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Show NEW ZEALAND DOGS. Remarkable Intclllffenee Shown by the Animals. New Zealand is a country that delles largely upon the labor of dogs as opposed op-posed to the toil of men, says the Ncv. York Mail and Express. A mun with several dogs, trained one and ull to a proper pitch, can cope with the duties of a large number of men without dog, in any work that is purely pastoral. Last year sheep dogs were an important impor-tant factor in the care of 10,000,000 sheep, which produced -80,000,000 pounds tf wool. The dogs are almost as great i. sight as the sheep on the four annual events of mustering, named respectively respective-ly shearing musrer (November), stragglers strag-glers muster (February), weaning muster (March), autumn muster (May). The muster of every sheep on the run is imperative, and those are rare exceptions excep-tions where less than four musters are deemed sufficient. A muster is arranged on recognized lines. As nearly a? possible pos-sible the men work in line, within sight of each other. The top man drives the sheep gradually down to the man below him, who passes them on till they reach the man working the flats. There is ro precise rule, as each man can keep hi mob of sheep till the beat is mustered. All this time the dogs have been working work-ing in every course on the beat, not en. masse, but each in his own sphere, as the shepherd commands. Should he have half a dozen dogs they would comprise two "heading" or "leading" dogs, two "driving" or "huntaways" and two "handy" dogs. The "handy" dog is u dog able to turn its attention with equal exactness to anything. There is little erring; once his education is accomplished ac-complished his owner can depend-upon him in. any crisis. The dogs used in this colony on sheep farms are selected from Scots and German collies and the Smithficld sheep dog. and vary as much in size and class as they do in price. A dog fitted for the capabilities of a small farm could be purchased for a sovereign, while men who are in residence on back country stations of 200,000 acres repeatedly re-peatedly pay from 10 to 15 for their fancy. |