712 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



around. &quot;While there, change your position at the rear of the flock, towards the right sup 

 posing you were at the left, and your dog had been sent upon along the left side and call 

 him down towards you along the right side, by making a motion towards you, and -crying 

 Come in! 



A sweep of the arm from the side you wish him to start to the other, is the proper 

 motion, when you want him to go ahead and around them, and the motion should be accom 

 panied with the cry Around them! It requires some time and patience to bring the dog up 

 and ahead of the flock. It will come by degrees; and if your pup is possessed of some good, 

 hard dog sense, it will not tako him long to know that Up! Away up! means that he shall 

 go for the head of the flock. Always call his name in giving any order, and always make 

 the motion with, your hand. If he does not quite understand your meaning, he will most 

 probably stop on his way up and look around at you, to see what comes next, when you must 

 repeat your motion, and cry, Up! Away up! until he goes ahead. 



If you are driving a flock along a fenced road, or in a field along a fence, and you want 

 your dog to go ahead of them, get over the fence yourself, and motioning and calling the dog, 

 Over and up! he will mount the fence, when he fathoms your meaning, and go ahead inside 

 the fence, or outside, as directed. If you want him to stay at a certain place, away from you, 

 teach him to Stop there! or Lie down! If you wish to go ahead of your flock yourself, 

 and have the dog remain behind, go ahead along one side; and if the dog wants to .follow you, 

 drive him back with threatening motions, and the words Go behind! and when he has got 

 back to place, keep an eye on him, and say occasionally Drive them up! and Speak to 

 them! By practicing this a short time on a fenced road, the dog can be taught to bring the 

 flock up after you, in whatever direction, even on a wide field. 



It is not desirable to have the dog barking much of the time. You must teach him to 

 Keep quiet! and to Speak to them! In order to make him speak to them whenever you 

 wish him to, make a big fuss yourself, and so get him excited, when, by singing out Speak to 

 them! you can set him barking. This is especially desirable when he is bringing up the 

 rear, when crossing a railroad, driving them over a stream, or into a yard. In training a 

 dog, a shepherd must be careful in not letting him get the habit of crowding the sheep too 

 much, whether they are on the move or are grazing in the field. Some Shepherd dogs acquire 

 the habit of taking hold of the legs of the sheep, whereby the skin is apt to break, if the wool 

 is not of some length. If the dog is trained to catch any sheep that is pointed out to him, he 

 should be taught to take hold at the side of the neck near the shoulder, not at the ear, and 

 least of all, at the throat. 



In Texas, they have a way of training dogs with sheep. A pup is taken from its 

 mother before its eyes are opened, and put with a ewe to suckle. After a few times the ewe 

 becomes reconciled to the pup, which follows her like a lamb, grows up among, and remains 

 with, the flock; and no wolf, man, or strange dog can come near the flock of sheep; and the 

 flock will follow the dog to the fold regularly at half -past seven p. M., if you habitually feed 

 him at that time. 



It would be quite possible to cause the dog to perform all his duties by means of the 

 motions of hand and arm alone, and without words, but the voice keeps up an understanding 

 between the man and the dog, and helps to while away many a long hour. Too much use of 

 the voice, however, is apt to make the dog unmindful and regardless of it. As to the names 

 of dogs, they should be short and emphatic, not exceeding two syllables, for long names are 

 difficult to pronounce when quick action is required. 



Most young Shepherd dogs make a great noise, bustle about in an impatient manner, or 

 run fiercely at the sheep, biting their ears and legs, and they generally overdo their work. 

 Great harm may accrue to sheep by allowing the dog to work in these ways. Whenever 

 sheep hear a dog bark that is accustomed to hound them every day, they will instantly start 



