1959 Joe Dog Article: Eyes Which Control Sheep Are Vital to Border Collie
Eyes Which Control Sheep Are Vital To Border Collie
By Max Knight - Circa 1959
Middleboro - The use of dogs by shepherds of the world extends back to Biblical times. Horace, Homer, Virgil and Varro talked of shepherds and their working dogs, even before the birth of Christ.
These dogs were the first generation of one of the most famous animals in the world, the border collie.
What has made the border collie so famous?
The question was answered by Denver Cofield, a farmer east of Middleboro who one of the best.
"It is the eye of the dog," he said. "That eye can control sheep, an impossible job for a dog that does not have the breed born into him."
Cofield has a border collie named Joe, and Joe most certainly has the eye. He works with precision while around the sheep, obeying his master's will to the ultimate degree.
Uses Five Commands
Denver uses five commands in working his dog. He voices commands: "come in," "get back," "gee" for left and "haw" for right. His stop command is a whistle.
And when that whistle is given, an onlooker might think the dog suddenly has been stopped in his tracks by a bullet. No matter what speed the dog is traveling, the whistle command serves as glue to his feet.
Cofield also uses a cane to point the direction he wishes Joe to go.
This is especially effective in an open field.
But the most striking thing about the dog is its eyes. When they bore into a flock of sheep, they seem to command all the respect in the world.
In fact, the dog is seemingly telling the sheep there is no use for them to break away, for he can run any of them into the ground and sooner or later will be in full command. The older sheep of the Cofield farm seldom try to take advantage of Joe. And the lambs soon learn it does little good.
Into A Pen
To demonstrate for the camera, Cofield had Joe put five sheep in a corner pen in the middle of a field. The pen was made by setting two gates at an angle.
The border collie eased the sheep toward the corral and backed them in on the first try.
But he was not satisfied with the way they were acting and, upon command from his master, took them in a circle around the pen four times, wearing them down. They then meekly returned to the pen and made his job of backing them in an easy task.
The Border Collie association has trial meets each year but essentially the dogs are for farm work. Joe is equally good with hogs and cattle as with sheep. But it is the fast-moving sheep that present the biggest challenge for herding.
Trials for the dogs date back to Oct. 9, 1873. The first one was held in Bala, Scotland, and needless to say, was won by a Scotchman with a Scotch-bred dog.
Joe is a forceful-type dog where others use a wait-and-see attitude. If a sheep breaks from the herd, Joe speedily rounds her up. But let her break the second time and Joe takes a good chuck of ear a he puts her back into her place.
Training Important
Training is all important with the dog. It must become a one-man dog and must obey all commands automatically.
This reporter tried calling Joe to his side while in an open field. But the dog did not move from its position in the shade of the Cofield truck.
Then Denver entered the picture. He turned to Joe and said, "Joe! Go see Max."
The dog immediately jumped to its feet and trotted to be petted as if meeting a long, lost friend.
Joe is not the only top-rated border collie in the area, according to Cofield. He says Dana Rowe at Winchester and Wayne Witter at College Corner each have one.
And of the 12 dogs Cofield has owned, only two have proved to have the eye necessary to make an excellent sheep dog.
Stole the Show
In his first trial at Buckleys near College Corner, Joe stole the show by performing like a professional. At these trials the dogs learn control, making it far more than a show.
"Joe and I understand each other," said Denver. "This is most important in training a border collie."
That is, understanding each other is the most important if the dog has "the eye." If he doesn't, all the understanding in the world will not make him a sheep dog.
With Joe, the understanding and "eye" are combined to give Cofield one of the finest dogs in this part of the country.
Photo 1: Joe's eyes seem to be saying, "I dare you to move," as he herds sheep on the Denver Cofield farm, near Middleboro, into a corner pen. The picture was taken in the middle of the sheep as Joe looked past the camera at his charges. Notice the ears of the dog pinned tight against his head.
Photo 2: Denver Cofield, stick in hand, stands with the sheep after Joe's job of putting them in an open-field pen is completed. Although resting, one move from the sheep would bring Joe alert again.
Photo 3: Joe moves in on the cornered sheep as he makes a final surveillance before quieting down. He froze to this position after his master whistled him to a stop.
1959 Joe Dog Article: Eyes Which Control Sheep Are Vital to Border Collie
Eyes Which Control Sheep Are Vital To Border Collie
By Max Knight - Circa 1959
Middleboro - The use of dogs by shepherds of the world extends back to Biblical times. Horace, Homer, Virgil and Varro talked of shepherds and their working dogs, even before the birth of Christ.
These dogs were the first generation of one of the most famous animals in the world, the border collie.
What has made the border collie so famous?
The question was answered by Denver Cofield, a farmer east of Middleboro who one of the best.
"It is the eye of the dog," he said. "That eye can control sheep, an impossible job for a dog that does not have the breed born into him."
Cofield has a border collie named Joe, and Joe most certainly has the eye. He works with precision while around the sheep, obeying his master's will to the ultimate degree.
Uses Five Commands
Denver uses five commands in working his dog. He voices commands: "come in," "get back," "gee" for left and "haw" for right. His stop command is a whistle.
And when that whistle is given, an onlooker might think the dog suddenly has been stopped in his tracks by a bullet. No matter what speed the dog is traveling, the whistle command serves as glue to his feet.
Cofield also uses a cane to point the direction he wishes Joe to go.
This is especially effective in an open field.
But the most striking thing about the dog is its eyes. When they bore into a flock of sheep, they seem to command all the respect in the world.
In fact, the dog is seemingly telling the sheep there is no use for them to break away, for he can run any of them into the ground and sooner or later will be in full command. The older sheep of the Cofield farm seldom try to take advantage of Joe. And the lambs soon learn it does little good.
Into A Pen
To demonstrate for the camera, Cofield had Joe put five sheep in a corner pen in the middle of a field. The pen was made by setting two gates at an angle.
The border collie eased the sheep toward the corral and backed them in on the first try.
But he was not satisfied with the way they were acting and, upon command from his master, took them in a circle around the pen four times, wearing them down. They then meekly returned to the pen and made his job of backing them in an easy task.
The Border Collie association has trial meets each year but essentially the dogs are for farm work. Joe is equally good with hogs and cattle as with sheep. But it is the fast-moving sheep that present the biggest challenge for herding.
Trials for the dogs date back to Oct. 9, 1873. The first one was held in Bala, Scotland, and needless to say, was won by a Scotchman with a Scotch-bred dog.
Joe is a forceful-type dog where others use a wait-and-see attitude. If a sheep breaks from the herd, Joe speedily rounds her up. But let her break the second time and Joe takes a good chuck of ear a he puts her back into her place.
Training Important
Training is all important with the dog. It must become a one-man dog and must obey all commands automatically.
This reporter tried calling Joe to his side while in an open field. But the dog did not move from its position in the shade of the Cofield truck.
Then Denver entered the picture. He turned to Joe and said, "Joe! Go see Max."
The dog immediately jumped to its feet and trotted to be petted as if meeting a long, lost friend.
Joe is not the only top-rated border collie in the area, according to Cofield. He says Dana Rowe at Winchester and Wayne Witter at College Corner each have one.
And of the 12 dogs Cofield has owned, only two have proved to have the eye necessary to make an excellent sheep dog.
Stole the Show
In his first trial at Buckleys near College Corner, Joe stole the show by performing like a professional. At these trials the dogs learn control, making it far more than a show.
"Joe and I understand each other," said Denver. "This is most important in training a border collie."
That is, understanding each other is the most important if the dog has "the eye." If he doesn't, all the understanding in the world will not make him a sheep dog.
With Joe, the understanding and "eye" are combined to give Cofield one of the finest dogs in this part of the country.
Photo 1: Joe's eyes seem to be saying, "I dare you to move," as he herds sheep on the Denver Cofield farm, near Middleboro, into a corner pen. The picture was taken in the middle of the sheep as Joe looked past the camera at his charges. Notice the ears of the dog pinned tight against his head.
Photo 2: Denver Cofield, stick in hand, stands with the sheep after Joe's job of putting them in an open-field pen is completed. Although resting, one move from the sheep would bring Joe alert again.
Photo 3: Joe moves in on the cornered sheep as he makes a final surveillance before quieting down. He froze to this position after his master whistled him to a stop.