COLLIE DOGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22406, 30 April 1936, Page 15

COLLIE DOGS

Sir, —Unlike G. E. Nalder's Alsatian, our collie suffers everyone gladly. If friendship and tolerance arc the degenerate marks of too much civilisation, as your correspondent implies—well, surely not? Pom.

Sir, —Please, Mr. Nalder, in this controversy, do not slander the natural intelligence of the collie. My collie, from a long line of show dogs, at three months was certainly hopeless. He could not find his way home through a five-wire fence. 1 placed his dinner on the other side of it and left him to puz?le it out. He took several hours to get home, but learned the first lesson. Now, without any particular training, ho can leap through fences as well as any cattle dog, carry parcels, herd cows and lead sheep, escort small infants through the herd and brooks no interference. He is an efficient watch dog but goes "on guard" after his warning. He is admittedly over friendly with all children, but recognises no overtures from strange adults. It is significant that while all orchards around us suffered depredations from thieves, ours was left severely alone. He has caught and held several hares, the pet rabbit and hens, but has never killed. He fell from grace only once and then when a child was being thrashed. Given a little scope and an understanding owner the collie must rank high for intelligence among the bigger breeds of dogs. It is a little unfair to introduce other personalities in the canine controversy. Bruce.