Shepherd’s Dog Remembers the Road

From Anecdotes of Dogs by Edward Jesse, Esq., 1858
The Colley Or Shepherd’s Dog: a sheep-dog remembers all the turnings of a road

Collies on Guard, George Horlor 1873

The sense and recollection of the sheep-dog were shown in the following instance:—

When I occupied a small farm in Surrey, I was in the habit of joining with a friend in the purchase of two hundred Cheviot sheep. The first year we had them, the shepherd who drove them from the North was asked by us how he had got on. “Why, very badly,” said the man; “for I had a young dog, and he did not manage well in keeping the sheep from running up lanes and out-of-the-way places.” The next year we had the same number of sheep brought up, and by the same man. In answer to our question about his journey, he informed us that he had got on very well, for his dog had recollected all the turnings of the road which the sheep had passed the previous year, and had kept them straight the whole of the way.

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