Homing Instincts
A farmer near here bought a sheepdog last November and lost it on the first day of April. He heard last week that it-had returned home, - covering a distance of about sixty miles, and decided that he must have his money back, for, if the dog returned to its original owner after being away for five months, it was unlikely that its homing instinct could be curbed. Dogs are not-the only creatures to do this. Horses have been known to do the same thing. I once watched four men trying to confine a pony to a field after it had shown a longing to return to a neigObouring village. The pony charged the men and got away. It was brought back and locked in a stable for several days. but each time it was let out to grass it set off for home. Eventually, as in the case of the sheepdog, the seller of the pony accepted it back. Perhaps, like human beings, horses, dogs and even cats find something in their recollection of home that calls with irresistible power, or is the answer in their lack of adaptability ?
Previous page
