CHAPTER XXXIII 



SHEEP DOGS 



The Collie Dog Appearance and Characteristics Points quoted from 

 Rules of Northern and Midland Sheep-dog Club Type of the Old 

 English Sheep Dog from the same Rules Sheep Dog Trials. 



THE Collie Dog. The common belief that the collie 

 is treacherous, is a calumny upon probably the most 

 valuable and sagacious, mild-tempered and patient, servant 

 of the sheep-farmer. It is quite true that a collie which 

 has been brought up in the wilds may be shy and refuse 

 to be patted or even touched by a stranger, but this is 

 merely the result of training and surroundings upon a 

 highly-strung nervous disposition. Dogs that are well 

 treated are usually extremely sensitive, and seem to be 

 as much discomfited by a moral rebuke an unkind look, 

 word, or action of his master as most animals would be 

 by physical chastisement. This indicates an amount of 

 sympathy and good fellowship between the dog and his 

 master, which is quite unattainable in the relationship 

 which exists between man and such a noble and service- 

 able animal even as the horse. 



The mental powers of a collie dog also develop under 

 kind treatment, associated with firm and consistent man- 

 agement and control, such as is necessary in training a 

 dog to work so that he will obey his master's call, and 

 understand and act in obedience to his master's sign or 

 gesture. When near at hand the word and look of the 

 master form the chief means of guidance, but at a distance 

 the whistle and motion can alone be relied upon. The 

 period of life at which a dog is most susceptible of learning 

 is when it is between six and twelve months old. A dog 

 which is descended from working parents is usually more 

 easily trained than one which is sprung from a fancy show- 

 yard strain which has not been accustomed to work. It 



