MY FRIEND, THE COLLIE 



247 



he was so friendly with all that one day 

 I thus lost him. He was gone for about 

 a week, and I was advertising far and 

 wide for him. Then a newspaper man 

 learned my story and gave me a half- 

 column, scare-head story, which un- 

 earthed him ten miles from home. The 

 finder telephoned me about him, quoting 

 the newspaper description verbatim. 1 

 thought he had a dog like mine — in 

 fact, from his being so positive, I be- 

 gan to doubt. Only sixty clues had 

 been run to earth fruitlessly during the 

 previous week. The idea of talking to 

 the Collie over the telephone finally 

 came to me, and the finder placed the 

 receiver to his ear, after getting him 

 up on a chair. Here is the conversa- 

 tion between the Collie and myself: 



"Bob," I said, "do you know me?" 



No answer, but the gentleman who 

 had him, says, "You ought to see the 

 look on his face.'' 



''Bob, old man, where are you. Don't 

 you know me? Come, speak up!'' 



A low, lingering whine and half a 

 bark was the answer. I knew it was 

 Bob. 



When he was brought home that 

 afternoon the finder said he was very 

 restless and uneasy from the time he 

 heard me till he was brought into my 

 office. His trip was such a hard one 

 and he was so tired, that it cured him 

 of further escapades. I've had no 

 trouble since. This only goes to show 

 that Collies should be taken for com- 

 panions when young. They are never 

 in doubt then about the location of 

 home. 



The Collie is essentially an outdoor 

 dog. He does not care too much for 

 indoor pampering. In the winter my 

 companion lies under my writing table 

 in the library during the evenings. Out- 



side this he likes outdoors. He always 

 sleeps with other dogs in the kennels 

 or stable at night. I rise early and take 

 them all for a run every agreeable 

 morning. When a man likes a tramp 

 through the woods or across country, 

 he can take no better companion than 

 one or two alert Collies. I generally 

 take them all, but if I were cramped 

 into smaller quarters I should have one 

 or two anyhow. 



A few words on general care : In all 

 favorable weather wash the dog once 

 a month, and in summer once each 

 week. Feed him twice daily of cooked 

 food. Do not keep him too fat. Good 

 muscular condition and a smart, alert 

 Collie are not the result of too much 

 feed. Once a week give a half tea- 

 spoonful of powdered sulphur in a pan 

 with some milk. It keeps his bloocl in 

 fine condition. Use a medicated ani- 

 mal soap when washing him. Disinfect 

 the kennel with crude carbolic acid once 

 a month. In fall and winter, when 

 washing is out of the question, owing 

 to the unfavorable weather, dust him 

 through all his dense coat with a tobac- 

 co dust powder. It is a fine method of 

 keeping his skin clean and insects off 

 after contact with other dogs. Have 

 him clipped in summer if convenient, 

 and let him go on the vacation with 

 you. He will love the water and it will 

 be a sin to leave him home. 



"Once owner of a Collie, always an 

 owner," is an old but true saying. No 

 circumstances will prevent the keeping 

 of a Collie after they have once won 

 you. We know the truth of this in a 

 dozen instances. They are the pride of 

 every one who possesses them and will 

 always be first in the heart of a strong 

 man or woman who is fond of the dumb 

 but true. 



