The Shetland Times, 11.09.1909, page 5:
"The Kennel Club and Shetland
Collies.
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Refusal to Register as a
Separate Class.
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DISAPPOINTMENT IN LERWICK
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For some time now, the interests of the well-known 'Shetland Collies,' which, for various reasons had been neglected, have been receiving more attention and efforts have been made to have the class put upon a proper footing. The Shetland Collie Club, whose headquarters are at Lerwick, have been active in this direction, and have tried hard to dispel the unreasonable jealousy which undoubtedly exists among other Collie Clubs, of this breed: so much indeed does it exist that more than one paper for dog fanciers has remarked upon it. In no way can a Shetland collie compete with, say, an ordinary Scotch one, for if a purchaser wishes a large dog he will have it, and if he wants a small dog he will have it, and in size alone there is a complete line of demarkation between the dogs.
Some time ago, the local Shetland Collie Club made application to the Kennel Club for registration of the breed, enclosing the usual fee. The fee was retained, but the breed was not registered as desired, the Kennel Club's objection being mainly that the dogs were not collies and were not purebred. Other suggestions were made by the Collie Club as to finding a suitable nomenclature, and in the meantime they refused to register. Whatever force the second objection may have had at the time (and it had not much, since it is well-known and can be conclusively proved, that the small collie has existed in Shetland for a very long period), it has none now, for the members of the Collie Club and other enthusiasts have been working steadily and successfully to improve the breed and to expunge any foreign element that might be in the dogs. So far as the local Club was concerned, the matter was hung up for the time, but breeders and others further south have been pressing the matter upon the authorities of the Kennel Club, who have now issued the following decision, in response to a letter from gentlemen in the south.

'Your letter of the 16th instant was brought to the notice of the Committee at their meeting hold on Wednesday last, when it was decided that specimens of the breed of dog in which you are interested cannot be registered as 'Shetland Collies,' but they will be accepted for registration as Shetland Sheepdogs.
Specimens already registered under the heading of Collies will be transferred to the Shetland Sheepdog register free of cost.
I was further instructed to inform you that no application for the division of Shetland Sheepdogs by weight or height will be entertained.
(Signed) E.E. JAQUET, Secretary.'

Commenting on the letter editorially, 'Our Dogs,' while advising the Shetland Club to accept the decision, considers that there is a flaw in the last paragraph of this Kennel Club mandatem as, if the dogs were registered in a separate class, this would meet the views of the objecting Collie Clubs who are afraid of confusing the Shetland Collie with the Collie proper, and also give satisfaction to the Shetland Collie fanciers, whose sole desire is to have their dogs in a class apart.

LOCAL VIEWS.

We have interviewed several members of the local Club on the subject. One party, for market reasons, would be willing to accept all but the last paragraph, but the other is in favour of holding out entirely against this arbitrary settlement and refusing to register, contending that in time the reasonableness of the Shetland Collie mens's position will conquer. Neither party, however, is satisfied, and both are unanimous in declaring that the decision as it stands cannot be accepted. A meeting of the Club will be held on Monday evening to consider the position."

The Shetland Times, 18.09.1909, page 7:
"Meeting of Shetland Collie Club.
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The Status of Shetland Collies.
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A New Decision.
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A SPECIAL meeting of the Shetland Collie Club was held in the County Hall on Monday night last. There was a good attendance of members. In the absence of Mr A.L. Laing, the president, who was unable to be present at the beginning of the meeting, Mr R. H. Ramsay, seconded by Mr J.J. Brown, moved that Mr. W.J. Greig take the chair.
The secretary, Mr James A. Loggie, then read the minutes of the previous meeting of the Club and the meetings of committee held. These were approved of, on the motion of Mr Brown, seconded by Mr W. P. Harrison.

MEDAL FOR INVERNESS SHOW.

The Secretary said that an arrangement had been come to with the Inverness Show to exchange medals and he asked the Club to sanction this.
Mr Adam Jamieson asked of the Club could give a medal for Shetland Collies when the Inverness Club were only going to show Shetland Sheep-Dogs, because they could not show Shetland Collies.
The Secretary - It does not matter. The medal does not go to the Kennel Club. We are the Shetland Collie Club, and we can give anything we like in the name of the Shetland Collie Club.
Mr J. S. Smith - Are they not showing them as Shetland Collies?
The Secretary - They can't show them as Shetland Collies. They are showing them as Shetland Sheep-Dogs.
Mr Smith - That is a misnomer.
The Chairman said that the name sheep-dog had only been suggested. They had not adopted that.
The Secretary said that the question was whether they were going to give a medal or not, as promised.
Mr Brown moved that the medal be given.
Mr A. Jamieson seconded.
The resolution was agreed to unanimously.

THE KENNEL CLUB AND SHETLAND
COLLIES.

The Secretary then introduced the question of the Kennel Club's attitude with regard to Shetland Collies. He had written the Kennel Club, he said, with regard to the objection, on 17th March, as follows - Your letter of 12th March to hand, and personally I regret that your Committee did not give my Club an opportunity to answer the objections put forward, as to refuse our application without giving us an opportunity to defend ourselves is very hard on us. My Club did not know the nature of these objections until they were published, and by that time my letter was before your committee, and now we are deburred from replying. However, I will let you know their decision.
Continuing, Mr Loggie said he had laid the letter before the Committee, and the Committe left the matter for him to reply to. The reply was to the effect that he had placed the Kennel Club's letter before his Committee and also before a meeting of the Club, and both had unanimously agreed that they could not see their way clear to drop the word 'Collie' from the name of the Club. The Club considered that they had been treated very hardly in not being allowed to answer complaints made by specialist clubs in London against their title. It struck the members of the Shetland Club as being very strange that none of the Scottish Collie Clubs had taken exception to the title, although the bulk of the Shetland Collies had only exhibited in Scotland, and that the matter had not been put before the Scottish Kennel Club for their views.
The Secretary of the Kennel Club acknowledged receipt of the letter and said he had laid it before the Committee, and that the application to register a title had to be refused unless a more suitable name was found.
Proceeding, Mr Loggie said - I saw the President of the Scottish Shetland Collie Club in London and asked him to go and and see the Kennel Club as I was leaving London, so he had an interview with them and laid the matter before them clearly. The result of that was a letter sent to the Scottish Shetland Collie Club and sent on to me. We have not got any notice ourselves.
Your letter of the 16th instant was brought to the notice of my Committee at their meeting held on Wednesday last, when it was decided that specimens of the breed of dog in which you are interested cannot be registered as Shetland sheepdogs [note M.F.: should read Collies]. Specimens already registered under the heading of Collies will be transferred to the Shetland Sheepdog register free of charge. I was further instructed to inform you that no application for the division of Shetland Sheepdogs by weight or height will be registered. - E.W. JAQUET.
I wrote to Mr Forbes Grant and asked him for his opinion, and I also have several letters in connection with it. This one was sent to Mr Milne. After thinking the matter over, I would almost be inclined to advise you to accept what has been laid before you. A little bit of concession is always in the correct journey. After a year or two hence, when the dog that we have a fancy to proves himself to be what he is, the Kennel Club will yet give you the name you want. There is no getting away from the fact that no legitimate opposition has been put up, other than jealousy on the part of the big collie, which is undoubtly on the wane. I would say: accept meantime, because when the dog gets into proper form, as he will do, the Kennel Club will reopen your case again.
That was what Mr Forbes Grant said. There was a tremendous amount of correspondence in the south papers, and at the same time the editor of 'Our Dogs' says - From a letter in another part of this issue from Mr Milne, president of the Shetland Collie Club, it will be seen that he is of opinion that the substitude of 'Sheep-Dog' for Collie' in the name of the breed, which we consider, and still consider, a very clever suggestion on the part of the Kennel Club will not be generally acceptable to members of his Club and enthusiasts in the breed. With a view, however, of testing and feeling of the followers of the breed, this Shetland chief is instituting a 'gatering of the Clan' at the Inverness Show, when the Kennel Club's alternative name will be thoroughly discussed, and either accepted of rejected. We should be sorry if it was the latter, and the Shetland warriors were to sound their war-whoop once more in defiance of the powers that be. With the greatest admiration for the dogged determination and characteristic persistency of the 'canny Scot,' which has won for the race such undying laurels the world over, we would counsel them to moderation in this matter, and reiterate our advice to the Club and to all interested to accept the Kennel Club's alternative name (which, in my opinion, is exceedingly appropriate), if only tentatively. We offer this advice sincerely, and as one whose sympathies are with the Shetland sheepdog and his devotees.

MEMBERS VIEWS.

The Chairman - The question that comes before us is, can we, at this meeting, deal with the subject? Is this not an alteration of the rules? The present Rule XI. says that no alteration may be made on the constitution unless by the sanction of the members present at the annual general meeting. The very first rule is that the name of this Club should be the Shetland Collie Club. Can we do this at this meeting?
Mr Laing - No.
Mr Smith - I don't think that we should ever do it.
The Secretary - You see it makes no difference absolutely. Kennel Club is prepared to register the dogs now; the only thing is that we can't register the title.
Mr F. Hunter - We have not got a title yet.
The Secretary - They are prepared to register the dogs now.
Mr Smith - I am inclined to think that we should stick to the name.
Mr Laing - Their advice is all very fine. I have no doubt that they put it forward with the best intentions. At the same time, the name that we adopted was not adopted all of a sudden; it was adopted after careful thought, and that being the case, I don't see that we should go from it. We have our own opinion of the name, just as well as the Kennel Club. My counsel is, stick to the name of the dog.
Mr Brown - Yes, but sticking to the name is not going to give you the benefits of acquirecing to the suggestion of the Kennel Club; but I don't mean to say that we should adopt the name suggested by the Kennel Club.
The Secretary - They don't bind you hard and fast to the name. They have asked you twice to get other names.
Mr Bown - If it could be of any benefit to the breeders by falling in with the suggestion of the Kennel Club, would it not be better meantime to make some alteration: if it is to be for the benefit of the members?
Mr L. Laurenson - What benefit is registration?
The Secretary - It is only a benefit to those who exhibit commercially, it is a huge benefit, a very huge benefit.
Answering further questions on the subject, the Secretary explained the benefits, which were, briefly, that a dog registered by the Kennel Club could not be thrown out by judges, and that if owners showed dogs in the south which were not registered the could be disqualified. The Kennel Club existed purely and simply to keep as much purity in the breed as possible, and to keep down malpractices. They were a sort of governing body in the whole canine world and they were not self-elected.
The Chairman - It seems to me that the only thing this meeting can do is to discuss this thing, and forward a resolution to the annual meeting. We can't act on the resolution.
Mr Laing asked if there was not provision for a special meeting.
The Chairman - No.
The Secretary said that if the Club was not going to agree to it, it did not really matterm but if the Club was to agree, the sooner it was understood the better. Because, those who wished to show in the south could always register, but then it was to press hard on the men who objected to the alteration of the registration, and debarred him from showing, because he felt he was going against himself by showing dogs as sheepdogs when he knew they were not.
Mr Smith - That is so, when he feels they are Shetland collies.
Mr W. Jamieson said it was just jealousy on the part of the Scotch collie owners that was the cause of trouble.
The Secretary - That is just what it is.
Mr Ramsay - It appears to be in the interest of the dog to get it registered.
Mr Laing - We are really aiming at having this dog a miniature collie. That is really the idea. It is not the mongrel of the kind, one having long hair and another short, one having long legs and another short, but we want a miniature collie, an ordinary collie, or a sheepdog in miniature. I would be inclined to drop the term Shetland collie altogether and call it, just on the same principle as the Shetland Collie, the Shetland Dog.
The Secretary - If you are inclined to do that, Mr Laing, you have altered your opinion since the last meeting.
Mr Smith - I would rather have the Shetland Dog than the Shetland Sheepdog.
Mr Laing - The Shetland Sheepdog is ridiculous and I don't like the name 'Toonie'. To gain our point in getting the registration, I would have no objection to dropping the term 'Collie' and just calling it the 'Shetland Dog'
The Secretary said that the Kennel Club had postponed consideration because they wanted the name 'Collie' dropped and they had written two or three times and urged upon the Shetland Collie Club to drop it, but the Club would not do it. Then the south clubs clamoured for registration, and the Kennel Club registered the dogs as Sheepdogs.
Mr Brown thought Mr Laing's recommendation to drop the word 'Collie' and call it 'Shetland Dog' was a good one.
The Secretary - I would be perfectly agreeable to that. Once you can get 30 or 40 dogs of the same pitch you will get the name 'Collie.'
There was further discussion, then Mr W. Jamieson asked if the Kennel Club would not register any dog outside of their Club's dogs from Shetland.
The Secretary - Yes; that is exactly where registration is intended to assist the Club. Let anybody send a dog from here that is not in the Club's books and is not the weight, etc., and may it is a Shetland Collie. When this dog goes and is planted into a show, it is for the judge to say whether it is a collie or not. That is what registration is for.
Arising out of further discussion, Mr Smith put the following question - You mean that you will register your standard of points in the Kennel Club.
The Secretary said he understood so. The Kennel Club simply objected to the word 'Collie.' What was to hinder the Shetland Club from laying down their standard, just the same as the Scotch Collie Clubs?
Mr Laurenson thought they objected to the standard.
The Secretary responded that they did not object to the standard. They would not accept the standard just now, but they would register the Club, which would legalise the standard of the Club.
Mr Laing said he would yield this point for the sake of exhibitors. He did not think it would do any harm to the Club here. There would be no such thing as an attempt to sell the dog at a large size; it would have to conform to the size laid down in their Club rules. After a while, it was possible that they would get the title 'Collie' brought back again, and get it even registered. In the meantime, if it could serve the purpose to register simply as 'Shetland Dog,' they should do so. He would go further than that, and say, that in view of the urgency of the case, they could not wait until the annual meeting, but approve of this being done that night, and get the annual meeting to confirm it.
Mr W. Jamieson - That would give a chance to anybody who wanted to exhibit in the south now.
Mr A. Jamieson - You can exhibit in the south if you enter your dog as Shetland Sheepdog.
The Secretary said that there was to be a meeting at Inverness next week, and the Kennel Club had not been replied to yet. If the Kennel Club got a reply saying that the Club would accept the name such-and-such, they did not care so long as it did not have the word 'Collie,' and if the local Club and the Inverness one went together and said they would register 'Shetland Dogs,' he thought the Kennel Club would accept that. He also thought that the Club at Inverness would fall in with the views of this Club, because they did not like the name 'Sheepdog.' At the same time, they had better dogs in Shetland by a long way than they had in the south, and whatever they chose to do he believed fully the Inverness Club would fall in with, and rightly so, because they knew best here.
Mr Hunter said that the dogs must be of the Collie class.
The Secretary - We have that in our rules.
Mr Laing moved that they register the name 'Shetland Dog.'
Mr Smith seconded the motion.
The Chairman - That is, we recommend it to the annual meeting.
Mr Laing - I want to get it done at once.
The Secretary said that he was going to Inverness to a meeting of the Club there, and he thought it depended on the local Club what they would do. The chances were that the Inverness Club would fall in with their views. With regard to the motion, he thought that if they were to leave the matter at that, there was no urgency in it, once they were agreed to call it the 'Shetland Dog.'
Mr Laing's motion was unanimously carried.
Mr Brown moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and also to Mr Loggie, the Secretary, for the trouble he had been at.
It was arranged to have another meeting of the Club when the Secretary came back from Inverness.
The meeting than terminated."

The Shetland Times, 25.09.1909, page 4:
"The Shetland Collie Question.
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At a special meeting of those interested in Shetland Collies, held at Inverness Show on Thursday afternoon, the Kennel Club's title of 'Shetland Sheep Dog' was adopted for the Shetland Collie, it being believed that the Kennel Club would refuse to grant registration otherwise.
A meeting of the local Shetland Collie Club is to be held on the Secretary's return from Inverness, when the whole question will be re-discussed."

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