Marci Sudlow wrote:
> So
> when he developed terrible tangles this spring, I clipped off his mats.  He
> had a lion-like appearance for awhile w/ intact long ruff but nearly shaved
> body from the shoulders back!

Marci, this description of your lion-like clipped Collie reminded me of
something I've wanted to mention: a feature of the old rough coat at the
turn of the century and before is the very distinct difference between
the length of body coat and the length of ruff. In many of the current
Collies both in America and abroad, the body coat appears to be close to
the same length as the ruff, and the distinction and "lion-like
appearance" has faded.

My Cap's ruff is long and the coat on his sides is short, but there is
long hair on the top of his shoulders and along his topline that drapes
down over the sides and merges into the ruff, blurring the distinction.
Whereas Tracy's elizabethan collar is really distinct and stiffly stands
out from her body coat. I think generally she would be considered
"deficient in coat, but this is a coat feature I really want to
preserve, and it is illustrated in the old drawings, such as the 1843
Shepherd's Dog or Colley at the bottom of the website main page.

This distinct ruff seems to have been selected for prior to breeding for
show. I suppose it must have been considered as useful as it is handsome
(perhaps the idea that it makes it harder for the wolves to tear out the
throat).

Gina
[log in to unmask]