Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-03-11
STORY or A sEnEruEnD BOG

n writer in the Prairie Farmer, over tn
signature Of f"Wool Grower,n tells a lon
and marvellous story about his shepherd dog
from which we make the following es
tracts:
u will add short account of what uset
to dc with my dog "Colonel,' which. feat
those who have never seen well broke
dog work will be apt to class among ou
| dog stories.
! When Colonel was six months old
drove him with flock of sheep from OH,
to Illinois, spending forty-seven days on til
road. lie had never been behind a flock o
sheep until the day started. In four week
l could send him in hundred acre pasture
| and he would make circuit of it and brin,
| the flock out without leaving a sheep. an,
without hurryIng them out OF walk b,
the way, it is very important to break Dc!
| to go siow-the most of dogs are too seagr
and hurry sheep too much.
lerried the Wabash river at Africa. TIL
boat ran upon low level bar where ther
( were no yards or fences to assist iE gettin,
the sheep aboard. With two hands and til
dog loaded the boat without having t.,
catch one OF them, and the flock made fiv
boat loads. got up on the bank wher
tons made him jam the flock down tight t,
the boat and when well jammcd up, noun
| on their backs, and by barking and nippin.
not severe enough to call it bItiug-shovet
them right in. No ten men without a do,
could have loaded them so soon, if the,
could have done it at all.
When | had occasion to drive not to ex
coed ten hundred sheep few miles, | want
ed no other help but the dogs. hay,
driven that many sheep along the road 81
or eight miles, where it was unfenced, some
times, on one and sometimes on the other
and sometimes on both sides, myself beins
ahead of the flock. The dog behind, til
sheep so strung through the timber tina
perhaps | did not see the dog for an hour
Il time
when the flock got to spreading ou
tanshaped, as a flock will where there is
chance to pick, Colonel would 90 out an
turn IN the corners, passing up just IA
enough to effect that purpose, andno furthl
lie used, apparently, as much judgement j
passing up the side OF the flock Just SO f.
as woulG man. When he was in doul
about an order, he would stop and look bac
until the order was repeated.
Il have many a day driven all over IL
prairie, and taken flock in every direction
by walking on before, leaving him to brin
the sheep after Inc, without looking at hil
or speaking to him. | could send him tw
miles out into the prairie, after a thousan
sheep which were strung for half II mile an
he would collect and drive them all up
me. | have owned other dogs which woul
do the same, but none but him that did II,
rush the sheep too hard.
II coul dsend Colonel over a fence o
ahead quarter Of mile, to stand in
cross lane to prevent the flock from tur
ing out Of the road. have herded tho
sand sheep with him for weeks on pieces
grass, surrounded by other crops. VIII,
hcrding on piece Of grass bounded
other crops, l would watch one side and
him guard the remaining sides. His mann
was to steal quietly along in the edge of Il
corn wherever he saw the sheep approachh
too near, and show himself merely suihciel
to make them turn their heads in anoth
direction, yet not enough to frighten the
over to the other side OF the field"