The Collie or Sheep Dog. 133 



any duffer almost will bring them up to you, but 

 taking them away altogether for a half a mile or so 

 up to a certain point, and then turning them towards 

 the home journey, requires great skill, more so 

 than is required at the pen when the trial is 

 terminating." 



So much for trials with sheep, which I should 

 like to see adopted in every county, under proper 

 and reasonable management and conditions. But 

 I do not like to see the rule which is in force in 

 many places, where the'shepherd working his dog is 

 compelled to hold a rope in his hand, which allows 

 him to go so far and no further, under pain of dis- 

 qualification. If without such a silly rule a com- 

 mittee cannot make the handler keep within a 

 prescribed area, they are certainly not fit to 

 occupy the position they are supposed to so well 

 grace. 



At the Llangollen meeting a class is provided in 

 which the shepherd has to work a brace of dogs 

 together. Two lots of sheep are first gathered, then 

 separated again, the one lot of three, marked with 

 " ruddle," having to be first secured, then the other 

 lot, which numbers half a dozen, are to be driven 

 within the hurdles in a similar manner. Personally I 

 have not seen such interesting work when the two run 

 together as I have done when working separately. 



