Sheep-dog, a name which often includes the Scottish Collie (q.v.), but which is more properly applied to the English drover's dog. The Sheep-dog or Smooth-coated Collie performs the same work for the south-country shepherd as the rough-coated for the northern one. The sheep-dog is built on more sturdy and powerful lines than the collie, but lacks the speed of the latter. His coat is short, thick, and wiry; and he is not so graceful as the collie, though possibly quite as useful. Another variety of the sheep-dog is the Bob-tailed or Moorland Collie.
(From a Photograph by Gambier Bolton, F.Z.S.)
When the game-laws were more stringent farmers were only allowed to keep a dog with a docked tail, the current belief being that hares cannot be coaxed with success by dogs with docked tails. This treatment long continued is sometimes alleged (though doubtfully) to have made the short tail hereditary. The bob-tailed collie has a long, shaggy, and curly coat over body, legs, and head. The colour is generally a gray or grizzle. As a cattle-dog he surpasses the other varieties, and is also often used for sheep.