DOGS ARE CLEVER ANIMALS

One of the most clever dogs of all is the Border Collie. They have been used in Britain for sheep herding for many years--good genes.

My former neighbor's son lives in the country with his own Border Collie, named Rob. Rob used to herd the cat, as did my Shelties, since it is instinctual with herding dogs. One night the young man was awakened by Rob barking loudly and freezing on the bed. The fellow looked out, and there was a black bear trying to get in. The young man banged loudly and the bear left. The dogs seem to enjoy trying to outsmart everyone, even in play.

Some years ago, when we owned a camper, we traveled into New Hampshire and down a road to a farmer's field. There, a little stand and tent were set up for a sheepdog trial, with many people already gathered. Border Collies, Australian sheepdogs, and other types awaited their turn. We marveled as the sheep (we were at their end) obeyed the dogs as they herded them along a course. The handler was so far away, we could barely see him (a woman won). He used hand signals, whistles, and calls. The sheep were separated, herded , and eventually put in a pen. The sight thrilled us at their cleverness.

We traveled also to a more organized Border Collie trial in the US, where we saw the young dogs trained, as they crept, chased, and herded the sheep about. Most of the brood bitches, we were told, came from Scotland or Wales.

One day, on our way home from a trip to the Gaspe, we stopped in a small town on the upper St. Lawrence to have a private meeting with a shepherd, who at one time owned 200 sheep, and now retired, kept five to train his six Border Collies. He took them through their paces one at a time (in the rain), then showed them together on a stand, 'preening' themselves. What charmed us the most was that every time he turned back to us, they jumped down, did their own thing, but kept close to the stand. When the shepherd's head turned back to them, up they hopped, as good as gold. He knew. He said that because they are such clever dogs they must be trained thoroughly at three months, and again at six months, or you have lost them.

I would love to have a Border Collie, but they are far too clever a dog for me. Do you think they are the most clever of the dogs? Or another breed?

Posts:
May 26/09
June 04/09
June 25/09


Great Gray Owl
Shetland Sheepdog
Border Collie
Moose
Deer

Post:
May 26/09


Coyote
Red Fox
Snowy Owl
Red Tailed Hawk

All animal and bird photos courtesy of iStockphotos

May 05/09
May 15/09
May 19/09
May 21/09

Feral Cat
Raccoon
Blackbird

MY FATHER LOVED NATURE

When we were young children, my father would take the family to a lake for the weekend during the summer, where we learned to swim and splash to our hearts content. In the fall, he would take us to a country area, where we walked down some woodland road, hearing only the rustle of the many colored leaves as we crashed our way through them. When we finally acquired a cottage in the northern area--miles from town, it was wonderful. I did get car sick the last few miles, but I grew out of it. All was forgotten as we arrived--after another several miles by boat.

Father dug a spring out of the hillside (from a stream above), where we children would be sent to carry drinking water. I used to love to sit in the stillness and watch the little bugs and spiders stride across, and under the water. We enjoyed a big farm horse named Tom, who dragged large logs from the woods, where the men had prepared them to make our log home. We canoed in the swamp areas on either side of our long beach, and saw herons and other large birds, and swam in the water, sometimes shrieking as a large snake followed us. The deer came down to drink by the swamp at first light and at dusk, and the haunting loons called in the evening. We thought it cool to see the babies on the mother's back. Our evenings were spent playing games.

I grew up a little, and as a lazy teenager, when my father asked me to accompany him for a walk in the woods early one morning to check his property, I said no. You can imagine my devastation to hear that he had seen a large moose. I have seen Elk in Banff National Park, but it is not the same as seeing animals in "their" natural space.

I will always be grateful to my father because he gifted me with a love of nature. Has someone introduced you to that magical world?

CAN NATURE LIVE WITH HUNTING?

As I have said, I live in the country. I also live in a hunting area. This comes with its own risks. When I first came to my area, a neighbor told me that her neighbor's sons used to sit on their back balcony and shoot squirrels in her back yard. She responded in anger, of course, and the boys eventually grew up. I had a piano tuner come one day. He was blind, and said it was caused by a hunting accident. He was a very young man.

We walked in the fields with our dogs. One day we met a young fellow (age 12?) with a rifle. He was less than 100 yards from the houses, so we really blasted him. Pardon the pun. He got the message. Because our dogs were sable in color, when we walked during hunting season, we had to talk loudly, sing, or bang things--besides keep our dogs close. We did not want them to be shot for foxes, or ourselves shot for that matter.

It always amazes me that if people are motivated they will make sacrifices. I think of this every time I am awakened in the early hours of the morning by gunshots. Duck season has begun! Down by the river, the men sit in the cold and damp of first light, and shoot at the ducks. Yes, some are shot cleanly, but others are merely wounded and left to die in misery. It stands to reason, all will not be found. Hunters will argue for this sport. Do so, but is it sport to leave animals clinging to life in pain?

How can one reconcile these results of hunting with a love of nature?

Do you agree?

DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL, NATURAL WORLD?

Some years ago--birders will remember--a lack of food in Alaska for Great Gray Owls forced the young males to fly further south in search of food. A number flew as far south as the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the delight of many. This occurred in the winter while we were cross-country skiing.

We had traveled around three or four miles, and as I came over a rise and down a small hill, there before me, on a young tree, sat a Great Gray Owl. We were both stunned. He recovered before I, lifting off the tree in a slow, graceful movement, to fly to a nearby wood. I had never seen such a magnificent bird before. One of the largest owls in the world, its wing span is five feet. Also a harrier, it feeds during the day. Some of the birds were seen in other places around the area, until they presumably went north again. A number of sightings were made to the local agricultural college. You may learn more about this bird at "Great Gray Owl".[Online]. Natural History Notebooks. Canadian Museum of Nature. http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/greatgrayowl.htm

I would not have had this memorable experience if all-terrain vehicles were as rife as they are today. I often think that some people go from A to C without seeing B. How conscious are we of what is in our natural world, or is it all cars and sidewalks? Although I am privileged to live in the country, even in the city, as long as there are trees, birds live and thrive, some in protected areas with special walks set aside. Take a pair of field glasses, and go on one ot these walks. Look down as well as up and around you. You will be surprised at how wonderful God has made our world.

Can we protect it? Can you?