely by the shepherd and the farmer has doubtless tended, as in the case of many other breeds, to improve the temperament. Shows,

too, have not been without their refining influence. The result is that many of the asperities inherited from those remote ancestors that were called upon not only to "work" sheep as now generally understood, but also to defend them from the co-existent wild Carnivora, have been smoothed down, and the Bobtail Sheepdog, when properly trained, is a model of what a canine companion should be. To dilate upon the sagacity of the variety, or to refer to the many excellent qualities that the dog possesses in a marked degree, is unnecessary. To these the measure of popularity that the breed enjoys abundantly testifies. How great

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FIG. 46.-DR. BOTT'S OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG CHAMPION BOUNCER.

is this popularity may best be gauged by remembering that only as far back as fourteen years ago an entry of a dozen at a show providing a decent classification would have been a fair one; while to-day a three-figure entry would be the rule at a first-class show under a popular judge; while the breed is one of the comparative few strong enough to provide a show all its own. Not a little of the popularity the breed now enjoys is due to the labours of those early fanciers, Mr. W. Weager, Mr. Freeman Lloyd, Mr. C. W. Macbeth, Dr. Edwardes Kerr, Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, and a few others; while later, Dr. Bott, Mr. A. H. Megson, Mrs. Fare Fosse, Mr. T. H. Shout, Mr. F. W. Clayton, and Dr. Locke have, with

a host of others, laboured most assiduously for the breed. Nor must one lose sight of the good work done by the Old English Sheepdog Club that was founded in 1888, and has been much in evidence ever since.

From the foundation of the Club there has been a great improvement in uniformity of type. Differences of opinion have existed, and will exist, with regard to how the ideal dog should be made up. At present size is one of the vexed questions of the Fancy. A very short time ago there was an outcry against the dog being bred too small; to-day, if anything, the other extreme obtains, the dog being too big, added to which not a few of the modern Bobtails are deficient in that indefinable if very well understood quality-expression. Colour of coat also exercised very greatly the minds of the early breeders, and it was a long time before the much coveted pigeon-blue was found combined with dogs of the right stamp. Frequently it was associated with weedylooking specimens. Gradually, however, breeders overcame the difficulty, and the pigeon-blue came to stay. Indeed, though the blue marle is undeniably handsome, yet the pigeon-blue dog, even in the twentieth century, has a host of admirers.

To put down the Old English Sheepdog (Fig. 46) in the pink of coat condition is no easy task. Constant grooming it must have; but there is such a thing as over-grooming. If the novice be well advised, he will early in his career enter the Club already named. Once a member of that body, he will come in contact with men and women who have made the showing of this dog a speciality, and these will be willing to help him over the stile.

In purchasing an adult dog, the description of the breed as furnished by the Club should be the guide; but to select a young puppy is not so easy. The chief points to look for are the promise of a big square head, short back, strong loin, a coat that is harsh to the feel, and plenty of bone. If called upon to select from the nest, the puppy that is biggest and most closely approximates to the one described should be chosen. Colour in puppies is frequently deceptive, the very dark-coloured ones sometimes assuming the coveted blue, but after many months.

The following is the description of the breed as drawn up by the Old English Sheepdog Club:

Skull.-Capacious, and rather squarely formed, giving plenty of room for brain-power. The parts over the eyes should be well arched and the whole well covered with hair.

Jaw.-Fairly long, strong, square, and truncated. The stop should be defined, to avoid a Deerhound face. [The attention of judges is particularly called to the above properties, as a long narrow head is a deformity.]

Eyes. Vary according to the colour of the dog, but in the glaucous or blue dogs a pearl, wall, or china eye is considered typical.

Nose.-Always black, large, and capacious.

Teeth. Strong and large, evenly placed, and level in opposition. Ears.-Small, and carried flat to side of head; coated moderately. Legs.-The fore legs should be dead straight, with plenty of bone, removing the body a medium height from the ground, without approaching legginess; well coated all round.

Feet.-Small, round; toes well arched, and pads thick and hard.

Tail.- Puppies requiring docking must have an appendage left of from 1ın. to 2in., and the operation performed when not older than four days.

Neck and Shoulders.-The neck should be fairly long, arched gracefully, and well coated with hair; the shoulders sloping and narrow at the points, the dog standing lower at the shoulder than at the loin.

Body.-Rather short and very compact, ribs well sprung, and brisket deep and capacious. The loin should be very stout and gently arched, while the hindquarters should be round and muscular, with well let down hocks, and the hams densely coated with a thick, long jacket, in excess of any other part.

Coat.-Profuse, and of good hard texture; not straight, but shaggy and free from curl. The undercoat should be a waterproof pile, when not removed by grooming, or season.

Colour. Any shade of grey, grizzle, blue, or blue-marled, with or without white markings; or in reverse, any shade of brown or sable is considered distinctly objectionable and not to be encouraged.

Height.-22in. and upwards for dogs, slightly less for bitches.

General Appearance.-A strong, compact-looking dog of great symmetry, absolutely free from legginess or "weaselness," profusely coated all over, very elastic in his gallop, but in walking or trotting he has a characteristic ambling or pacing movement, and his bark should be loud, with a peculiar pot cassée ring in it. Taking him all round, he is a thickset, muscular, able-bodied dog, with a most intelligent expression, free from all Poodle or Deerhound character.

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CHAPTER XVIII

THE OTTER-HOUND

66

ALTHOUGH many writers describe the Otter-hound as a dog of mixed breed, all refer him back to the old Southern Hound, or the Bloodhound, for his origin, whatever crosses may have been resorted to for producing the dog we now recognise as the legitimate hound to pursue the Fish-slicer." Blaine says he is the old Southern Hound crossed with the Water Spaniel, and that those with a dash of the Bulldog in them are the best; the Water Spaniel being supposed to supply the roughness of coat-for Water Spaniels of the eighteenth century were very different in coat, as in other points, from those dogs of to-day called by that name—and also to give or to increase the aptitude for swimming, whilst the Bulldog cross is supposed to have infused the necessary hardiness, courage, and tenacity.

Both Youatt and Richardson suppose him to be the result of a cross between the Southern Hound and the Rough Terrier, and by others the Rough Deerhound has been held to have had a share in the production of the Otter-hound. If, however, any such cross ever occurred, by either accident or design, it is so remote and slight as to be now quite swallowed up; and as a stream is lost in the immensely larger volume of the river to which it is a tributary, so has any infusion of alien blood been absorbed by the true old English hound blood of the genuine Otter-hound.

The hunting of the otter is one of our most ancient sports. Jesse, in his researches into the history of the dog, gives many interesting quotations from ancient documents showing the pursuit with hounds to have been a Royal pastime with many of our English kings. In July, 1212, the Sheriff of Somerset received commands from King John to "provide necessaries for Ralph, the otter-huntsman, and Godfrey, his fellow, with two men and two horses, and twelve Otter-hounds, as long as they find employment in capturing otters in your shire." And John, the otter-hunter to King Edward I., had twelve otter dogs under his charge. An annual payment, called "Kilgh Dourgon," was made in Wales for

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