This section is from the book "The Dog And The Sportsman", by John Stuart Skinner. Also available from Amazon: The Dog And The Sportsman.
"The peculiar education of these dogs is one of the most important and interesting steps pursued by the shepherd His method is to select from a multitude of pups a few of the healthiest and finest-looking, and to put them to a sucking ewe, first depriving her of her own lamb. By force, as well as from a natural desire she has to be relieved of the contents of her udder, she soon learns to look upon the little interlopers with all the affection she would manifest for her own natural offspring. For the first few days the pups are kept in the hut, the ewe suckling them morning and evening only; but gradually, as she becomes accustomed to their sight, she is allowed to run in a small enclosure with them, until she becomes so perfectly familiar with their appear-ance as to take the entire charge of them. After this they are folded with the whole flock for a fortnight or so; they then run about during the day with the flock, which after a while becomes so accustomed to them, as to be able to distinguish them from other dogs - even from those of the same litter which have not been nursed among them. The shepherds usually allow the slut to keep one of a litter for her own particular benefit; the balance are generally destroyed.
"After the pups are Weaned, they never leave the particular drove among which they have' been reared. Not even the voice of their master can entice them beyond sight of the flock; neither hunger nor thirst can do it I have been credibly informed of an instance where a single dog having charge of a small flock of sheep was allowed to wander with them about the mountains, while the shepherd returned to his village for a few days, having perfect confidence in the ability of his dog to look after the flock during his absence, but with a strange want of foresight as to the provision of the dog for his food. Upon his return to the flock, he found it several miles from where left, but on the road leading to the village, and the poor faithful animal in the agonies of death, dying of starvation, even in the midst of plenty; yet the flock had not been harmed by him. A reciprocal affection exists between them which may put to blush many of the human family. The poor dog recognised them only as brothers and dearly-loved friends; he was ready at all times to lay down his life for them; to attack not only wolves and mountain-cats, with the confidence of victory, but even the bear, when there could be no hope.
Of late years, when the shepherds of New Mexico have suffered so much from Indian marauders, instances have frequently occurred where the dog has not hesitated to attack his human foes, and although transfixed with arrows, his'indomitable courage and faithfulness have been such as to compel his assailants to pin him to the earth with spears, and hold him there until despatched with stones.
"In the above instance the starving dog could have helped himself to one of his little brother lambs, or could have deserted the sheep, and very soon have reached the settlements where there was food for him. But faithful even unto death, he would neither leave nor molest them, but followed the promptings of his instinct to lead into the settlement; their unconsciousness of his wants, and slow motions in travelling were too much for his exhausted strength.
"These shepherds are very nomadic in character. They are constantly moving about, their camp-equipage consisting merely of a kettle and bag of meal; their lodges are made in a few minutes, of branches, etc., thrown against cross-sticks. They very seldom go out in the daytime with their flocks, intrusting them entirely to their dogs, which faithfully return them at night, never permitting any straggling behind or lost. Sometimes different flocks are brought into the same neighbourhood, owing to scarcity of grass, when the wonderful instincts of the shepherd's dogs are most beautifully displayed; and to my astonishment, who have been an eye-witness of such scenes, if two flocks approach within a few yards of each other, their respective protectors will place themselves in the space between them, and as is very naturally-the case, if any adventurous sheep should endeavour to cross over to visit her neighbours, her dog protector kindly,but firmly leads her back, and as it sometimes happens if many make a rush and succeed in joining the other flock, the dogs under whose charge they are, go over and bring them all out, but strange to say,.under such circumstances they are never opposed by the other dogs. They approach the strange sheep only to prevent their own from leaving the flock, though they offer no assistance in expelling the other sheep. But they never permit sheep not under canine protection, nor dogs not in charge of sheep, to approach them. Event the same dogs which are so freely permitted to enter their flocks in search of their own are driven away with ignominy if they presume to approach them without that laudable object in view.
 
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