Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-19
Sheep Dog rials in
Scotland

| We went up the glen behind the little
! town, where a beautiful stream PUSHES
down amongst trees from the circle OF
hills, and there we sat on the heather
above an open space Of green, with q
wood at the other end and the dark
and lovely mountains looking over be-
yond.
Twish could tell you all that each
dog did,-they were such lovely dogs
and each with a character Of his own,
but there were more than thirty en-
tered for the trials, SO l can only tell
you of a few.
Each dog had three sheep to man
age. The sheep were In the wood at
the back of the ground, with a maj:
and dog to send out the three for
each dog as his turn came. On the
hill at the end of the ground opposite
the wood stood each shepherd In turn
with his dog, and, when the three
sheep appeared coming out of the
wood, the dog was sent to find them.
It was long run, and there were hill
ocks and bushes between, so that it
took a little time for the dog to And
his sheep. When he had found them,
he had to drive them forward through
a space between two white flags first,
and then through narrower space
between two red flags. and then a
long run up to little row Of hurdles
with a gap in it; and the three sheep
had all to be got through the gap, and
then across long piece of ground to
a little fold with narrow entrance
into which they wore ID 60, There are
III, n
shape of double cross, and in the
more difficult trials the sheep had to
be sent through the cross one way
and out the otherway. There were
eight minutes given for the dogs to
manage to get the sheep through the
two sets of flags and the hurdles, and
into the fold; and quarter OF an
hour for those that go, them through
the flags, the hurdles, the double
cross, and into the fold.
When the Judge sounded the
whistle, the dogi started; and, when
the time was up, the whistle sounded
again, and he had to stop, whether he
had finished or not Well, one pretty
dog, Moss, couldn't find his sheep at
all, though he hunted about for them
and tried to follow his masters signs
or whistle. He was three years old.
When the whistle sounded again he
had to give up,
Then came Maid, three years OLD
and she found the sheep, and got them
through the flags; but they were very
obstinate, and, though she tried her
very best, and her master did all he
could to encourage her from the dis
lance and tried to make her under
stand what to do, the whistle sounded,
and poor Maid had to give up.
Then came Bet, six years old. She
shot like an arrow straight for her
three sheep, and gently and quickly
followed them, driving them before her
through the flags, the hurdles, the
cross and into the pen. Such cheer
ing she got from the spectators! We
learned afterwards that the judges
gave Bet prize of e14 and silver
cup for her master.
Then came Flossie, who was only
one year old, but she was very clever
and did everything except the gate IN
the hurdles, which the sheep would not
70 through for all her trying. She even
sot them through the cross, which was
the most dimcMlt OF all. The sheep
often went and stood with their noses
close to the gap in the hurdles, and
seemed az if they could not help 60
ing through, and then provokingly
turned of and ran the other way. But
Flossie got prize of 96 for doing so
we'll at one year old.
Then came Tell, Sweep, Fan; and
Lad, who got "a prize; Risp, who
got 43, and Blake, who got Ell. All
were eager and wonderfully swift, and
It was beautiful to see how they under
stood every sign Of their masters. 1t
seemed really as II they knew all they
had to do and they were so gentle with
the sheep; they seldom went near
them, and they never barked, just ran
or crept up at distance; and. when
they had got them very near the OBJ
stacles, the dogs always lay down at
their masters rign quite fiat on the
ground and waited, then walked step
or two and lay down again, Just creep
ing gently nearer and nearer, to make
the sheep 60 through the opening; and
when, after all, they turned on in the
wrong direction. the dog was up and
of to head them back again, with un-
firing patience When the dog sue
ceeded. he got a round of applause.
and when he failed every one was
sorry for him and a regretful murmur
Of "Oh-h-h' went out in sympathy, for
all the dogs tried so hard. Once when
dog failed and the whistle sounded.
his master stopped down and patted
him, to tell him he had done his best.
Some Of the sheep we're wilder than
others, which made it more dificult.
But nothing could be more beautiful
than the dogs characters, so absolute
ly and joyfully obedient to their mas.
tiers. so eager and bright, so swift and
intelligent. so gentle to the sheep. so
full Of self-restraint. It was beauti-
full lesson to US all, and we could not
tear ourselves away till 1t was over,
but sat on the hill watching from half.
past nine till nearly six, with an in.
terval away for some dinner.
And all the time the stream rushed
down the glen amongst the birch trees
behind US. and often little rain fell
and the CLEANS Of sun painted lovely
rainbows upon the blue mountains
every few minutes.
CHI 81