Quote:
Originally Posted by Bookpossum
astrangerhere mentioned Floss, and the strong bond between man and dog. I noted down the section (Chapter 24 in Winter) where Rebanks wrote about training Floss, and the enjoyment the dog has in her work.
It was this section which reminded me of a book I read a very long time ago by a now obscure English author called Constance Holme. In her first novel, published in 1913, she had a section I have never forgotten about a sheep farmer working with a sheepdog he rescued from her abusive owner, and the knowledge of how to work with the sheep that had been bred into these dogs over many generations.
When I got the book down from the shelf and started reading it, I realised that the setting was the same. Holme lived and set her books in Westmorland, which in the 1970s was combined with Cumberland to become Cumbria. While the story was a bit melodramatic, the section I remembered, which took place at a sheepdog trial, was very good indeed.
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For a peek at sheepdog trials, have a look at
(There are LOTS of examples, but this is one of the better runs I remember, and a beautiful dog indeed. )