Color: Any shade of gray, grizzle or blue with or without white
markings. Height: 24 in. Weight: 65 lbs.
This is a strong, compact dog, profusely coated, with a characteristic
ambling when trotting, and owns a thick-set, muscular short body,
liberal bone, and a most intelligent expression. The skull is capacious,
squarely formed, and well covered with hair. The eyes vary in color
according to the shade of the dog. A “wall” or “China” eye is considered
typical. The small ears are carried flat to the side of his head. Many
are bred tailless, if otherwise they are docked close. The coat is
profuse, of good hard texture, not straight, but shaggy, yet free from
curl. He should have plenty of undercoat.
This breed is also of very early origin and has been bred in England for
some hundreds of years. He is probably a relic of the early pastoral
days when the wolf inhabited the British isles, from which the flocks
and herds had to be protected. Some authorities claim, however, that he
is a descendant of the Russian Owtchar.