The Portland daily press., 1899-01-31
WONDERFUL SHEEP DOGS.
stories ola Breed Brought from Now
Zealand 60 the west I'm 1875.
From the Denver Evening Post. }

"Tho most celebrated breed OF shep-
herd dog ever known in the West" said
Jud Bristol, the oid-time sneep man of
Fort Collins. Col, "were those bred from
a pair of N,w Zealand dogs brought to
Colorado in 1875. l had several Of their
pups on my ranges and could al vol
ume with instances of their rare intelli-
renco and faithfuiness
81 remember one pup in particular.
He was only six months old when be WIS
seut out one day TO work on the range.
At night when the herd was brought up
TO the corrals we saw at once that part
of the herd was missing. There were
900 head In the bunch when they went
out I'm :he morning, but when we put
them through the chute we found that
200 were missing. The pup was also mis-
sing. Well, oil hands turned out for the
search. wo hunted all the night and all
of the next day, and did not find the lost
sheep until along toward night But
there they ware. all herded in little
draw. about five miles from home, and
there was the faithful dog standing
guard. This wolves we're very plentiful
in those days, and the dog had actually
hidden the sheep from the animals in the
draw. The poor fellow was nearly fam
ishod, Us he had been for thirty six hours
without food or water. From that day
he tecame hero. but was so badly
affected by hunger, exposure. and thirst,
and subsequent overlooking and petting,
that he died not long afterwsrd.
"This same pups mother was nm es-
pecially fine animal. One night the
hefder brought in his fiocks and hurried
to his cabin to cook himself some supper,
for he was more than usually hungry.
But he missed the dog. which usually FOL
lowed him to the cabin of an evening TO
have her supper. The herder thought
rather strange Of 1t, but made no search
for the dog that night But when he
went down to the corrals the next morn
ing he found the gate open and the faith
full dog standing guard over the Hooks.
The herder. in his haste the night before,
had forgotten to close the gate, ana the
dog, more faithful than her master, hau
remained at her post all night, though
suffering hunger and thirst.
ION another occasion this same dog
was left to watch a flock of sheep near
the her1er's cabin while the herder got
his supper. After the herder had eaten
his supper he went out TO where the sheep
were and told the dog to put the sheep In
the corral This she refused 10 do. ana,
although she had had no supper, she
| started of over the prairie as fast as she
could go. The herder put the sheep In
the corral and went to bed. About mid
night he was awakened by the loud bark
| ing of a dog down by the corrals. He got
up, dressed himsrlf and went down 20
the oorrals, and there found the dog with
| II band of about fifty sheep, which had
strayed oil during the previous day with.
| out the nerder's knowledge; but the poor
dog knew it, and also knew that they
ought to be corralled, and she did 1t.
"Another good story of this same dog:
| One day she was sent out with new
herder to an outlying branch, some nj.
teen miles distant. That night abe came
home, and by her actions told us that
there was something wrong at the ranch
Well, we mounted our pronchos anu
went over to the ranch, and very soon
| found out what the matter was. The
new herder was simply IA tramp, who, as
soon as he had got good feed, had lit out
and left the sheep uncared for, save by
his more faithful companion, the dog
cone time we had tenderfoot come To
work for us, and the boys had filled him
SO full of hair raising stories that he new
er went out on the range without expect.
| ing to be either eaten by bears or scalped
| by Indians. Ono day he came running
to the house, all out of breath, declaring
that he had seen bear. We laughed at
| him and sent him back to the range.
"A few days afterwnrd he came in
again, more scared than ever, and said IT
was IA bear that time sure. Well, we took
our guns and "a foxhound and went out,
| and, sure enough, over on hill We saw a
large black animal. IL wasn't bear,
but we couldn't make out exactly what
II WAS We sent the hound and the sbep-
herd dog that was tending the herd out
on the trail, while we followed on foot
The dogs chased the animal over the hill
out Of sight. Soon the shepherd dog
came trotting leisurely back and took her
place with the herd again. Over in a
gulch we found the honnd standing over
a dead animal. which upon examination
we found TO be big black Mexican sheep.
Now, that shepherd dog as soon as he
found It was nothing but u sheep, bad
given up the chase and returned to her
| flock. She knew Ii was not game and OF
no account, while the hound had followed
| tho trail and killed the sheen -