Sirrah Part One: Comparable in character to my auld Garry in every way. My dog was always my companion, I conversed with him the whole day - I shared every meal with him and my plaid with him in the time of a shower; the consequence was that I generally had the best dogs in all of the country. The first remarkable one that i had was named SIRRAH. he was beyond all comparison the best dog I ever saw. he was of a surly unsocial temper-disdained all flattery, and refused to be caressed,but his attention to all his masters commands and interests will never again be equalled by any of the canine race. The first time that I saw him,a drover was leading him in a rope.He was hungry & lean,and far from being a beautiful cur, for he was all over black, and had a grin=m face striped with dark brown.The man had bought him for three shillings off a boy somewhere on the Border, and had doubtless used him very ill on his journey. I thought I discovered some sort of sullen intelligence in his face, not withstanding his dejected and forlorn situation, so i gave the drover a guinea for him and appropriated the captive for myself.I believe there never was a guinea so well laid out: at least i am satisfied I never laid out one to so good purpose.He was scarcely then a year old,and knew so little of herding that he never turned sheep in his life; but as soon as he discovered that it was his duty to do so,and that it obliged me, I can never forget with what anxiety and eagerness he learned his different evolutions.He would try everywhere deliberately, till he found out what I wanted him to do and,when once i made him understand a direction,he never forgot or mistook it again. Well as I knew him,he very often astonished me,for when hard pressed at accomplishing the task he was put to, he had expedients of the moment that bespoke a great share of the reasoning faculty. Were i to relate all his exploits, it would require a volume. Whenever Sirrah found himself hard set in commanding wild sheep on steep ground, where they are worst to manage,he never failed, without any hint to the purpose,to throw himself wide in below them and lay their faces to the hill,by which means he got the command of them in a minute. I never could make Hector ( Sirrahs son) comprehend this advantage, with all my art, altho his father found it out entirely of himself. The former would wear or turn a sheep no other way but on the hill ABOVE them, and tho very good at this, he gave both them and himself double the trouble and fatigue. It will appear strange to hear a dogs reasoning faculty mentioned, as it has been,but I have hardly seen a shepherds dog do anything without perceiving his reasons for it. Auld Garry, a genius among dogs and men always held difficult sheep to the hill face - the only dog Ive owned so far to do this.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 07:24:42 +0000
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