WAIUKU SHEEP DOG FAITHFUL SERVANT

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1949, Page 7

WAIUKU SHEEP DOG FAITHFUL SERVANT

- ONE day last summer Mr Les Marston was tedding hay on his farm at Waiuku. . ' , ■ He cracked the handle of his fork, but carried on with it for some time before deciding to use another* . With him in the paddock was his young sheep dog, Maid. Turning to the dog, Mr Marston said: “Maid, go and get my pitch-fork.” The fork was in a shed about a mile away, and oft went Maid in that direction.

A few minute? later she returned to her master, dragging the fork along in her teeth. 1 This is a splendid example of the

intelligence of the sheep dog.. Mr Marston obviously . has a way with them.

In winning the heading double at the Maungakaramea trials on Monday and yesterday with Beth and Clyde, he showed the best control * and teamwork seen, during the two. days. The activities of Beth, Clyde and Maid, however, are by no means confined to the trial course. Mr Marston received numerous requests from young people and old at' Maungakaramea for a demonstration of tricks by his three canines. TRICK PERFORMANCES

Each dog and. the master.always attracted a gallery as they entertained with performances usually seen only in a circus tent.

They leaped through his hooped arms, zig-zagged between, his legs •as he walked, walked backwards. Mr Marston would drop his tobacco pounch in the grass and walk away some 20 or 30 yards. To Maid he would turn and say: “Maid, go and find my tobacco pouch.” Maid then retraced her master’s footsteps, picked up his pouch and, with a happy wag of the tail, brought it to him. She did the same with his walkingS A Maungakaramea trialist thinks a lot of Maid. He. was staying with Mr Marston at Waiuku a few months ago and left his shoes on the verandah. A pup. on the farm acted true to tvoe by taking one of the shoes. . THE LOST SHOE.

All efforts of the visitor to find it were in vain. As night approached, he had almost given up hope of ever getting it back. Mr Marston apparently knew differ - entlv Before tying Maid up for the night, he gave her the scent of the other shoe and instructions to go and retrieve the lost one, Maid wasted no time. She trotted to a puriri tree about 200 yards away, picked up the shoe and, to complete her good deed for the.day. brought it back to her master and the thankful