VOL. L. NO. 2 174. 
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 26 , i89i 
PRICE, FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
THE COLLIE DOG. 
“MAN’S MOST FAITHFUL FRIEND.” 
A Scotchman’s Opinion. 
ANY farmers are disposed to look upon the dog 
(man’s earliest and most faithful friend) as an 
unmitigated nuisance, and some go the length of 
wanting the race exterminated. This is a practical age. 
We like to know that Bisson’s Belle has produced 1,028 
pounds 13% ounces of butter in a year; but of what use is a 
dog to a farmer ? The Jersey cow has been bred to produce 
butter, and the Scotch collie has been bred to assist the 
farmer in handling cattle, sheep and hogs. The farmer 
breeder finds his trained collie equal to two or three men 
in handling his herds or flocks, In herding or driving to 
water, new pasture or market. Few indeed are the Scotch 
farms where the collie is not an indispensable part of the 
help, sometimes over¬ 
looked it may be, but 
seldom missing. With¬ 
out the collie the sheep 
industry of Scotland 
would be an impossi¬ 
bility and her heather- 
clad hills would not be 
tenanted by the flocks 
of sheep in summer, 
which are turned into 
the neep (turnip) fields 
in winter, realizing 
money for the farmer. 
The collie owes his re¬ 
markable intelligence 
to his constant contact 
with men. All day long 
on the hill-sides he is 
the only companion of 
the shepherd and night 
sees him still with his 
master in the cottage 
romping with the 
weans. While you can 
teach the collie every 
trick your ingenuity 
can devise, he does not 
show them off to 
strangers. He has a 
more exalted and prac¬ 
tical purpose in life, 
that of watchman and 
aid-de camp for his 
master. For the small 
farmer he will drive 
the cows to pasture in 
the morning and bring 
them home to be milked 
at night. The chickens 
will be kept from the 
front yard, and where 
there are children, no 
better playmate can be 
found for them. I know 
where a collie carries 
written messages from 
his master to his mistress (on a small place) for needed in¬ 
formation; (why can many steps not be saved on the farm 
in this way ?) and, last but not least, he is a terror to 
tramps. 
Did you ever watch a collie head off a flock of sheep ? 
See him squat before the leader, and by his superior brain 
or magnetic power force the sheep back step by step, he 
quietly moving forward as the sheep move backward 
until his object is attained. There is no fuss, scattering 
or stampede which breeders recognize as detrimental to 
the growth of all kinds of stock. Many shepherds have 
their collies trained to pick out the sickly or hurt sheep 
from the flock, or any animal needing attention. If you 
want to be successful in raising stock you have to fix or 
lay yourself out to take proper care of them. If you desire 
competent, reliable help you have to learn, teach and watch 
them. Put a little time into the training or teaching of 
an intelligent dog, one which takes as naturally to caring 
for stock as a duck to water, and you have a servant and 
friend no reverse or disaster will turn from you, and whose 
motto is “ aye, ready.” . w. D. K. 
The Best Farm Dog Known. 
I use my collie dogs for herding and tending cattle, 
sheep or stock of any kind. I do not consider them good 
watch dogs, as they are naturally timid. I do not think 
they would attack a thief or tramp. Occasionally one 
might, but, as a rule, I would say, no. They are perfectly 
safe to leave with children; in fact, they are the most 
affectionate dogs In the world, and will protect children 
against animals of any kind. They are also perfectly 
safe with young animals. They are easily taught—more 
so than dogs of any other breed I know. I consider them 
the best farm dogs bred. A well bred collie will do more 
work with stock, if properly trained, than a man. For 
an all-purpose dog, and especially for farmers, the collie 
has no equal. JNO. w. FERGUSON. 
Kearney Co., Neb. 
I DO not think I can speak too highly of the collie for 
use upon the farm if properly trained. I consider dogs of 
this breed particularly good for driving stock. I cannot 
recommend mine as a good watch dog. He has not been 
trained to attack any one, and is too friendly with all. He 
is a safe playfellow with children, and does not worry 
young animals. Collies are easily taught If properly 
handled, and this should be done by one person only. I do 
not think any farm where live stock are kept, is thor¬ 
oughly equipped without one. Mine is indispensable in 
leading cows to and from the pasture, and though not 
able tc open or close gates, he will never leave his post 
until some one goes to close the gate. He is also very use¬ 
ful in carrying messages to and from the house to men at 
work upon the farm, taking their lunches to the men, and 
in fact, doing general errands, and by his many tricks he 
affords great amusement to all. E. D. 
Woodstown, N. J. 
I have been using collie dogs on my farm for the last 
40 years, and at present have two. When properly trained, 
I consider them the best dogs for all purposes. They are 
particularly good for driving cattle, sheep, etc. Their 
excellence in this line seems to be bred in them. They are 
good watch dogs, as they are always on the alert. They 
are brave and will attack a tramp or thief. They are per¬ 
fectly safe to leave with children or young animals, and 
are easily taught. I consider them better farm dogs than 
those of any other breed when trained. Of course they 
need training to learn what their duty is. I use mine for 
driving the cows to and from the fields, and could hardly 
get along without them. They take the cattle as quietly 
as a person. LEVI N. SHELLY. 
Lehigh Co., Pa. 
From a Breeder’s Standpoint. 
The dogs pictured in this issue were bred by W. Atlee 
Burpee & Co., who send the following notes: 
“Collie dogs are naturally apt, active, sharp and shrewd, 
ever on the alert, so that they are useful watch dogs. In¬ 
telligence is also one 
of their principal char¬ 
acteristics. They are, 
no doubt, sheep and 
cattle dogs in every 
sense of the word, as 
they naturally take to 
caring for these with 
comparatively little or 
no training; in fact, we 
have known many dogs 
to go to work when 
only four or five months 
old, and drive sheep as 
well as thoroughly 
broken dogs, with the 
exception probably that 
they must be taught to 
heel instead of head. 
“In our kennels there 
are now, as nearly as 
we can judge, probably 
about 50 brood bitches, 
and eight or nine stud 
dogs. We always en¬ 
deavor to supply the 
demand for puppies, 
but this pa9t year, in 
fact for several years 
past the demand has 
been increasing to such 
an extent that it is al¬ 
most impossible for us 
to breed puppies fast 
enough to supply it.” 
Two Good Collies. 
Mr. Burpee furnishes 
this information re¬ 
garding the animals 
shown in this paper. 
The collie dog, the 
Bard of Fordhook 11631 
(Fig. 246), is a rich, dark 
sable dog with white 
markings. His sire is 
Ch. Smuggler, a grand, 
heavily coated dog. This dog, judging from his progeny, 
must be wonderfully heavily coated. Bard has one of 
the heaviest coats of good texture in our kennels. Smug¬ 
gler is by Tramp II., out of Sable Plume. This blood 
runs back into the Ch. Marcus and Ch. Jessie stock, which 
is well-known to collie breeders. The dam of Bard is 
imported Whirlpool. She is by Lancashire Hero, also a 
noted winner in England, out of Daphne II. The bitch 
runs back into the old Trevor stock, which is also noted. 
Bard is a grand young dog in every particular. His coat 
is simply magnificent with no kinks or curls such as can 
be found in many of our collie dogs of to-day. He is not 
only good in the outer coat, but also good in the under, 
having an abundance of hair of the proper texture. His 
finely-shaped head with a well defined muzzle of good 
breadth, but not heavy by any means, is one that any 
collie breeder may be proud of. He was whelped Sep¬ 
tember 22, 1888. 
As to Pansy (Fig. 247), we consider her the most typical 
collie bitch in the kennels. Her sire is Clifton Chief, lit¬ 
ter brother to Ch. Caractacus. Although Caractagus haq 
COLLIE DOG BARD OF FORDHOOK 11631. Fig. 246. 
