The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-05-26

NONAASA01ONA
Il -e-ee-
The Shepherd Dog.
Twill give a short account of what used to
do with my dog Colonel, which fear those
who have never seen a we'll broke dog work,
will be apt to class among dog stories
When Colonel was six months old, drove
with him a flock of sheep from Ohioto illinois,
spending forty-seven days on the road. He
had never been behind flock of sheep unit
the day started. In four weeks time coulC
send him into hundred acre pasture and he
would make circuit of it and bring the flock
without leaving Sheep and without hurry
ing them out of walk. By the way, it is very
important to break dog to goslow, the most
Of dogs are too eager and hurry sheep to much
ferried the Wabash river at Attica. Tine
boat ran up on low sandy bar where were
no yards or fences to assist in getting the
sheep aboard. With two hands and the dog
| loaded the boat without having to catch
one of them, and the flock made five boat
loads. got up on the bank where the dog
could see me well, and then by motions made
him jam the flock down tight to the boat,
and when well jammed up, mount on their
backs and by barking and niPpdng-not sew
ere enough to say biting-shovel them right
i'll. No ten men without dog could have
| loaded them SO soon, if at all.
When had occasion to drive not to exceed
ten hundred sheep few miles | wanted no
ether help than the dogs. l have driven that
many sheep along the road six or eight miles,
| where it was unfenced, sometimes OIL one and
sometimes on both sides, myself being ahead
of the flock, the dog behind, the sheep scatter
! i al, hot | no
see the dog for an hour at time.
! When the flock got to spreading out fan
shaped, as a flock will where there is chance
to pick, Colonel would SO out and turn in the
corners, passing up just far enough to effect
that purpose and no farther. He used appar-
emily as much judgment in passing up the side
of flock just so far, as would a man. When
he was in doubt about an order, he would stop
and look back until the motion was repeated
| | have many day driven all over the prairie
and taken a flock in every direction by walk
ing on before, leaving him to bring the sheep
after me, without looking at him or speaking
| to him could send him two miles out into
| the prairie aftera thousand sheep which were
strung for half mile, and he would collect
and drive them all up to me- L have owned
other dogs which would do the same, but
none but him that didn't rush the sheep to
hard. could send Colonel over fence and
on ahead a quarter Of mile to stand In a
cross-lane to prevent the flock from turning
out Of the road. have herded thousand
sheep with him for weeks on pieces OF grass
surrounded by other crops When herdlng
piece of grass bounded on two or more sides
sides by crops, watched one side and let him
guard the remaining sides. His manner was
to steal quietly along in the edge OF the corn
wherever he saw the sheep approaching too
near, and show himself merely sufficient to
make them turn their heads In another dlrec-
ton, yet not enough to frighten them over
to the other side of the field. With him l
could feed off piece of grass bounded on all
sides by corn clear tothe edge, without allow
! ing the sheep to destroy a dozen ears
| [ herded one fall on farru of aout seven
hundred acres without single division fence.
There were about dozen shoats which were
| frequently getting under the gate into the
| farm, making it necessary for the owner to
mount his horse and ride through TWO hun
dred acres OF corn to get them out. AS came
up with my flock for dinner one day. | met
him at the gate as he was about to ride out
into the combating me he said ''those
1
don't you think Colonel would bring them
out 2" told him thought he would. So
showed the dog the pig tracks and said,
''Hunt them out, Colonel" We sat down at
the gate while Colonel struck out for the corn.
In the course of twenty minutes he came out
with five or six of them, keeping far enough
behind to not have them turn at bay, and
guiding them always towards the gate. He
made three or four trips until all were out.
He acted as if he knew that it would not do
to worry hog if you wished to drive him.
Now your cur dog would have pitched into
the first hog he came to, grabbed him by the
ear and had him so well chawed up and sulky
that you would have had to haul him out OF
the field.
Right here allow meto say even if one has
no sheep, Scotch shepherd is the best farm
dog he can have. They are not severe or
strong enough to hold hog, but for driving
all sorts of stock are quite help, which is
more than can be said of the mongrels which
most men keep.
In looking at some of our nondescript ours
I have frequently wondered whether, If then
pedigree could be traced, they would not be
found to have some of the blood Of the thirty
nine Of the forty pure breeds into viii ch the
dog race is divided. Would not some future
Dog Heraldry Office have good time in ma
king out family-tree for some plebeian cul
that wished to set up as patrician on The
strength of having made pile by shoddJ
contract
You will hear almost every man who owns
a yaller dog 'Icould | put it any better 2
say that he would not take twenty, fifty OF
one hundred dollars for " that thar dog thar
notice that men price their dogs in very
even sums-and the meaner the dog the
higher the figure at which SONS lucky man
might become his owner. Among dogs dc
not believe there are more than three or foul
breeds which pay in dollars and cents fol
their keep, and among these few breeds moi
one in the ten of the Individual dogs
composing them is anything but nuisance.
The shepherd dog, not only as breed, is o.
great value, but nine tenths of individual
shepherd dogs are worth to their owner il
cash from five to fifty dollars per year
[Prarie Farmer.
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