Evening star., 1940-07-28

work of the stock farmer. In most
of these breeds, the forebears OF
the breed are known, or the definite
history of the breed goes back to
remote ages. Many of the breeds
are anatomically related. However,
the Old English sheepdog is one OF
the herding breeds whose origin is
a mystery and whose known history
goes back a mere $50 years.
1t is claimed by some that there
is a relationship between the Rus
sian sheep-herding~dog, the ouatcha
and the Old English sheepdog. The
general outline of both is similar.
The coat, color and size OF some
specimens are similar to those OF
the bobtail. But no relationship
can be proved. There is more likeli-
mood of a common ancestry be-
tween the Old English sheepdog
and the briard and the pull, the
respective herding dogs OF France
and Hungary. Both the latter are
generally much lighter in build
than the English bobtail, and the
pull is generally much smaller, but
both retain the same general, square
outline, shagginess and coat color
ings.
Must Dock Tails.
While many Old English sheep
dogs are naturally bobtailed at
birth. by far the largest number OF
them are born with a long or short
tail which has to be docked in the
first week of the puppy's life. Un-
like most other docked breeds, the
Old English sheepdog's tai! is taken
off at the very first joint. and when
mature the dog shows no sign OF its
natural caudal appendage. Pre-
sumably the reason for cutting the
tail of this breed is to prevent dam
age to the tail when the dog is going
through rough country. However,
a more cogent reason was probably
found by the farmers who first used
this type of dog to be to guard and
drive their flocks.
The ownership of dogs was
heavily licensed in the England of
$50 years ago. But the government
recognized the need of the farmer
for the services of dog and knew
that few farmers could afford the
high dog taxes, so passed law that
farmers dogs were to have their
tails docked as a sign that they
we're working dogs. Such dogs were
tax exempt Such dogs were cur
tailed" from which evolved the
phrase farmers cur which came
later to indicate a dog of low degree
or mongrel.
Another mystery surrounding the
Old English sheepdog is the origin
of the name. Early references to
this type call him the "drover' S
dog" which more accurately defines
the breed than the accepted name.
While this type was and is used
for sheep herding, his real mission
in life has much more often been
that of general stock driver, at
which work he excels. His size and
conformation are much more adapt
ed to the work of cattle driving
than to the work of herding sheep,
which often means quick turns
over rocky and hilly countryside,
requiring a lighter and more agile
breed.
Shown by Gainsborough.
The earliest known picture OF a
dog of this type is the one in which
bobtail is shown with Duke of
Buccleugh painted by Gainsborough
in It'll. However. no early record
has been bound which refers to the
dog in this picture either by name
or breed 1t is definitely known,
however, that this type of dog was
very popular and reached its great
est development in the west of Eng
land, in Devonshire, Somersetshire
and Cornwall.
Probably the earliest four dogs to
make show records were Bentinck