SHEEP DOG TRIALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 3

SHEEP DOG TRIALS.

.jA BIT OF ' THE LIGHTER SIDE; . ' 'The-recant sheep dog trials at Masterton have'dispelled. tte.< old-time belief (writes our; \Yairaraffa correspondent) that these gatherings were symposiums of volcanic language and ' something a good -deal stronger than water. But the behaviour of the sneep dog men at the exhibition which. has just been comploted was such that justly, entitles any of them to assume-the white flower of a blameless life. .That is'with respect to dog trials. / Where tho public apparently erred in its estimation of dog trials as an unprintable language-test,-was in assuming that the. manipulation of-a-dog.-in. sheep driving'was similar to that, of biillock driving. The positions,'however,'.are, altogether-different. The bullock: is naturally a stubborn' animal, and much ; 'forco, both physical'and oral; is required- before 'hp can* bo' persuaded , to do things. On the other hand, the, sheep dog represents an intelligence almost human. He can be'taught to work simply by signs and whistles, until in a way he becomes.a part of his master; The best-work done at the trials was by "dogs which- had- the least said to them. -In fact Moss, of Ancrum, the champion .dog of- the meeting, never had a word spoken ,to him by his master, who Worked him from a long distance by'means of whistles, ' and - nearer by signs from an ordinary walking, stick.; It is hardly fair, to assumo that every dog- should demonstrate tho same intelligence as Moss of - Ancrum, as. this, animal is practically, utilised for show purposes only.He .travels the principal-dog trials, and thus has exceptional opportunities against" dogs which, are all ■ the year doing roughlwork in the open country. Still, he is an example of the manner in: which a sheep dog may be taught. Those- shepherds who did have recourse to language at the trials merely spoko the. ordinary cryptic English or Gaelic, as the case may be, which only the dog and his master understand. There were many_ times, however, when, the, shepherd, standing in his circumscribed ring, was seen to be in a state of intenso excitement. The sheep,, porhaps, would be just on the point of issing the flag, throngh which thoy were jO be driven,, and a sudden flank movement by. the dog was required to bring them into line.. Tho dog, however, would be a littlo slow,in his movements, as lie drove'the sheen toward the objective, and tho shepherd could see that it would bo a near thing. The shepherd would lean over and squirm, something like a bowler who has put a big bias on, and whoso ball is crawling slowly, but surely, on to the jook. Some of the shepherds got so excited that they squirmed themselves out of the rij£, altogether, miich to their own astonishment. Finally, although the. weather at the Mas-, terton dog trials was wet, and cold, the predominating liquids—almost the only liquids obtainable—were tea and coffee.