East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-24

What a herd dog has first to learn
is to know every one of 200 or 800
sheen and to know them both by
sight and smell. says writer in Har-
per's Magazine. This he does thor
oughly. When Watterson was run
ming sheep on the plains he had
young collie not yet put to the herd'
but kept about the pumping plant.
AS the sheep came in by hundreds TO
the trough the dog grew so to know
them that when they had picked up
a stray from another band he discov-
cred it from afar off and, darting as
a hornet. nipping and yelping, parted
il out from the band. At that time
no mere man would have pretended
without the aid of the brand, to recog-
nize any of the thousands that bore 1t.
How long recollection stays by the
dog is not certain, but at least
twelvemonth, as was proved to Filon
Girard. after he had lost a third Of
his band when the Santa Ana came
roaring up by Lone Pine with cloud
of saffron-colored dust on its wings.
After shearing OF next year, passing
close to another band, Filon's dogs
set themselves unbidden to routing
out of 1t, and rounding with their
own. nearly 90 head, which the herd
er. being an honest man, freely admit
ted he had picked up on the mesa
following after Filon the spring be-
fore.
Quick to know the willful and un-
l. ~ f1nnly tho yyiGP
collie is not sparing of bites and, fol-
lowing after a stubborn stray, will
often threw it, and stand guard until
help arrives or the sheep shows a
better mind. But the herder who has
a dog trained at the difficult work of
herding range sheep through the
chutes and runways into boats and
cars for transportation is the FORUM
ate fellow.
There was Pete's dog, Bourdaloue,
that at the Stockton landing, with no
assistance, put 500 wild sheep from
the highlands on the boat in eight
minutes by running along the backs
of the flock until he had picked out
the stubborn or stupid leaders that
caused the sheep to jam in the run
way, and by sharp bites set them for
ward himself treading the backs OF
the racing flocks like the premiere
equestrienne of the circus, which al
the men of the shipping cheered tc
see.
The way the instinct for herdine
comes out in sheep dogs is wonderful
says a New York Sun writer. I once
- eri, 20
was only six months old and had never
received any training or seen other
dogs managing a band of sheep.
had gone out Of sheep at the time and
there was nothing about the ranch
apparently, for him to do. The pup
py moped about for a week or II
days. Then happy thought STRUCK
him. There were the hens. From
that day he never failed to herd tht
hens regularly. He would be on tht
watch for them when they emerged
from their house on the side of tht
gumbo bank after feeding in the morn
ing and would assume charge of then
for the rest of the day. Collecting
them in front of him he would drive
them, a clucking, waddling, protest
ing band, out about half mile on thu
prairie. While they ran about aftel
insects or pecked at the weeds and
grass, he sauntered about on the out
skirts, keeping a vlgilant eye on ever!
pullet and rooster. And punctualll
an hour before sunset he would gather
them up into a compact little grouI
and drive them home. This self-ap
pointed task he performed with thu
greatest system of thoroughness, dis
playing all the highest gifts of thi
sheep dog-fidelity, judgment, tact
conscience. He was a most engaginj
little rascal and 1 grieved for him a
II he had been a human when, afte