Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-11-11
SHEPHERD DOGS.

Inc CCoVCH CVllCy uoSS dIc ISsAdI Adoi0
for great intelligence an instinct which
seems sometimes to surpass reason; won-
derful endurance and activity. Without
these dogs, sheep-keeping in many dis
tricts, useful for no other branch of
agriculture, would be impossible. The
home of this breed is the Scotch high
lands, a locality of rocks and hills, in
terspersed with grassy valleys; elevated
table-lands, bearing scanty herbage and
"moors, " or level or slightly undulating
tracts covered with gorse, heather, low
bushes. boggy places, and scattered rocks.
Upon these hills sheep are kept in large
fiocks. exposed from day to day to all
the vicissitudes Of storms. mists, rains
and SHOWS, with no other shelter than is
afforded by the lee-side Of abrupt preci-
pices, overhanging rocks, stone walls, or
in rough sheds of poles and heather.
Without his dogs. the shepherd would
be helpless to manage his flock in this
rough country. In countries where
arabic land bears very high price, only
such land as cannot be plowed, is given
up to sheep pastures, and here the dog
is invaluable; and not only here, for he
is made useful upon the more civilized
hillsides of the Scotch lowlands, upon
the grassy downs of England, the rich
farms where sheep keeping is only incl
dent to high culture, and upon our
Western plains. Everywhere where
sheep sre kept a sheep dog of some kind
is found useful; and, of all the different
varieties, the Scotch colley is considered
the most valuable He possesses rare
instinct for his work, which comes as a
second nature to him. He often knows
the ways of sheep better than his
master, and understands the signals
of the shepherd, when TOO far away
to hear, with the greatest precision.
Cases have been known In which the
/ dog has discovered the absence of some
laggards of the flock which his master
had not missed, and has returned to the
pasture for them unbidden. He can
range his flock upon one side af road
when meeting other sheep, and thus
keep them from intermingling with the
strangers. He will discover. by his
acute sense of smell, sheep that have
been overwhelmed in snow-drifts, and
will conduct the shepherd to the place.
If no help is available, he has been
known to dig into the drift and release
imprisoned sheep, and to warm chilled
lambs by huddling close to them. He
is valiant in their defence, and will give
battle to wolf without hesitation. No
vagrant dog will be permitted to ap-
proach flock of which he has charge.
He will bring back stragglers when
upon the march. and will return to find
the sore-footed ones that have fingered
sby the way. For a farm dog he is Of
special value, as he can easily be trained
to manage with gentleness any kind Of
live stock. He is domestic in his hab.
its. While kind and affectionate to his
owner and his herds, he is watchful and
suspicious of strangers and strange ami.
mails. His good disposition gives him
great influence over his charge, and
causes them to have confidence in him
When flock is afraid of the shepherd
dog, it shows wrong management OF the
part of the shepherd, and that the dog
has been badly trained. The Scotch
colley has long and woolly hair, brigh
mild eye. a sharp nose, an intelligent
aspect. long. bushy tail, curling up
ward. with the end clear of the ground
and in color is usually black and tan
variegated with little white. Not th'
least wonderful or useful characteristic,
of the dog is his tenacious memory b,
which he is able to remember the turn
ing points in journey of hundreds o
miles, and to recognize at sight ever.
member of the flock to which he ha
been attached. With all his good quail
ifications, however, he sometimes lapse
from virtue, and no one other dog is s
destructive In the fold as a sheep do
become demoralized by bad companions
A traitor is the worst of enemies
american AgsScuLtaasst.
SOME WONDERFUL FAoTs--Supposin