Los Banos Rotary Club History
Rotarians, Guests See Demonstration By Champion Dog

Members of the Rotary Club and 20 or more invited guests Tuesday noon saw an unforgettable demonstration of canine training and intelligence as King, a 5-time champion of the Western States Sheep Dog Trials, thrilled the group with a true championship performance of the work he has been trained to do.

Brought here by his owner, Charles Null of Dixon, King, with almost human intelligence, herded and skillfully guided a bunch of five sheep through a series of gate panels placed on opposite sides of the high school football field and finally into an 8x8 ft. Corral at one end of the field. Null, standing near the corral, needed only to appraise King, by a quick signal or soft spoken word, of is wishes and otherwise left it strictly up to King to get the job done—which he did with unbelievable perfection.

The dog, in addition to holding the Western States championship for the past five years, has also appeared several times on TV, including a special performance on the "Wide, Wide World" program. He appeared last year in a movie, "Wild Is The Wind," and is the star of a new motion picture, "The Proud Rebel," which will have its premiere in Atlanta, Ga., next month.

Previous to the demonstration, which Null labeled a practical example of the work a good sheep dog is trained to do in his everyday work life, Bev Harry, of the State Fish and Game Department, told the group something of the history of the sheep dogs, dating back to Biblical days when dogs were trained mostly to protect rather than herd the flocks.

The present breed of Border Collies such as King, he said, dates back to the 1570s, when the breed was developed as herder dogs by sheepmen along the Britain-Scotland boarder. Purebred dogs of the breed are registered by the North American Sheep Dog Society, which in addition to registered ancestry of the dog, requires actual proof of the dog's working ability under regular field conditions.

Sheep dog trials, such as the Western States event, Harry said, have been conducted in this country for the past 75 or more years, and each year become more keenly contested. The purpose of the trials, he said, "is to measure intelligence, talent, ability and other traits. Also they serve as a guide to breeding, encourage training, and stimulate interest in the development of highly capable dogs for the better handling of sheep and other livestock. They demonstrate what a good sheep dog can do."

In addition to the Rotary Club members and their guests, the demonstration was also witnessed by the boys of the high school agricultural department and their advisor, Joe Cox.

The program was presented under the chairmanship of Wm. Woo, local rancher.

May 16, 1958

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