150 • BANDA ORIENTAL. [ciiat. vnr. 



it is a common thing to meet a large flock of sheep guarded by 

 one or two dogs, at the distance of some miles from any ho lse 

 or man. I often wondered how so firm a friendship had been 

 established. The method of education consists in separating 

 the puppy, while very young, from the bitch, and in accustom- 

 ing it to its future companions. An ewe is held three or four 

 times a day for the little thing to suck, and a nest of wool is 

 made for it in the sheep-pen ; at no time is it allowed to associate 

 with other dogs, or with the children of the family. The puppy 

 is, moreover, generally castrated ; so that, when grown up, it 

 can scarcely have any feelings in common with the rest of its 

 kind. From this education it has no wish to leave the flock, and 

 just as another dog will defend its master, man, so will these 

 the sheep. It is amusing to observe, when approaching a flock, 

 how the dog immediately advances barking, and the sheep all 

 close in his rear, as if round the oldest ram. These dogs are 

 also easily taught to bring home the flock, at a certain hour in 

 the evening. Their most troublesome fault, when young, is 

 their desire of playing with the sheep ; for in their sport they 

 sometimes gallop their poor subjects most unmercifully. 



The shepherd -dog comes to the house every day for some 

 meat, and as soon as it is given him, he skulks away as it 

 ashamed of himself. On these occasions the house-dogs are 

 very tyrannical, and the least of them will attack and pursue the 

 stranger. The minute, however, the latter has reached the 

 flock, he turns round and begins to bark, and then all the house- 

 dogs take very quickly to their heels. In a similar manner a 

 whole pack of the hungry wild dogs will scarcely ever (and I 

 was told by some never) venture to attack a flock guarded by 

 even one of these faithful shepherds. The whole account ap- 

 pears to me a curious instance of the pliability of the affections 

 in the dog ; and yet, whether wild or however educated, he has a 

 feeling of respect or fear for those that are fulfilling their in- 

 stinct of association. For we can understand on no principle 

 the wild dogs being driven away by the single one with its flock, 

 except that they consider, from some confused notion, that the 

 one thus associated gains power, as if in company with its own 

 kind. F. Cuvier has observed, that all animals that readily 

 enter into domestication, consider man su a member of their 



