should be small and moderately wide at the base, and placed not too close together but on the top of the skull and not on the side of the head.  When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in attitude of listening.  THE NECK should be muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched.  THE BODY should be strong, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders, which should be sloped, loins very powerful.  The dog should be straight in front.  THE FORE-LEGS should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility without weakness.  THE HIND-LEGS should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles.  THE FEET should be oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together.  The hind feet less arched, the hocks well let down and powerful.  THE BRUSH should be moderately long carried low when the dog is quiet, with a slight upward “swirl” at the end, and may be gaily carried when the dog is excited, but not over the back.  THE COAT should be very dense, the outer coat harsh to the touch, the inner or under coat soft, furry, and very close, so close as almost to hide the skin.  The mane and frill should be very abundant, the mask or face smooth, as also the ears at the tips, but they should carry more hair towards the base; the fore-legs well feathered, the hind-legs above the hocks profusely so; but below the hocks fairly smooth, although all heavily coated Collies are liable to grow a slight feathering.  Hair on the brush very profuse.  COLOUR in the Collie is immaterial.  IN GENERAL CHARACTER he is a lithe active dog, his deep chest showing lung power, his neck strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, and his expression high intelligence.  He should be a fair length on the leg, giving him more of a racy than a cloddy appearance.  In a few words, a Collie should show endurance, activity, and intelligence, with free and true action.  In height dogs should be 22 ins. to 24 ins. at the shoulders, bitches 20 ins. to 22 ins.  The weight for dogs is 45 to 65 lbs., bitches 40 to 55 lbs.  THE SMOOTH COLLIE only differs from the rough in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.  THE MAIN FAULTS to be avoided are a domed skull, high peaked occipital bone, heavy, pendulous or pricked ears, weak jaws, snipy muzzle, full staring or light eyes, crooked legs, large, flat or hare feet, curly or soft coat, cow hocks, and brush twisted or carried right over the back, under or overshot mouth.

CHAPTER IX

THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG

Intelligent and picturesque, workmanlike and affectionate, the Old English Sheepdog combines, in his shaggy person, the attributes at once of a drover’s drudge and of an ideal companion.  Although the modern dog is seen less often than of old performing his legitimate duties as a shepherd dog, there is no ground whatever for supposing that he is a whit less sagacious than the mongrels which have largely supplanted him.  The instincts of the race remain unchanged; but the mongrel certainly comes cheaper.