THE sheepdog DOG.
The sheepdog dog makes a superb gun dog, and might be tutored to try and do the work of the Pointer and therefore the Setter, additionally as that of the spaniel and therefore the sporting dog. He will be trained to perform the duties of alternative breeds. he's clever at looking, having a superb nose, could be a sensible vermin-killer, and a most devoted watch, guard, and companion.
Little is understood with certainty of the origin of the sheepdog, however his crafty and his outward look would appear to point a relationship with the canine. Buffon was of opinion that he was verity dog of nature, the stock and model of the entire canine species. He thought of the working dog superior in instinct and intelligence to all or any alternative breeds, and that, with a personality within which education has relatively very little share, he's the sole animal born utterly trained for the service of man.
At the shows this kind of dog is invariably at the highest of the category. he's thought of the foremost tractable, and is definitely the foremost agile. Second to the current kind in favour is that the smooth-coated selection, a really laborious, useful dog, well custom-made for hill work and typically terribly fleet of foot. he's not therefore sweet in temper because the black and white, and is slow to create friends. there's not a additional sleek and physically lovely dog to be seen than the show sheepdog of this amount. made from the recent operating kind, he's currently much a definite breed.
The bone ought to be flat, moderately wide between the ears, and bit by bit tapering towards the eyes. There ought to solely be a small depression at stop. The breadth of bone essentially depends upon combined length of bone and muzzle; and therefore the whole should be thought of in reference to the scale of the dog. The cheek shouldn't be full or outstanding.
The muzzle ought to be of truthful length, tapering to the nose, and should not show weakness or be snipy or lippy. regardless of the color of the dog is also, the nose should be black. The teeth ought to be of fine size, sound and level; terribly slight unevenness is permissible. The jaws Clean cut and powerful. The eyes ar a really necessary feature, and provides expression to the dog; they must be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond form, and of a brown color except within the case of merles, once the eyes ar often (one or both) blue and white or china; expression choked with intelligence, with a fast alert look once listening. The ears ought to be tiny and moderately wide at the bottom, and placed not too approximate however on the highest of the bone and not on the aspect of the top. once in repose they must be sometimes carried thrown back, however once on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in angle of listening.
The neck ought to be muscular, powerful and of truthful length, and somewhat arched. The body ought to be robust, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders, that ought to be diagonal, loins terribly powerful. The dog ought to be straight before. The fore-legs ought to be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a good quantity of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility while not weakness. The hind-legs ought to be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles. The feet ought to be oval in form, soles well cushioned, and therefore the toes arched and shut along.
In general character he's a svelte active dog, his deep chest showing respiratory organ power, his neck strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, and his expression high intelligence. He ought to be a good length on the leg, giving him additional of a racy than a cloddy look. in an exceedingly few words, a sheepdog ought to show endurance, activity, and intelligence, with free and true action. tall dogs ought to be twenty two ins. to 24 ins. at the shoulders, bitches twenty ins. to 22 ins. the burden for dogs is forty five to sixty five lbs., bitches forty to fifty five lbs. the sleek sheepdog solely differs from the rough out its coat, that ought to be laborious, dense and quite swish.