The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-06-26


I'm smithneld market. Photo by Wing
any restraint unless at clipping time
were turned loose and started up the
hill The dog was sent to bring them
back into the fold. drive them through
| q gate or two in the inside and then
put them into a "bucht" or pen made
Of hurdles, sometimes In the center and
sometimes at the side of the fold This
bucht was made one hurdle wide and
| two long
It was a grand sight to see how thor
oughly the dog understood every word
| and motion Of its master. who was
standing on some rock or knoll in plain
sight Of the dog. Fresh sheep were
turned out with every fresh dog till
the wagers were decided.
There Is no need to buy dogs at
fabulous prices. Try to get pup
Of some known strain. no matter wheth-
er II has pedigree or not. The old Eng
lish sheep dog is about as serviceable
in this country as any.
When a butcher or dealer or, in fact.
any person comes to the farm to look
at the sheep with the intention Of buy
ing. the spare help does not require to
be brought In from the field to assist in
getting the sheep into the barnyard or
sheep pen. II there Is no pen made of
hurdles in the pasture the dog is used
to drive them into a corner and hold
them there till the party has seen and
handled what he wants, says David M.
Fyffe. writing in the Breeders Gazette,
Chicago, on matter of fresh interest
just now among sheep farmers In this
country.
| Good Work In Vermont.
The sheep dog trials held recently
at the Vermont state fair were dis
tinct success. as reported in Country
Gentleman, from which descriptions Of
one or two of the various events are
here reproduced: To understand the
sheep dog trials we must remember
that the old kite shaped track is still
In existence; that the new half mile
track 10 built inside Of the kite. The
pen where the sheep were liberated
was at the end of the large part of the
kite. The shepherds took up position
near the new grand stand and sent
their dogs away, the dogs bringing the
sheep alone some 300 yards to the shep-
herd past the new grand stand to the
stretch through the draw gate to pen
In the middle Of the field, where they
were penned.
At signal from the Judge In the in
neld four sheep were turned out of the
pen. Mr.. Miller had taken his position,
and a slight wave Of his hand sent
Bruce, 4 Beardie, away. He found his
sheep readily, steadied himself nicely
and brought them on quietly to his
master. Together they went past the
grand stand, the dog barking once OF
twice as they were inclined to be toe
quick, and made a fine turn through
the gate to the infield and on to the
pen. He moved quietly and was under
perfect control all the while, never dis
turbing his sheep, but working with
{ wonderful dash and precision; time
six minutes
, Next Fleet was sent away. She
found her sheep easily and brought
them on in excellent form, perhaps 6
y little too fast as was proved by taking
more time to pen than the dog, as she
/; reached the pen one-half minute soon
er than he did. She moved carefully
forward, but had not the dash or eye
that Bruce had; time, eight minutes.
Then came R. Burns from Toronto
. with Bob, a sable collie. He found hi
= sheep a short distance from the pei
, and took them in q creditable fashion
down to his master. Together the!
;. went gayly past the stand and made I
good turn through the gate and on t.
!. the pen. Then his troubles began. II,
!. had pressed his sheep little too quicl
!, and had them irritated instead Of i'm
!. parting the confidence that Is SO neces
sary. He had driven rather than direct
ed then; they were very perverse, ant
here the crowd, which had becom
;. much interested in the trials. came to
A near the pen. pushing both dog an,
. man. He penned them. however. Il
n twelve minutes.