THE COLLET. 127 



continue to describe the breed from the shepherd's point of view, 

 only — ret^arding any suspicion of a setter cross, and especially if 

 shown in coat, as injuring his value for the reasons before given. 

 Only those who have seen one or more of the public sheep-dog 

 trials (instituted about four years ago by Mr. Lloyd Price, and many 

 of which have of late years been held in Wales as well as in Eng- 

 land), or have privately seen these animals at their usual work, can 

 realize the amount of intelligence displayed by them. In these 

 trials the slightest sign from the shepherd is understood and 

 obeyed, and even the exact amount of driving calculated to make 

 the sheep go quietly forward to the pen without breaking away is 

 regulated to a nicety. 



But, irrespective of his obedience to his master's orders, the in- 

 dependent intelligence of the colley is very high, and it is interest- 

 ing to watch him or some other sheep-dog manage a wild sheep 

 t^hich is to be driven against his will in a certain direction. Very 

 frequently the sheep turns round and stands facing the dog, and 

 the natural expectation on the part of a spectator is that the latter 

 will try by barking to make the sheep turn round and progress 

 somewhere. Not so, however ; such a proceeding would inevita- 

 bly cause a " break away," and the course pursued is to lie quietly 

 down and face the sheep. By this method in a short time the fac- 

 ing is changed to a quiet retreat, or sometimes to a slight backing, 

 when the dog quietly moves a step or two forward and again lies 

 down, till at lasi, by this kind of coaxing, the weaker animal of 

 the two is quietly managed. In such cases a high degree of intel- 

 ligence and tact is required which is partly innate and partly ac- 

 quired from the shepherd by education. As a consequence there 

 must be a due development of brain in the sheep-dog, and there 

 must be a disposition to learn and obey the orders given. So 

 clever is the colley that he will not be imposed on for any purpose 

 not evidently useful, and it is seldom that he can be taught to exe- 

 cute tricks for the gratification of idle spectators, although there is 

 no difficulty in getting him to perform them once or twice to please 

 his master. If exhibited beyond this extent he is apt to sulk and 

 refuse to show off; but when he is wanted to do really useful 



