Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-09-20
The shepherds Dog and His
Training.

The SHEPHERDS DOG ana HIS
~ Training.
The shepherds dog IS said to be the only
n;ma1 that ID born perfectly adapteJ for
the service of man. AS soon as his strength
SLOWS. he applies himself to the care of
sheen. and executes his task with intelli-
gence and fidelity With very little train
ing he learns to perform the will OF his
master, and is always an attached and
| faithful servant. So :,
There are two varieties OF The shepherds
| dog-one is short-haired, black on the bacK,
| white on the breast, belly and feet, with
| tan-colored spots on the cheeks, shoulders
and thighs. The second is large, rough
animal, with long hair, in color somewhat
resembling the first described. Crosses
| between these breeds. have produced nl1-
merous and varied race or races of dogs
| which are scattered over the world, doing
| duty in every sheep country. 80
| The shepherds dog is said to belong to
the same family as the celebrated ST. Bern
| ard spaniel Like this breed, he possesses
| great intelligence and sagacity, combined
| with courage and endurance. = A. y ! y 4 g
The Hungarian, French and Mexican
shepherds dogs are. evidently OF Spanish
/ origin. In Mexico the pups are sucked
/
| the f1ccks that they never leave them
except when compelled by hunger to visit
| the rancho In the sheep districts of New
Mexico the shepherds dog has become
celebrated for the intelligence and prompt
| itude with which he performs the duties
assigned him by his master, not only pro-
| tecting the flock from the attacks of wolves,
and other Fer0s mdtury but contending
until death against the Indian marauders,
| who endeavor to take the sheep by stealth
or force.
The Scotch sheep dog, or colley, lisa light,
active animal of great sagacity, and of in
calculable use to the shepherds in the high
lands OF Scotland, and other mountainous
pastures. This breed is pretty extensively
difused in the United States and British
America, and lis very useful to the farmer,
shepherd or drover.s stkssf
The English sheep dog, or drover's dog,
is a tailless animal, larger, coarser and
trained, and is very well adapted for work
ing among cattle, keeping the herd from
struggling when on the road or the prairie,
and acting as an aid to the farmer in the
management of his focks and herds.
The shephe :ds dog of any of the breeds
we have mentioned, has natural inclina-
ton for working among sheep, but he may
be spoiled by improper management, and
then he becomes an enemy to the flock, in
stead of a protector. -.
! The shepherds dog should be ull-blood-
anything less is a great deal worse than
useless. Dogs even of the best breeds may
be spoiled by neglect or mismanagem In
the training. 49,
In training young shepherds dog, the
services of well-trained, experienced dog
will be almost indispensable. The ardent
temperament of the young dog must be
subdued, and there is no better. mode of
doing so than by compelling him to ac-
company well-trained dog and initiate his
actions. A long line in the hands of the
trainer, attached to a collar or belt, on the
neck of the young dog, is generally ncces-
sary in the training process. With the aid
of this continuance, the dog may be per-
fectly subdued, and made to obey all the
commands of the trainer. He can be
taught to ego away" "come back"
"come in front" come behind" I" bark
"lie down." "be quiet" "get over the
fence" " stop them, " bring them back" "
and every other evolution in the field exer-
else of the sheep-dog. The training should
commence when the pup is five or six
months old. The older the animal is, the
more difficult will it be to train him.
/ A careful, well-tempered shepherd never
allows his dog to harass or worry the sheep.
He walks his regular rounds quietly, the
dog following at his heels, appearing to
take no notice of the sheep, and they al
most unconscious of his presence. Should
anything occur in which the aid of the
4 dog is needed, he is at hand to perform
the will of his master. If the sheep break
through q fence into forbidden ground,
one word from the shepherd is enough,
the dog drives them back without causing
much alarm If a sheep breaks away from
the flock, the dog is not allowed to bite it {;
he is taught to run before it and bark, in
order to drive it back to its place. a.
A dog which has been properly trained,
will be continually on the look out for
stray sheep, and will, of his own accord,
visit those parts of the pastures where the
fences are weakest and where bitches or
ravines exist into which the sheep may be
in danger of falling. Heavy sheep, with
large fleeces, will sometimes lie on their
backs, for whole day or night, being una
BILE to get up. When in this position, in
stances have occurred of their eyes being
picked out by ravens or carrion crows.
They are also subject to the attacks of dogs
and foxes. A well-trained shepherds dog
will find sheep that are in this position,
and attract attention to them. # 3l8
Well trained dogs will not annoy ewes
with lambs, nor show any signs of irrita-
ton when assaulted by the eve for the
protection of her young. They keep at q
respectable distance from quarrelsome
| rams, not considering it to be any part of
| their business to fight with them. They
are very watchful at night especially dur
| ing the lambing season, guarding the lambs
from the attacks of foxes and dogs, and all
other intruders.