'ry?eSTOR\'q/ SHEP 
 
 Bertha E. Jaques 
 
 SSt:- 
 
>7^ 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 FROM 
 
 The Author 
 
DATE DUE 
 
 m—T^im 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this bool< is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028200511 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PZ 10.3.J36S8 
 
 Story of Shep / 
 
 3 1924 028 200 511 
 
PHOTO BY E. D WATERS 
 
 Confidences 
 
'Che STORY of SHEP 
 
 Written by His Mistress 
 
 Bertha E. Jaques 
 
 Chicago 
 
 4316 Greenwood Avenue 
 
 MCMXII 
 
Copyright. 1912 
 By Bertha E. Jaquea 
 
This book is limited to one 
 thousand copies, of which 
 this is Number. 
 
Toby Rafaarits Prloter Bindar 
 Duigner Bngtnver Ohlongo 
 
SHIS is an appreciation of a 
 noble dog that I knew inti- 
 mately for over ten years. 
 Incidentally, it reflects a kindly 
 light on all good dogs, for they 
 are much alike. It is a simple 
 story, for Shep's life was unevent- 
 ful. He never performed any 
 heroic feat nor accomplished mar- 
 velous things, but he loved his 
 master and mistress with an un- 
 faltering devotion. For this and 
 his many admirable qualities, it 
 has been a work of love to record 
 these facts and dedicate the tribute 
 to Shep's Master. 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 The first time we saw Shep, he 
 was trotting briskly down the mid- 
 dle of the road, head up and white 
 tail waving like a flag of truce. 
 He seemed to come from nowhere 
 in particular and his only aim, 
 apparently, was to find out who 
 the strangers were walking along 
 his road. With the confidence of a 
 young dog who has not yet stored 
 up memories of rebuffs, he came 
 up to us wagging his plume grac- 
 iously, his mouth open in a panting 
 smile. It was then that we noticed 
 the remarkable beauty of his large 
 brown eyes. Gentle loving eyes 
 they were, yet bright and spirited. 
 He looked at us in such an engag- 
 ing way that we could not deny 
 
 [9] 
 
3Xe STORY of SHEP 
 
 him a pat even if we had not been 
 dog lovers, which we were. 
 
 When I remarked, "Why, how 
 do you do, you beautiful dog?" 
 Shep looked a little surprised, 
 being unaccustomed, as I after- 
 wards learned, to polite forms of 
 greeting. It puzzled him a little, 
 but the tone was so unmistakably 
 friendly, that he walked directly 
 up to us, sniffing our clothes that 
 he might identify us by that keen 
 and subtle sense of smell possessed 
 by all dogs. 
 
 We patted him on his fine, 
 well -modeled head and gently 
 scratched those vulnerable places 
 under his jaw. This settled the 
 
 [10] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 matter so far as Shep was con- 
 cerned. Here were two people 
 who understood a dog; spoke to 
 him in a way he approved, knew 
 what he Hked, and took no advan- 
 tage of their difference in size. 
 
 This was all apparent in the way 
 he immediately wheeled about and 
 attached himself to us, walking 
 along beside us with the dignity 
 of his newly acquired respect for 
 himself. We took his friendliness 
 to mean merely a desire to share 
 our society a little longer and per- 
 haps he might be able to lead 
 us somewhere. He knew where 
 some Molly Cottontails ran, and 
 down the hill near an oak tree 
 
 [13] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 was the home of a woodchuck; 
 he ought to know for had he not 
 chased him in there many times? 
 
 But we were intent upon gloat- 
 ing over our recently acquired 
 land, where the woodchuck held 
 forth as original squatter, and neg- 
 lected further conversation with 
 Shep to expatiate upon the fine 
 location for a log cabin under an 
 enormous wild cherry tree over-run 
 with a wild grapevine that hung 
 in long green folds like a cloak. 
 
 "Don't you think you ought to 
 go home, Spot?" said I, noticing 
 that he still lingered near us. Now 
 this is the difference between men 
 and dogs: when we talked to 
 
 [14] 
 
The, STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep, he evidently understood 
 what we said, for he acted quite 
 subdued when I suggested his 
 leaving; but when I asked him his 
 name and he barked several times, 
 I had to admit I could not under- 
 stand what he said. Spot suggested 
 itself because of the several black 
 and brown spots on his pure white 
 coat; but he did not respond to it 
 eagerly and I knew he was only 
 tolerating the mistake out of polite- 
 ness to his newly found friends. 
 
 As we walked back the quiet 
 country road, we met our neighbor 
 across the way; a tall, angular 
 man, who Umped with a bone 
 slivered by a bullet in the war. 
 
 [15] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 He was known thereabouts as 
 Uncle John; not as a term of 
 endearment but of familiarity. 
 
 "Is this your dog?" said we, 
 after courtesies and weather obser- 
 vations were exchanged. "Naw," 
 said he. "He ain't nobody's dog, 
 but he stays here about as much 
 as any place." 
 
 "He is a very nice dog," I 
 remarked, "and somebody ought 
 to be proud to own him." After- 
 wards my husband said that re- 
 mark was a mistake if I had any 
 notion of getting the dog myself. 
 He says people always want to 
 keep anything that someone else 
 wants or be well paid for it. 
 
 [16] 
 
He Still Lingered Near Us 
 
Ihe STORY <f SHEP 
 
 Not so with Uncle John, whose 
 ownership was too slight and 
 irregular to make him feel like 
 driving a bargain. "Well, the dog 
 don't belong to nobody as I know 
 of. He just lives around from 
 place to place. Do you want 
 him?" said he suddenly, as if 
 recognizing a chance to bestow a 
 gift without sacrifice. My husband 
 and I looked at each other, startled 
 by the necessity of deciding so 
 momentous a question as the 
 ownership of a fine, large dog. It 
 might not be a momentous question 
 in the country, but we lived in a 
 big city eighty miles away and it 
 would be no easy matter to trans- 
 port a big dog back and forth. 
 
 [19] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 Now a small dog can go in a 
 basket, under cloaks, and in other 
 surreptitious ways, but a large dog 
 asserts himself and must be reck- 
 oned with. 
 
 Besides that, there is Patsy! 
 What would he say? Not that 
 we were under any obligations to 
 consider Patsy's feelings in the 
 matter. He did not belong to us 
 so much as we belonged to him. 
 When a full grown alley cat, 
 black as his Satanic Majesty is 
 painted, walks in and announces 
 his determination to board with 
 you the rest of his life, you are 
 not obliged to defer to his wishes 
 on all household affairs. But we 
 
 [20] 
 
Tke STORY of SHEP 
 
 knew in our hearts that he would 
 assert himself in bold and bellig- 
 erent language because we had 
 overheard his remarks to the 
 yellow cat next door and what 
 he said could not decently be 
 printed here. 
 
 "A dog like this would be lots 
 of company and some protection 
 when I am here in the cottage 
 alone," I suggested, hopefully. 
 And that settled it with us. 
 
 "What is his name?" I asked 
 Uncle John. 
 
 "Oh, most folks calls him Shep; 
 he*Il answer to any name, I 
 reckon." 
 
 [21] 
 
1k^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 "Do you know where he came 
 from?" I pursued, intent upon 
 getting some family history. 
 
 "Some summer resorters brought 
 him from Kalamazoo when he was 
 a pup to play with their children; 
 when they went off, they just left 
 him on the town, Uke such people 
 do» and he's wandered around 
 ever since gettin* his livin* from 
 garbage barrels and folks. He's 
 only a young dog; not more'n a 
 year old, I should judge." 
 
 "But what kind of a dog is he?" 
 
 "I heard his mother was a white 
 collie," drawled Uncle John. "I 
 don't know what you'd call him; 
 
 [22] 
 
Waiting for His Future to be Decided 
 
Ike STORY cf SHEP 
 
 collie dogs don't have such curly 
 hair; he's got some St. Bernard 
 traits and some setter; but I reckon 
 he*s just plain dog." 
 
 At this, my soul rose up in 
 rebellion for already, upon such 
 short acquaintance, I recognized a 
 superior dog. Added to this was 
 the pride of possession which 
 exalts one's belongings. 
 
 "Do you want to stay with us, 
 Shep?" I inquired of the dog, 
 who was looking with interest from 
 one to another as if cognizant 
 that his future was being decided. 
 
 "Woof!" he replied without 
 hesitation, and waved his thick 
 plume with enthusiasm. 
 
 [25] 
 
1h^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 "Seems to know what he wants," 
 Uncle John remarked in a condes' 
 cending way, as if to humor my 
 assumption of Shep*s understand- 
 ing. 
 
 "Listen, Shep," said I, solemnly. 
 "You are going to be our dog 
 from now on and you must stay 
 with us as a good dog should." 
 
 From that moment we had 
 a friend whose devotion never 
 wavered for an instant. Feeling 
 that there was unusual intelligence 
 in this splendid creature, I wanted 
 to thank someone for him. Though 
 Uncle John had been only occa- 
 sional owner, he accepted my 
 gratitude in full with complacency 
 
 [26] 
 
TU STORY of SHEP 
 
 and never allowed us to forget 
 the debt. 
 
 As we turned back to our tem- 
 porary abiding place, it was with 
 a feeling of responsibility which 
 Shep did not share; for he capered 
 about, picked up sticks and invited 
 us to take them away from him, 
 giving every sign of having 
 accepted us without reserve. 
 
 That night Shep slept beside 
 my bed on a rug which he 
 promptly appropriated for his 
 own, and this ends the chapter 
 of how he became our dog. 
 
 [27] 
 
Ih^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 The education of Shep was a 
 gradual and almost unconscious 
 process with us both. No attempt 
 was made to develop him into a 
 trick dog by unusual and uncanine 
 like habits. It was purely a matter 
 of association and companionship, 
 as between two people; an ex- 
 change of affection that deepened 
 with years and, on Shep*s part, an 
 increasing knowledge of the mean- 
 ing of things. 
 
 Our first clear evidence of his 
 acquired knowledge with no 
 attempted teaching, was his recog- 
 nition of a peculiar whistle my 
 husband and I had to call each 
 other. Our intimate friends knew 
 
 [28] 
 
Shep Recognizes Our Whistle 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 and responded to this call so we 
 used it to let them know of our 
 arrival after an absence in the city. 
 
 We had not yet called at the 
 farmhouse to get Shep, but at the 
 first sound of our whistle, directed 
 to our passing friends, Shep came 
 tearing across the orchard to greet 
 us, evincing his joy by whining, 
 leaping, yelping, and barking. 
 Thereafter, we found that our 
 adopted whistle would secure his 
 immediate attention amid other 
 calls and whistles, while he paid 
 no heed to the ordinary methods 
 of calling dogs. 
 
 It was during weeks when Shep 
 and I were entirely alone on the 
 
 [31] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 place that he formed his habits in 
 accordance with mine and gradu- 
 ally increased his vocabulary, for 
 I talked to him as I would to a 
 child. He watched me intently, 
 his head on one side, his ears alert 
 and his whole soul yearning to 
 understand. How much more he 
 understood than he replied to, we 
 do not know. When I said,"Shep, 
 this is a nice grassy place to roll 
 over," he did so at once, proving 
 that the words and the action 
 were associated. 
 
 Instead of barking for what he 
 wanted, I taught him to sneeze 
 and that word was perfectly under- 
 stood by him. Not only did he 
 
 [32] 
 
Tie STORY of SHEP 
 
 understand the word, but expressed 
 his varying degrees of interest by 
 either a slight sniff or a tremen- 
 dous snort. If he wanted anything 
 very much, his sneeze was accom- 
 panied by a deep bow. Some- 
 times he would simply nod his 
 head yes when he wanted another 
 bite. 
 
 "There is a dog going along 
 the road, Shep," spoken in ordi- 
 nary tones, was enough to rouse 
 him from a nap and send him 
 hurrying to the north window 
 where a seat on the big woodbox 
 commanded a view of the place. 
 If the dog was visible, and Shep 
 thought it a matter worth his 
 
 [33] 
 
'^^^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 investigation, he ran to the door 
 and begged to go out. If the 
 game did not appeal to him, he 
 contented himself with a series of 
 low growls and mutterings, open- 
 ing and closing his mouth, exactly 
 as if he were talking to himself. 
 
 As we were never separated 
 day or night while in the country, 
 Shep had no restriction oflFered to 
 his movements until the first dis- 
 ciplining, which his Master gave. 
 As he hurried to catch a train 
 one day, he ordered Shep to stay 
 at home. This being a totally 
 new experience, Shep did not 
 understand it and treated the mat- 
 ter as a joke, trotting along 
 
 [34] 
 
Shep as a Figure-head in the Boat 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 joyfully. But the Master enforced 
 his order with a switch and sent 
 Shep back. Thinking he might 
 have been mistaken after all, Shep 
 slipped along the river path and 
 joined his Master near the town. 
 He was astonished to be repulsed 
 and commanded to go home again. 
 This impressed the matter so 
 deeply on his sensitive mind that 
 all the rest of his life he waited 
 politely, but eagerly, for an invita- 
 tion before attempting to follow 
 either of us. It seemed to be his 
 first recognition of a superior power 
 and he never forgot it. 
 
 There was only one exception 
 to this rule and that was when we 
 
 [37] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 went on the river in a row boat. 
 This was an occasion when Shep 
 deliberately and even defiantly dis- 
 obeyed. He was willing to be 
 whipped but no punishment was 
 severe enough to make him miss 
 a boat ride, which he dearly loved. 
 As his ordinary weight was sixty- 
 five pounds, he could not be lifted 
 out of the boat when he crouched 
 in the bottom imploring to stay. 
 These occasions were very few. 
 It was never my wish to exclude 
 him from the boat, except when 
 every seat was to be filled, or 
 some passenger objected to dogs. 
 There are such people, I have 
 discovered, who pick a white hair 
 from their garments with the air 
 
 [38] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 of a martjnr and look unspeakable 
 things at the dog. 
 
 Shep*s position in the boat was 
 that of a splendid figure-head at 
 the prow. With hind feet on the 
 small triangular seat, and forefeet 
 on the bow, he stood, head up, the 
 comers of his soft drooping ears 
 pointing forward, looking like a 
 white sail spread for the breeze. 
 Dignified and noble of bearing 
 always, his attitude in the boat 
 became that of a commander 
 scanning the horizon. 
 
 It was through this habit that 
 we first learned of another human 
 trait Shep possessed to a large 
 degree. In people we designate 
 
 [39] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 it variously, according to the cali- 
 bre of character, as conceit, vanity 
 or self-consciousness. In Shep, it 
 was pride growing out of appreci- 
 ation for admiring attention. In 
 boating season our appearance on 
 the river occasioned unfailing ad- 
 miration and frank remarks. These 
 only slightly varied from, "Oh, 
 look at that beautiful dog!" The 
 adjectives ran the gamut of "lovely, 
 pretty, line and big," all of which 
 Shep understood and approved by 
 a slow wag of his plume and a 
 turn of his head. Sometimes it 
 was his humor to gaze far ahead 
 and pretend that he did not hear; 
 but when the boat had passed, he 
 
 [40] 
 
A River Excursion 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 would look around to see if he 
 was still being observed. 
 
 Sometimes when we were out 
 together on the river, he would 
 lie on the bottom of the boat, or 
 with his head on a seat, quiet and 
 dozing, until the sound of voices 
 announced approaching boats. 
 Then Shep would get up and take 
 a figure-head attitude which, in a 
 human being, would certainly be 
 called posing. Having received 
 due notice and applause, he would 
 subside again. 
 
 These river excursions were 
 Shep's greatest delight, they pro- 
 vided entertainment of so many 
 kinds. However much he wanted 
 
 [43] 
 
'[h^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 a run, he would always start in the 
 boat even if he only rode around 
 the first bend of the river. Then 
 he was ready to leap from the 
 boat to the bank and race along 
 stirring up all sorts of mysterious 
 and delicious scents in the grass. 
 Sometimes a startled killdee 
 whirred from under his nose, 
 much to his discomfiture. Liking 
 the looks of the other bank, he 
 would plunge in the river and 
 swim across. After this exertion, 
 repeated several times, he was 
 ready to ride for a while and 
 made his want known by impera- 
 tive barks. 
 
 [44] 
 
g%e STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep only escaped being a 
 hunting dog by lacking the train- 
 ing, which he could not have with 
 animal lovers as owners. He had 
 the dog's natural instinct for chase 
 and deHghted to follow anything 
 that ran. 
 
 Tommy Traddles taught Shep 
 that when cats stopped and faced 
 him, it was safer for him to stop 
 also Tommy does not really be- 
 long in this story, except for the 
 part he had in Shep's education, 
 having taught him to respect the 
 rights of large gray cats who are 
 good hunters and valiant fighters. 
 
 Tommy Traddles adopted us as 
 soon as we settled in the cottage 
 
 [45] 
 
'The STORY of SHEP 
 
 and made his welcome secure by 
 displaying traits of character pecu- 
 liar to unclaimed individuals the 
 world over. He was strong and 
 self-reliant not even deigning to 
 ask anyone to open the screen 
 door when he wanted to come in 
 the house. He clawed the wire, 
 gave the door a jerk and slipped 
 in betvyreen bangs; or, reversing 
 the operation, he butted himself 
 out. 
 
 Unaccustomed to the seductions 
 of petting and chin-scratching, he 
 fell a victim to these attentions 
 and plainly indicated his intention 
 to occupy the depression in the 
 middle of the couch forever after. 
 
 [46] 
 
Going on Tip Toe to Catch the Woodchuck 
 
Ihz STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep, being a gentlemen always, 
 dropped his aggressive attitude for 
 one of indifference, though he was 
 plainly jealous of any attention 
 Tommy Traddles received at our 
 hands. 
 
 Deprived of cat-chasing, Shep 
 transferred his energies to Molly 
 Cottontails, woodchucks and squir- 
 rels. In all of these pursuits he was 
 greatly encouraged. It afforded 
 excellent exercise and never re- 
 sulted in anything but a good 
 scare for the animal pursued. But 
 even the fright was not effectual 
 in saving our young peas and ten- 
 der garden stuff. The timid rabbits 
 became more wary, but the old 
 
 [49] 
 
Ika STORY of SHEP 
 
 woodchuck was wise beyond his 
 years. He had seen too many 
 dogs not to trust his own speed 
 utterly. Besides, he had a shelter 
 under the steps if there was not 
 time to reach one of the numerous 
 underground tunnels to his house. 
 
 The word "woodchuck" was 
 sufficient any time to make Shep 
 scurry around the cabin. After 
 each absence, he would take a 
 short cut home to reach the cot- 
 tage first, going literally on tip-toe 
 as he made a very careful and 
 noiseless circuit of the place, 
 hoping to catch Mr. Woodchuck 
 off his guard. 
 
 This he never did, because it 
 was Grandpa Woodchuck's chief 
 
 [50] 
 
The Burial of the Woodchuck 
 
The STORY cf SHEP 
 
 business to be on guard. But alas! 
 for the confidence and inexperi- 
 ence of youth. One of the 
 younger generation ventured too 
 far from the steps. Shep caught 
 him, shook the life out of him, 
 proudly displayed him to us, then 
 carefully buried him. 
 
 But interment was not under- 
 stood to be final until he had 
 received sufficient approbation, as 
 we learned when he caught an 
 enormous woodchuck in the or- 
 chard of a neighbor. We praised 
 him for his prowess and, to ease 
 our conscience for the murder of 
 even a reprobate, helped Shep 
 conduct his funeral ceremonies 
 with dispatch. 
 
 [53] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 We stopped at the neighbor's 
 house to tell them of the laudable 
 act in ridding them of a pest, 
 when suddenly Shep disappeared. 
 Pretty soon he came back with 
 the resurrected woodchuck in his 
 mouth and laid it before our 
 friends as conclusive proof that 
 all we said was perfectly true. 
 Here was the evidence of his 
 achievement and he would be 
 pleased to receive congratulations. 
 These were given to his satisfac- 
 tion and he trotted off to give 
 Mr. Woodchuck his second and 
 final burial. 
 
 Shep's habit of burying things 
 was not confined to deceased 
 woodchucks and superfluous bones. 
 
 [54] 
 
"The STORY of SHEP 
 
 If he had something on his mind, 
 which meant in his mouth, and did 
 not know what to do with it, he 
 buried it, exercising the same sly- 
 ness and secrecy that he did with 
 bones. 
 
 As he could carry any sort of 
 a package up to three pounds 
 in weight, this trick sometimes 
 proved annoying and inconvenient. 
 For instance, when the ultimate 
 destination of a bag of fine peas 
 was the dinner pot, it disturbed 
 arrangements to have Shep plant 
 them in some unknown spot in 
 the cornfield. If tombstones were 
 erected over all Shep's buried 
 treasures, cultivation of the orchard 
 
 [55] 
 
Ihc STORY of SHEP 
 
 and garden would be quite impos- 
 sible. Dry goods, groceries, meat, 
 and one perfectly good shoe which 
 he walked out with one morning, 
 all repose peacefully in various 
 portions of the place awaiting 
 resurrection by the plow. 
 
 [56] 
 

 „ .,.V...-ifi&'S\1 
 
 Shep's Happiest Achievement 
 
^g STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep's happiest achievement 
 was carrying an umbrella, which 
 he did with the pompous air of a 
 drum major, but never away from 
 home. The responsibility of some- 
 thing to carry always turned his 
 head towards home at once and 
 we must keep him in sight or he 
 would deposit his treasure in the 
 earth before we could rescue it. 
 Two umbrellas were added to his 
 graveyard, without anything to 
 mark their last resting place, before 
 we reaUzed that in matters of this 
 kind his judgment was not to be 
 trusted. 
 
 His idea of ownership was 
 rather vague too and having had 
 nearly everything he wanted, he 
 
 [59] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 saw no reason why he should not 
 appropriate an umbrella whenever 
 he saw one. So it was a great 
 surprise to him to be smartly 
 whacked over the head when, 
 with the best of intentions, he 
 attempted to walk off with a 
 strange old lady's umbrella. 
 
 Shep knew what meat-shop 
 meant and was always eager to 
 visit one, but refused to leave 
 until he had a bone to carry home. 
 It was never neciessary to pay for 
 these small attentions as all the 
 market men knew and admired 
 Shep's good manners and gentle 
 ways. Going to the store always 
 meant carrying home packages, 
 [60] 
 
Ike, STORY of SHEP 
 
 but he could not be fooled as I 
 learned when I filled an empty 
 bag with leaves and let him carry 
 it so he would not beg for the 
 package I had. He carried the 
 bag a few steps, threw it down, 
 put one paw on it and tore it to 
 pieces with his teeth. This he 
 never did with any other package. 
 
 Next to the umbrella, Shep 
 loved most to carry his Master's 
 medicine case home from calls, 
 or his gloves. No dog could dis- 
 tract his attention and any attempt 
 at familiarity was promptly dis- 
 couraged by surpressed growls as 
 he walked straight ahead with 
 great dignity. 
 
 [61] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 Every self-respecting dog loves 
 to be useful and is always happy 
 to feel that he is of service to one 
 he loves. So Shep was proud 
 to fetch and carry his Master's 
 slippers. 
 
 "If you'll get my hat, Shep, 
 we'll take a walk," said in an 
 ordinary tone of voice, was enough 
 any time to make him climb up 
 to the hat rack, pull the Doctor's 
 hat down and carry it to him, tail 
 waving and eyes bright. 
 
 This association of things 
 brought about one of Shep's cele- 
 brated performances. The Doctor 
 had a visitor who stayed all after- 
 noon, much to Shep's disgust. All 
 
 [62] 
 
Where Did You Bury That Umbrella) 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 his usual friendly overtures were 
 ignored. Finally, not being able 
 to reach any hat, he brought the 
 caller's huge overshoes and laid 
 them suggestively at his feet. 
 The hint was not too subtle for 
 the visitor and Shep got his walk. 
 
 With all his dignity, Shep had 
 a sense of humor which made him 
 indulge in the only bad trick he 
 had. During the bicycle craze, he 
 would run beside a wheel and 
 suddenly give a tremendous bark, 
 as a child would shout "boo," 
 then drop back with his mouth in 
 a wide grin and pretend to be 
 absorbed in examining something 
 in the road. Occasionally a pedes- 
 trian would receive a similar shock 
 
 [65] 
 
mte STORY of SHEP 
 
 and, if nervous, would jump and 
 exclaim in various degrees of pro- 
 fanity. The noisier the demon- 
 stration, the more amused Shep 
 seemed to be and I shame-facedly 
 confess that some of the perform- 
 ances were enough to make a dog 
 laugh. 
 
 If the Recording Angel saw 
 the incident, I am sure he failed 
 to register any of the flamboyant 
 oaths that issued from the beard 
 of a good old Methodist deacon 
 whose chronic stifihess from rheu- 
 matism was his one stock in conver- 
 sational trade. He was hobbling 
 along at a gait proper to an invalid 
 when Shep silently approached 
 
 [66] 
 
His Master's Hat 
 
IJie STORY of SHEP 
 
 from behind, gave his largest and 
 best bark and hastily retreated. 
 The deacon went up into the air 
 with the agility of a sk3nrocket and 
 came down with the uncertainty 
 of the stick. But there was no un- 
 certainty about his language when 
 he beheld Shep intently examining 
 a hitching post. He said right 
 out what he would do if that dog 
 belonged to him and I have no 
 doubt, from his fierce expression, 
 he was capable of it. 
 
 It was a bad trick, but not so 
 bad as it appeared, for Shep had 
 no vicious traits and was never 
 known to bite anything. The diffi- 
 culty lay in pursuading people it 
 
 [69] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 was only a dog's joke. These 
 exuberances were only occasional 
 and entirely confined to his youth- 
 ful days in the country. 
 
 We taught him to chase a flock 
 of chickens away from our cabin 
 where they congregated early in 
 the morning to practice crowing. 
 Although he hurried them out of 
 the orchard and across the road to 
 their own home, he never touched 
 one of them, and a plump pullet 
 is not a morsel to be scorned by a 
 dog that is set to chase them. 
 
 Shep distinctly felt his responsi- 
 bility when we were left alone 
 on the place and showed it in 
 various ways; he was more alert, 
 
 [70] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 watchful and ready with a growl 
 at the slighest noise. If I had felt 
 any fear, Shep would have dis- 
 pelled it with his loving guardian- 
 ship. 
 
 His notions of respectability 
 seemed to be governed largely by 
 clothes, which sounds snobbish in 
 dog or man, but is the only super- 
 ficial way one has of judging. 
 Well dressed persons could come 
 in unchallenged, but a tramp, or a 
 colored man, had to furnish a pass- 
 port to get past Shep's growls. In 
 the city his special detestation 
 were the boys who threw circulars 
 at the door; it was a suspicious 
 proceeding and called for loud 
 protestations on his part. 
 
 [71] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 No child could be more curious 
 as to visitors than Shep. At the 
 ring of the door-bell, which he 
 never confused with the telephone, 
 he would hurry to see who was 
 coming. Unless shut out of the 
 office, he occupied his corner of 
 the room listening attentively to 
 consultations. Exclusion did not 
 prevent him from hearing what 
 was being said for several times I 
 saw him with his ear at the crack 
 of the door and I told him frankly 
 what people in general thought 
 about eavesdropping. 
 
 Such an exaggerated notion did 
 he have of the importance of his 
 presence, that one morning at half 
 
 [72] 
 
Assisting at a Consultation 
 
Tke STORY of SHEP 
 
 past two Shep, half awake, climbed 
 down from his bed, went to the 
 office where the Doctor had been 
 called for a consultation, got up in 
 a chair and nodded like a sleepy 
 old man. When the patient left, 
 he went back to bed and stretched 
 out with a sigh as if the practice 
 of medicine were an arduous task 
 and sadly interfered with a dog*s 
 regular habits. 
 
 [75] 
 
mte STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep's ten years with us were 
 divided between the city in winter 
 and the farm in summer. His 
 travels back and forth on boat and 
 train were matters of great interest 
 to him and he behaved like the 
 gentlemen he always was. He pre- 
 ferred the five hours on the boat 
 for one, or both of us, could visit 
 him in the freight room. On the 
 train he rode in the baggage car 
 curled up on his own rug which 
 seemed to give him a sense of 
 comfort in strange surroundings. 
 
 A train meant going somewhere, 
 or someone coming, either of 
 which were exciting events to 
 Shep. If left to lead the way (or 
 
 [76] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 a walk, he invariably started to- 
 wards the suburban station which 
 represented his point of departure 
 and arrival. 
 
 Shep's social instincts were 
 largely developed He loved com- 
 pany and never forgot his friends 
 though years intervened between 
 the meetings. Also he distinctly 
 remembered what favors his differ- 
 ent friends could bestow and had 
 no hesitation in calling on them 
 for what he wanted. 
 
 During our absence from the 
 farm, Shep relapsed into his 
 former roving habits and spent 
 his time in visiting from house to 
 house, taking a nap in a special 
 
 [77] 
 
"The STORY of SHEP 
 
 comer at one place, asking for 
 cake, which he was sure to get 
 at another, and timing his arrival 
 at another house for the hour when 
 bones were cleared from the table. 
 
 These early habits complicated 
 his ownership. As he grew to be 
 such a handsome dog and people 
 discovered how much we valued 
 him, his crop of previous owners 
 increased. After his Master had 
 bought off the claim of one boy, 
 nearly all the town proceeded to 
 own Shep, though they were all 
 willing we should keep and feed 
 him and pay for his license. 
 
 Fanatics and dog-haters were 
 doubtless much pleased when the 
 
 [78] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 City Council of Chicago passed an 
 ordinance requiring all dogs to be 
 muzzled the entire year. We con- 
 sidered this law without reason or 
 justice but tried to abide by it and 
 bought a muzzle for Shep. A chain 
 and collar had made him act like a 
 criminal, but the muzzle was the 
 last state of ignominy to impose 
 on a splendid, free country dog. 
 In utter disgrace, he crouched flat 
 on the ground, his nose between 
 his paws, and his eyes full of re- 
 proach, refusing to move until the 
 obnoxious thing was removed. 
 
 Dogs become vicious through 
 mistreatment, which means hun- 
 ger, neglect, being hurt, and most 
 of all, through thoughtless teasing 
 
 [79] 
 
Iki STORY of SHEP 
 
 by children. Boys torment dogs 
 until they try to defend them- 
 selves. Their only means of de- 
 fense lies in their teeth. They 
 bite; they are called mad, and 
 they must be killed. Animals 
 have their rights wrhich, when 
 understood and recognized, will 
 reduce opportunities for accidents. 
 Instead of spreading measures to 
 educate people in the humane 
 treatment of animals, men make 
 cruelty lawful by imposing muzzles 
 where they are not needed and 
 that is upon dogs with owners. 
 As no one is responsible for home- 
 less dogs, they go unmuzzled as 
 long as they escape the dog- 
 catchers. 
 
 [80j 
 
Talking About the Muzzle 
 
Ihz STORY of SHEP 
 
 We paid for our yielding to 
 Shep's convictions by constant 
 fear of these brutal men, who 
 discriminate against street dogs in 
 favor of fine ones, for these bring 
 financial returns in the way of 
 redemption money. No one cares 
 to pay the fine of a homeless dog. 
 Our telephone was kept busy one 
 forenoon by inquiries from neigh- 
 bors who had seen the dog wagon 
 capture a large white dog and 
 they feared it was Shep. 
 
 The reputation that a noble 
 dog gains in a neighborhood in 
 eight years by dignified conduct 
 and gentle disposition, stands him 
 in good stead. All the neighbors 
 
 [83] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 knew and admired Shep because 
 he did not bark and annoy them. 
 The children many blocks from 
 home all knew and called him by 
 name. He submitted indulgently 
 to having his head patted and 
 allowed them to bury their hands 
 in his soft, white curls, but he did 
 not court attention from children 
 who were rough in their caresses. 
 
 Even the policemen, be it said 
 to their credit, exercised latitude 
 toward this well known character 
 of the neighborhood. Occasion- 
 ally a new man respectfully sug- 
 gested that the orders about 
 muzzling were strict. Then I 
 explained that Shep and I were 
 
 [84] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 sorry not to obey the law, but he 
 was old and gentle and I knew 
 I was exposing no one to danger 
 from him as he was never on the 
 street alone. The policeman 
 stroked Shep*s head, called him 
 a fine old rascal, and we passed 
 on unmuzzled and unchained. 
 
 [85] 
 
IJie STORY of SHEP 
 
 Shep's vanity was never so 
 apparent as when he had just 
 had a bath. Then he was most 
 conscious of his beauty and ex- 
 pressed his pride in unmistakable 
 ways. It was the task of a man 
 to scrub the long thick hair and 
 this the Doctor did at intervals of 
 about two weeks in the city. 
 "Shep, it is time for a bath," was 
 sufficient to start him for the tub 
 over which he stood on an open 
 wooden rack and received warm 
 water from a tank above him. 
 After being dried with his own 
 coarse towels, brushed with his 
 own comb and brush (both metal 
 so they could be scalded), he 
 fluffed out like a newly opened 
 ball of cotton. 
 
 [86] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 His daily walk to the station 
 for the evening paper, which he 
 strutted home with in his mouth, 
 became a triumphal parade with 
 an admiring audience on every 
 side. At such times he was also 
 fond of sitting on the front steps 
 where he received still further 
 admiration from passersby. It may 
 seem unwise to have encouraged 
 such vanity even in a dog, but it 
 was so frank and innocent, and so 
 thoroughly justified, that we al- 
 lowed him always to believe he 
 was the handsomest dog in the 
 block. 
 
 The greatest problem of a dog's 
 life in the city is exercise. In the 
 country Shep was free to run 
 
 [87] 
 
"The STORY of SHEP 
 
 wherever he wished, although 
 that was never out of sound of 
 our whistle when we were there. 
 With Mr. Woodchuck to watch, 
 rabhits and squirrels to chase, the 
 chickens to keep out of the orchard, 
 excursions up the river, trips to 
 town, and the bath hour in the 
 lake, he led a very busy life. 
 
 In the city, the pleasant back 
 yard was a mere breathing space 
 and had no charm for him unless 
 one of us was there. He could 
 not go out of the front door alone, 
 and knew it; so his tricks to get 
 us to go for a walk were clever. 
 The Doctor, being an early riser, 
 gave Shep his best exercise by 
 
 [88] 
 
Bath Hour at the Lake 
 
mie STORY of SHEP 
 
 having him follow a bicycle sever- 
 al miles each morning. One ulti- 
 mate point in late summer was a 
 large fountain at the entrance of 
 the park. It probably would have 
 shocked a policeman, had any 
 been abroad at that early hour, 
 to see Shep leap into the pool, sit 
 down in the water up to his neck 
 and look about with great satisfac- 
 tion. It never disturbed the great 
 man whose statue towered above 
 the fountain for his hand was 
 always outstretched as if in friend- 
 ly benediction. 
 
 Whatever the weather, Master 
 or Mistress must go with Shep 
 several times a day for a walk, 
 
 [91] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 as he would go with no one else. 
 Sometimes we were inclined to 
 look upon this as an inconvenience, 
 but it proved beneficial. It was 
 good for health and we saw so 
 many things that stay-at-homes 
 and persons who only ride know 
 nothing about. In the early spring 
 it was interesting to keep track 
 of the very first green things, even 
 though they happened to be leaves 
 of motherwort in a sheltered cor- 
 ner of a vacant lot. Then there 
 were the promises in the swelling 
 lilac buds and other awakening 
 bushes, pale spikes of daffodils 
 and tulip sheaths. In the autumn 
 we learned the haunts of the 
 coprinus micaceus and came home 
 
 [92] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 from walks down one of the great 
 boulevards with fine meals of this 
 deUcious mushroom. 
 
 Shep made discoveries too, for 
 in several of the big yards he 
 caught a glimpse of gray squirrels 
 streaking up the trees and he 
 always revisited these places, if 
 he cou{d. 
 
 In rainy weather Shep knew 
 that each foot must be wiped 
 before he could enter the house 
 and lifted one after the other with 
 a bored expression for this atten- 
 tion. During a long run, he could 
 pick up as much mud as an auto- 
 mobile and this meant an entrance 
 by way of the basement where a 
 
 [93] 
 
Ihe STORY of SHEP 
 
 pan of water was placed on the 
 floor. Resigned, but uninterested, 
 he soaked first one foot and then 
 another, submitted to the wiping 
 and then went to his corner in the 
 office for a much needed nap. 
 
 Never have I known a dog of 
 such fixed habits. He was always 
 the first one to respond to the call 
 for meals. There was nothing to 
 explain this habit, for he was not 
 fed at the table, unless it was just 
 his desire to be where we were. 
 He occupied a certain corner of 
 the room and appeared to doze 
 through the meal, although any 
 mention of his name was immedi- 
 ately acknowledged by his vocal 
 
 [94] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 tail which he thumped loudly on 
 the floor. 
 
 Between five and six o'clock, 
 Shep had his one meal of the day 
 of dog biscuit, varied with meat, 
 vegetables and corn or oatmeal 
 mush. At bed time, he had a 
 walk around the block; then he 
 went straight through the house to 
 the kitchen where he had a bowl 
 of water with a little milk in it. 
 No toper was ever more wedded 
 to his toddy than Shep to his milk 
 and water just before he went 
 to bed. 
 
 Then he was ready, providing 
 we were, to climb the stairs to a 
 couch beside an open window 
 
 [95] 
 
Ihe STORY of SHEP 
 
 upon which was spread a piece of 
 heavy muslin (frequently washed) 
 and stretch out for the night. 
 Never, unless told to do so, did 
 he get up on any piece of fur- 
 niture except his bed. 
 
 In addition to his daily task of 
 carrying bundles and the evening 
 paper, Shep brought the mail to 
 my studio on the third floor. In 
 his later years, in spite of all the 
 exercise we could provide, Shep 
 grew heavy and the trip up two 
 flights of stairs brought him to the 
 top panting and puffing. But his 
 serious performance of this daily 
 duty, and the approbation he won, 
 seemed to be sufficient reward. 
 
 [96] 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 All our love and good care 
 could not shield Shep from the 
 calamity of old age which mani- 
 fested itself by cataracts in both 
 of his big brown eyes. Gradually 
 the little white curtains shut down 
 and obscured his vision to all but 
 moving objects in a strong light. 
 Stationary objects he could not 
 see at all and this fact was respon- 
 sible for many hard bumps on his 
 head and nose. 
 
 It also occasioned collisions with 
 Patsy, the uninvited one, who 
 deeply resented Shep*s intrusion; 
 but Shep's superior bulk and evi- 
 dent friendliness with the Powers 
 of the household made Patsy con- 
 tent himself with slipping under 
 
 [97] 
 
^e STORY of SHEP 
 
 chairs and tables, from which he 
 projected vituperative hisses of 
 defiance. 
 
 As long as Shep could see, he 
 carefully avoided this violent black 
 spot and so they managed to exist 
 in the same house. As nothing 
 ever happened, Patsy grew indiff- 
 erent and ceased to get under 
 chairs. Shep, blind to a black 
 and unmoving object, came near 
 stepping on Patsy several times, 
 whereupon that spitfire of an alley 
 cat, with no manners, exploded 
 with volcanic rage and slapped 
 poor Shep*s unoffending nose with 
 all four needled claws at once; 
 at least this was Shep*s version of 
 
 [98] 
 
Ike STORY cf SHEP 
 
 it. This, of course, did not in- 
 crease his confidence in going 
 about alone, not knowing what 
 minute he might meet a black sky- 
 rocket. In vain we explained to 
 Patsy and to Shep; neither ever 
 understood the other. Shep was 
 sure he was the persecuted one 
 and Patsy knew he was. 
 
 As Shep's eyesight diminished, 
 his hearing and smell seemed to 
 be more acute and a curious in- 
 tuition wamed him of danger, ex- 
 cept in the case of Patsy. He 
 learned new words to meet new 
 conditions, and his dependence 
 upon us drew the bond still tighter 
 on both sides. We now became, 
 
 [99] 
 
Tke STORY of SHEP 
 
 in a measure, his eyes; we had to 
 see for him and make up for the 
 things that were blotted out. 
 
 "Careful, Shep," would stop 
 him at once as it meant danger; 
 a post or tree or something to 
 bump into. At the gutter of a 
 street crossing he understood and 
 acted upon our advice to "step up** 
 or "step down,** never confusing 
 the two commands. Of automo- 
 biles he shared my fear and never 
 crossed the street until given the 
 signal to do so. 
 
 In the districts about our home 
 in Chicago and the farm in Mich- 
 igan, with which he was familiar, 
 he made his way without hesitation 
 
 [100] 
 
At the Farm 
 
1k^ STORY of SHEP 
 
 and did not bump into anything 
 that was in its rightful place. 
 As long as he was on the paved 
 part of the walk, or in the beaten 
 paths, he walked with confidence 
 and even broke into a little trot 
 when told he was all right. But 
 in strange places he had to be 
 guided like a blind person. Since 
 he had to rely chiefly upon his 
 sense of hearing, he was disturbed 
 by unusual sounds and more ready 
 to bark than if he could see the 
 cause, but assurance from us that 
 everything was all right quieted 
 him at once. 
 
 At least ten years of Shep's Ufe 
 were happy ones. The two before 
 we knew him were full of what 
 
 [1031 
 
The STORY of SHEP 
 
 might be hardships to an old dog, 
 but to a healthy pup, they were 
 experiences that helped form his 
 character. 
 
 As the average limit of a dog*s 
 life is fourteen years, we knew 
 that with the best of care Shep*s 
 days were numbered; but we faced 
 the end with philosophical resig- 
 nation knowing that it was better 
 for us to lose him than for him to 
 lose us. We were all he had in 
 life and he wanted nothing else. 
 Good food and lodging never 
 compensated for our absence. The 
 conditions at the farm were ideal 
 for any dog, but Shep*s life was 
 empty without our companionship; 
 
 [104] 
 
Ike STORY of SHEP 
 
 just anybody would not do. Not 
 that he did not make friends; he 
 had devoted admirers and made 
 the best of things but no attraction 
 could hold him when either his 
 Master or Mistress spoke. 
 
 When the end came, as we 
 knew it must, Shep was laid not 
 far from those he loved. We are 
 glad we have known such a faith- 
 ful friend and feel sure that in the 
 eternal scheme of things some pro- 
 vision will be made whereby Shep 
 may always be near his loving 
 Master and Mistress. 
 
 [105]