The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-02
WONDERFUL SHEEP DOGS.
Stories of a Breed Brought From New
Zealand to the West in 1876.
From the Denver Evening Post1

F'rom the Denver Evening Post0
The most celebrated breed of shepherd
dog ever known in the west said Jud
Bristol, the old-time sheep man of Fort
j Collins, Col. were those bred from a pair
OF New Zealand dogs brought to Colorado
in 1875. l had several of their pups on my
ranges, and could fill volume with in
stances of their rare Intelligence and
faitnfuness
Il remember one pup in particular. He
was only six months old when he was
sent out one day to work on the range
At night when the herd was brought up
I 70 me cQrraIs we saw at once that part
OF the herd was missing. There were
lUO0 head in the bunch when they went
out in the morning, but when we put them
| through the chute we found that 200 were
missing: The pup was also missing. Well,
an hands turned out for the search. We
hunted all the night and all the next day.
and did not find the lost sheep until along
toward night.- But there they were, all
herded in little draw about five miles
/ from nome, and there was the faithful
dog standing guard. The wolves were
very plentiful In those, days, and the dog
! mad actually hidden the sheep from the
animals in the draw. The poor fellow
was nearly famished. as he had been for
IIhlrty-slN hours without food or water
: rom pm !, mat day he became hero, but was
50 badly affected by hunger. exposure and
thirst and subsequent overlooking and
petting, that he died not long afterWard.
ms same pups mother was an espe-
cldllE me animal. One night the herder
brought in his fiocks and hurried TO his
caon to cook himself some supper. for he
was more than usually hungry. But he
missed the dog, which usually followed
him to the cabin OF an evening 10 have
Her supper. The herGer thought rather
strange of it, but made no search for the
aog that night, But when he went 1own
/ 70 the eorrals the next morning he round
me gate open and the faithful dog stand
ing guard over the tiocks. The herder in
ms haste, the night before. had forgotten
70 close the gate, and the dog, more faith
tul than her master, had remained at her
I post all night, though suffering from hun
| ger and thirst
ON another occasion this same dog wa G
ieIt TO watch flock of sheep near the
Aerder cabin while the herder got his
| supper. After the herder had eaten his
supper ne went out to where the sheep
| were and told the dog to put the sheen in
| the corral, This she refused 10 do. and
although she had had no supper she
started oil over the prairie as fast as she
couIu go. Ihe herder put the sheen in
the corral and went to bed About mid
| lISht ne was awakened by the loud bark
! ing OF a dog down by the corrals He
| sS0t up, dressed himself and went down to
me corrais, and there found the dog with
| band Of ABOUT 50 sheep. which had
Stfayed OF during the previous day with
Out the herder's kn~-iedge; but the poor
| ought TO be corralled, and she did il.
! - Ahother good story of this same dog.
| one Jay she was sent out with a new
heraer TO an outlying ranch, some Is miles
distant. That night she came home, and
| by her actions told us that there was
something wrong at the ranch Well we
mounted our broncos and went over to
the ranch, and very soon found out what
the matter was. The new herder. was
simply a tramp, who, as soon as he had
got good feed, had lit out and left the
Ssneep uncared for save by his more
faithful companion. the dog
one time we had a tenderfoot come tn
WORK Tor US; and the boys had filed him
SO tull OF hair-raising stories that he
never went out on the range without ex.
pecung 10 be either eaten by bears or
scdlped by Indians. One day he came
duniLlng 70 the house, all out of breath
range. " 'He
"A few days afterward he came in
again. more scared than ever, and said II
was bear that time sure Well, we took
our our guns and fox hound and went out
f inu sH S enough, over on hill we saw
ldrge plaek animal. 1T wasn't a bear. but
we couldn't make out exactly what II
was; we sent the hound and the shen.
nero Jog mat was tending the herd ont
on lts trail while we followed on foot
me cog chased the animal over the hill
ouo y. sight' soon the shepherd dog
came tfottlng leisurely back and took her
place with the herd again over in p
Sulch we found the hound standing over :
, 9edu animal, which upon examination W.
FOUND TO be a big black Mexican sheen
NOW, that shepherd dog, as soon as h,
aIGunu IL was nothing but a sheep haC
) gwen up the chase and returned 10 he,
mock. She knew it was not game and ~
no account, while the hound had followet
the trali and Killed the sheep"