1833.] CLEVER DOGS. 155 



I saw and heard of the shepherd-dogs of the country.* 

 When riding, 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 house 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 accustoming 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 if 

 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 the 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 appears 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 

 instinct 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 sonif" 

 confused notion, that the one thus associated gains power, 

 -<s if in company with its own kind. F. Cuvier ha^ 



\T. A. fl'Orbig'ny has given nearly a similar account ot these dogs, 



...in. i.. p. T75. 



