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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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sheepdogs
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Dogs bred, like the *collies, for herding sheep or driving them to market. The Old English sheepdog is large and shaggy, with a coat usually of grey and white and with long hair obscuring its eyes. It was bred in the west of England and an important element in the strain is believed to have been the Scottish bearded collie. Certainly the working breed now known as the bearded collie is closely related, being similar in appearance but smaller, with a shorter coat and sometimes with a reddish tan colour instead of grey. The other well-known variety of sheepdog, the Shetland or 'sheltie' (originating in the Shetlands), looks like a small version of a long-haired collie and has a wide range of colours from black to a golden brown, with white or tan markings.
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