70 THE ART OF TEAINING ANIMALS. 



probably the best adapted for those portions of our own country 

 where there is no danger Irom wild animals. It is pretty exten- 

 sively diliused in the United States and British America;^ and 

 is very useful to the farmer^ shepherd or di'over. 



The Mexican shepherd's dog is doubtless a descendant of the 



SCOTCH COLLEY, OR SHEPHERD'S DOG. 



Spanish ones introduced at the time of the conquest, and is' a 

 marvel of fidelity and intelligence. In training these dogs the 

 method is to select from a multitude of pups a few of the 

 healthiest and finest looking, and to put them to a sucking ewe, 

 hrst depriving her of her own lamb. By force, as well as from 

 a natural desire she has to be relieved of the contents of her 



^1 +?' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^'^^'^^ *^ ^^^^ ^Po^ *^® li**l® interlopers with 

 all the affection she would manifest for her own natural offspring. 

 ± or the first few days the pups are kept m the hut, the ewe 

 sucklmg them morning and evening only ; but gradually, as she 

 becomes accustomed to their sight, she is allowed to run in a 

 small enclosure with them, until she becomes so perfectly familiar 

 with their appearance as to take entire charge of them. After 

 this they are folded with the whole flock for a fortnight or so; 

 they then run about during the day with the flock, which after 

 a while becomes so accustomed to them, as to be able to dis- 

 tinguish them from other dogs— even from those of the same 

 litter Which have not been nursed among them.* The shepherds 

 usually allow the slut to keep one of a litter for her own particular 



