Amongst those in authority who believed that our modern Collie is a degenerate as regards intelligence was the late Mr. D. J. Thomson Gray. He said: "The craze for high-set ears and extra long heads has given us not a Collie, but a long-coated Greyhound, with all the latter's stupidity. Fanciers in breeding for outward points have ignored intelligence, so that the most intelligent dogs of the breed are found in those outside the prize-lists. As a watch, as a companion, and as a sporting dog, an intelligent Collie has few equals, and what makes him the more valuable in the eyes of the non-fancier is that he is as guid as he is bonnie."

In general appearance the Collie stands clear and distinct from any other of our Domestic breeds : his build is light and graceful - no superabundance of needless bone or tissue to cumber him in his work, no sacrifice of these at the shrine of elegance; yet his style and carriage are eminently elegant in every outline and graceful movement, and there is a fitness about him for the rough yet important work he has to do, and in his countenance there is a combination of wisdom and self-reliance, toned down by an expression of loyalty and love for his master, that commends him to us and commands our admiration. Fig. 44 represents Ormskirk Alexandra, owned by Mr. Pierpont Morgan, and is one of a remarkable quartet of bitches from one litter, each of which had won championships before the age of twelve months had been attained. She is a tricolour, and was bred by Mr. T. H. Stretch. The general contour, with its filling-in, shows a combination of agility, speed, and suppleness, with a power of endurance that few, if any, other breeds possess. There is no waste, no lumber about him; even his heavy coat is so in appearance only, being essentially wet-resisting, and a necessity of the exposed life he leads.

Fig. 44 - Mr. Pierpont Morgan's Rough Collie Ormskirk Alexandra.

There is no dog that excels the Collie in good looks, high intelligence, and unswerving loyalty to his master or his mistress, and to these qualities does he owe his high position as a general favourite with the public, whilst his practical excellences render him indispensable to the shepherd. As an instance of the sagacity shown by the shepherd's Collie the following may be quoted. A Scotch herder once bought some sheep in Edinburgh, and on the way home, as the road was crowded, lost two of them. This was not only a misfortune to John, but a slur upon his dog and a reproach to the man. Several days after John learned that a farmer who lived near the highway had found a pair of sheep, and he went with the dog to see if they were his. The farmer, with proper caution, asked him how they were marked. As John had bought sheep from many sellers, and had hurried out of town, he could not inform the farmer, who said: "Very well, then it is only right that I should keep the sheep." "It's a fact," replied John, "that I cannot tell the sheep; but if my dog can, will you let me have them?" The farmer, though hard, was honest, and, having little fear of the ordeal, had all the sheep upon his farm turned into a large park. John's dog also was turned into the park, and immediately singled out first one and then the other of the strays. That afternoon John was offered forty pounds for his Collie, and refused it, saying: "He's a good dog, and he's worth more than that to me. He does my work for me."

Of the development by training of that intelligence with which the Collie is so liberally endowed there is hardly any need to speak. Our many variety shows furnish us with abundant proof, while a decent book of well-authenticated instances of remarkably clever dogs might easily be compiled. Suffice it to say that there is hardly any limit to the many useful and ornamental tricks that the Collie may be taught by a patient and painstaking owner.

Of the many fallacies in connection with dogs that ought to be relegated to the limbo of forgotten absurdities is the very prevalent one that the Collie as a breed is treacherous. Even the judicial mind is not free from bias in respect of the dog, and one County Court judge who was called upon to adjudicate in a case in which a Collie figured stated that all he knew about Collies was that they were treacherous brutes. Further, he said that he had owned one, and that it had bitten several members of his family, so he sold it! Statements such as these are very damaging to a breed, and are the more regrettable since they are unwarranted by what is known of the breed as a whole. It is a slander, to say the least, on a most intelligent breed, for the modern Collie is not by nature treacherous, whatever may be said with regard to his remote ancestors. Shows more than anything have been instrumental in establishing that close association with men that is so desirable. That there are individual Collies that are savage as there are individuals in every breed cannot be denied. To condemn a variety, however, simply because of the failings of a very few is manifestly unfair, unreasonable, and misleading.

The general character of the Collie is the reverse of treacherous, although he is not so ready to bestow his confidence in a "love-at-first-sight" way, as some breeds that are accustomed to fawn and to be fondled are. His affections, once placed, are strong and his memory is tenacious; and these qualities, combined with his unusually high intelligence, make him one of the most interesting and pleasant of companions. Out of doors he is active and merry, not to say boisterous, and if this last is not kept within reasonable limits it may develop into a serious fault. When, however, this does occur, it is the fault rather of the owner than of the dog. As a watch-dog he is vigilant and trustworthy, more especially if those higher qualities are developed by judicious training.