You are visiting the "Shaw"
page. Don't forget, click on the "back" button to return to the
"Timeline" page.
Vero Shaw wrote The Illustrated Book of the Dog (Assisted by
the Leading Breeders of the Day). London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.,
1879 to 1881. It has been stated by several
authors that Shaw's book is only the fourth general work on dogs
with color illustrations to be published in the English
language.
Shaw's book is sometimes
referred to as Cassell's Book of the Dog. Shaw's book is
sometimes confused with another book entitled New book
of the Dog, by Robert Leighton from 1907. What the two books
have in common is that they were both published by Cassell, Petter, Galpin
& Co.
Shaw presented an engraving entitled "
Scotch Bob-tailed Sheepdog" to represent what he
thought Gordon James Phillips had described in his letter of
November 15, 1878. The letter was published in the Live Stock Journal
and, again later, in Gray's book Dogs of
Scotland (1891). Gray used the pseudonym of "Whinstone" when
he published writings for the Live Stock Journal.
Shaw wrote (The Sheep-Dog, Chapter IX):
"There has been an attempt made by one or two writers in
The Live Stock Journal—which devotes no
inconsiderable portion of its pages to canine matters—to
designate this dog the Highland Collie, but there was an
utter absence of any reasoning in justification of claiming
for the Highlands of Scotland the honour of being the
peculiar home of the Collie. We are rather disposed to think
that the pastoral dales of the Lowlands of Scotland and the
North of England have had more to do with breeding the dog
to his present high state of perfection as a shepherd than
the North Highlands, where the more peaceful occupation of
stock-farming did not so early take the place of petty
warfare and the chase, which formed the chief employment. We
may here observe that the system of breeding these dogs by
shepherds has been altogether independent of consideration
of pedigree, which, no doubt, has given rise to the very
considerable diversity of colour and coat which we find
among true-bred Collies."
After finishing his words on the Collies, he included a
section presented below:
The Bob-Tailed Sheep-Dog
"This variety has little in common with the Collie dog as
described above, and is a rare companion for people in the
higher classes of society, as his homely and rugged exterior
place his claims to aristocratic patronage beneath those of
the ordinary Collie. In appearance he is of a far stouter
and coarser build than his cousins, the Scotch and Welsh
Sheep-dogs, and his coat is usually long, shaggy, and
inclined to curl. This last feature is a defect, but in this
variety only a minor one. His face is shaggy, if not devoid
of long hair, as in the Collie, and his colour is usually
grizzle. The skull is round and muzzle truncated, with the
couplings short and square. The chief feature in the breed,
however, is the almost absence of tail, which is of the
shortest possible dimensions. A theory has been started that
this is the result of constant generations of Sheep-dogs
with docked tails having been bred together; but this
appears incredible to us. Should this reasoning be correct,
we may shortly expect to produce English Terriers with ready
cropped ears, or Fox-terriers and Spaniels with naturally
docked tails. Another theory is that this breed has been
crossed with the Bull-dog, and hence the natural singularity
in its caudal appendage. We cannot however receive this
suggestion with more favour than the former, as so large a
cross of Bull would inevitably render the dog too "hard "
in mouth, and give the breed a tendency to worry stock,
which would be very undesirable in a drover's dog. However,
whatever may be the reason for this development, the variety
exists, and, as a working dog, has no superior."
"Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, of Rhiwlas, has owned some of the
best specimens we have seen, his old Bob being a very large
prize-winner at our shows. He says of them that " They come
principally from the Lake Country, and are not adapted for
penning or driving, but are best for escorting sheep along
the roads, where they often show their cleverness by running
over the backs of a closely-packed flock of sheep, and
getting in front to turn them, when they cannot pass by the
side. They are even better adapted for rough wear and tear
than the long-haired sort, their coat being of a sort of
door-mat texture. The bob-tail I believe to have arisen from
the fact that a tax used to be imposed on all dogs with a
tail, and a long course of breeding from dogs with the tails
cut off has produced these results." It will be seen from
the latter remarks that Mr. Price has faith in the theory
given above, though we cannot admit our own is very great.
His allusion, too, to the bob-tailed dog running over the
backs of sheep has, to a certain extent, surprised us. We
know the practice is a common one amongst Sheep-dogs, but
should have considered the breed in question of too heavy a
build to resort to such means of heading his sheep."
"The original type of the bob-tailed Sheep-dog is uncertain.
The best we have met with have generally been in Devon,
where at Exeter and other shows in the county we have seen
them in fair numbers, and in quality what we consider
perfection. The animals are said to be very intelligent, and
everlasting workers; but although picturesque, they appear
slow, and have not that bright knowing look that
distinguishes the Collie. The colours are black and white,
or grizzle, with more or less of distinct white patches. It
is, however, singular that a very similar variety appears to
be known in Scotland, where it also is sometimes termed the
"Rough-coated " Collie, from the shagginess of its jacket.
In a letter which appeared in the Live Stock Journal of Nov.
I5th, 1878, Mr. Gordon James Phillips, of Glenlivet,
described this variety as follows:"
"The origin of the rough-coated Collie is more
difficult to trace back to its native wilds than any
other dog that we know. It forms a small minority among
shepherds' dogs, and it is seldom, if ever, seen
pure-bred in the north of Scotland. Nature, however, has
given it marks which cannot be effaced, which help to
unravel the mystery which envelops its nativity. These
are its shaggy coat, the thickness of its skin, and the
formation of its limbs. The thick skin and the shaggy
coat point unmistakably to its being the native of a
cold climate ; while the short powerful limbs point as
powerfully to its being the native of a mountainous
country. Glancing for a moment at other animals that are
natives of Scotland, and marking the resemblance between
them and the rough-coated Collie, we are inclined to
think that it also is Scotch. Take, for example,
Highland cattle and Highland horses. They have the rough
coat, the short thick limbs, and the thick skin, and in
their own characters the same amount of endurance. The
only plausible argument against the Collie being Scotch
is its scarcity in Scotland. This may be accounted for,
however, when we take into consideration the fact that
the black-and-tan Collie is better adapted than the
rough-coated Collie for the ordinary work about small
farms, such as driving in and out cattle, sitting beside
a few sheep, and so on. It is also more easily trained
for work of this sort. This would naturally make the
black-and-tan Collie a greater favourite with farmers
than its rough-coated neighbour. Within the last few
years, however, sheep have become more valuable, and the
rough-coated Collie has again become fashionable,
shepherds preferring it for its endurance of cold and
fatigue, and its ability as a driver. Shepherds also
affirm that for sheep it is, on the whole, the best
dog."
"The animal itself is about the size of an
ordinary Collie, but a good deal deeper chested. As
already mentioned, it is thicker in the skin; it is also
flatter in the forehead. Altogether, the head would be
somewhat repulsive looking, if it were not relieved by
the beautiful dark brown eyes. Its greatest peculiarity
in form is in the tail, which is simply a stump,
generally from six to nine inches in length. That the
animal is of Scotch origin, owing to its resemblance to
other Scotch animals, is apparent, if we compare it with
the Scotch Terrier, which it resembles very much in colour a dark grey. At all events, the black-and-tan
Collie, now common throughout Scotland, would be much
more at home in the southern part of the island than in
the north. It cannot endure the same amount of cold. In
winter it has a great inclination to get near the fire,
and is generally shivering, whereas the rough-coated
Collie seldom draws to the fire, but seems to be at home
among the drift and snow. It is finely adapted for hill
climbing, owing to the strength of its limbs and the
depth of its chest. Shepherds have an idea, which, on
the whole, is not a bad one, that it was intended by
nature to be specially a sheep-dog, owing to its short
tail, which does not let it turn so swiftly as it would
otherwise do, if gifted with the long tail of its
brother Collie. To understand this it is necessary to
know that when shepherds send a dog to hunt sheep they
desire it to take a wide circle round, not to dash in
amongst them. The black-and-tan Collie must be trained
to do this, but the rough-coated one must make a wide
sweep, owing to the stump. Perhaps better proofs exist
of its being specially a sheep-dog, when we consider its
aptitude for driving. Shepherds state that they can
safely trust 200 or 300 sheep to the sagacity of this
valuable dog, which does not hurry or push, but drives
them as coolly and as cautiously as if its master were
present. Another proof is that it will not follow game.
The black-and-tan Collie, if it sees a hare, will dart
away after it at its utmost speed. Most dogs will do so
; but it is different with the rough-coated Collie. If a
hare start up amongst its feet, it will simply look
after it with a scared-like look, and then move on its
way again."
"It will be obvious that Mr. Phillips in the above remarks
used the word "rough-coated" in a sense different to that in
which it is usually applied to the Rough-Coated Collie. We
reproduce the engraving of a 'rough-coated,' bob-tailed 'Collie,' as
described by him, and without pledging ourselves to any
particular details of his statement, can testify to having
seen dogs precisely resembling that here portrayed. The
strong resemblance in many points of the English bob-tailed
dog is too striking to be accidental, and it is hardly
likely that there were two original types; but whether the
northern or southern type was that original cannot now be
decided. Perhaps, seeing the north country undoubtedly
produced or perfected the other and better-known type of
Sheep-dog, while Mr. Lloyd Price also traces the animal to
the Lake district, the probability may be rather in favour
of a general northern origin, whatever the precise locality
may be."
"The disposition of several rough bob-tailed
Sheep-dogs we have met with has differed considerably from
that of the Collie, being mild and affectionate."
"It is impossible to give any standard for judging this
variety. General appearance, tail, strength, and shagginess
without too much length of coat, should be taken into
consideration."
"The Sheep-dog is capable of nearly anything in the way of
herding or attending to stock ; and the stories told of his
intelligence almost surpass belief. Nothing has done more to
illustrate the Collie's value than the institution of the
Sheep-dog trials, which were first inaugurated at Bala by
Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price. This gentleman further gave Londoners
a treat by bringing a flock of 100 wild Welsh sheep up to
the Alexandra Palace in 1876. Here three sheep were picked
out of the flock (which was folded in a remote corner of the
park), and were carried to the field of operations on the
side of the hill. They were then liberated, and the dog
whose turn it was to work them was required to pen them in a
small fold situated in the middle of the green bounded by
the racecourse. The only assistance the dog received was
from his master, who was, however, forbidden to touch the
sheep under penalty of disqualification. Those acquainted
with sheep will fully appreciate the difficulties of the
task thus set the shepherd and his dog, for wild Welsh sheep
are very unlike their civilised brothers met with nearer
towns. But to quote from the account published at the time
in the Live Stock Journal : —"Some of the dogs were so well
trained that many spectators expressed the utmost
astonishment at the intelligence they displayed. Some of
them lie down before the sheep, so as to let them recover
their equanimity; then they get up quietly, move a step
forward, and lie down again; this they repeat over and over
again, producing a corresponding step of the sheep towards
the entrance of the pen, and finally they fairly drive them
in, almost unconsciously to themselves."
"This long and careful training is not conducted by any set
rules. The best-trained Collies have lived with their
masters from puppyhood, and learnt to associate with sheep
from their earliest years. The inherited habits of
generations also predispose the sagacious animals to the
performance of the duties required of them ; and old
experienced dogs, with whom they are at first always worked,
further assist in the process."
|
|
