The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-14
SHEPHERD DOGS.

SHEPHERD DOGS.
The Scotch coAey dogs are remarkable
for great intelligence; an instinct which
seems sometimes to surpass reason; won-
derful endurance and activity. Without
these dogs, sheepkeeping in many districts,
useful for no other branch of agriculture.
would be impossible. The home of the
breed is the Scotch highlands, locality
of rocks and hills, interspersed with
grassy valleys; elevated table lands, bear
ing 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 hocks, 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 precirices, 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 q very high price,
only such land as cannot be ploughed 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 incident to
high culture, and upon our Western plains.
Everywhere, where sheep are kept, o
sheep dog of some kind is found useful;
and of all the different varieties the Scotch
colley is considered the most valuable. He
possesses a rare instinct for his work,
which come as q second nature to him,
He often knows the ways of sheep better
than his master, and understands the sig
mails of the shepherd, when fur out of hear
ing, with great precision. Gases have
been known in which the dog has discov-
cred 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 of road when meeting other
sheep, and thus keep them from in
terningling with the strangers He will
discover by his acute sense of smell sheep
that have been overwhelmed in snowdrifts,
and will conduct the shepherd to the place.
If no help is available, he has been known
to dig into the drift and release impris-
oned sheep, and to warm chilled lambs by
huddling close to them. He is valiant in
their defence, and will give battle to a
wolf without hesitation. No vagrant dog
will be permitted to approach a flock of
which he has charge. He Wi. bring back
stragglers when upon the march, and will
return to find the sore-footed ones that
have fingered by the way. For 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
habits. While kind and afectionate to
his owner and his herds, he is watchful
and suspicious of strangers and strange
animals. His good disposition gives him
great influence over his charge, and causes
them to have confidence in him. When a
flock is afraid of the shepherds dog it
shows wrong management on the part of
the shepherd, and that the dog has been
badly trained The Scotch colley has long
and woolly hair, bright mild eye, a
sharp nose, an intelligent aspect, long,
bushy tail, curling upward, with the enc
clear of the ground, and in color is usually
black and tan, variegated with little
white. Not the least wonderful or usefu
characteristic of the dog is his tenacious
memory by which he is able to remember
all the turning points in a journey of hun
dreds of miles, and to recognize at sigh
every member of the flock to which lie ha
become attached. With all his good quail
fcations, however, he sometimes lapse
from virture, and no other dog is 80 de
destructive in the fold as sheep dog be
comes when demoralized by bad compan
ions. A traitor is the worst of enemies.-
american Agriculturist.