Of Dogs and Men

Early man would have been alert to wild, camp-following dogs warning of approaching danger. Present day people can be thankful for a much wider range of canine services. Part autobiography and part history, Of Dogs and Men is a celebration of our passion for the trusty sheepdog. Filled with lively anecdotes, poems and mythological stories, Barrington sets out to map the evolution and bond between man and dog; how dogs developed from the wild into the beloved companions as we know them today. Barrington includes heart warming stories of collies used in life saving operations as search and rescue dogs, in epilepsy and cancer alert situations and as guide dogs.

John Barrington John Barrington is a hill shepherd, living in Rob Roy MacGregor's old house in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. With his faithful companions, Barrington gives sheepdog demonstrations throughout the summer and keeps active over the long winter as a rugby referee. A noted sheep judge, he was delighted recently to be invited to officiate at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh. Like most shepherds, Barrington is a natural storyteller, a gift he excercises at schools, clubs and societies, and as an after dinner speaker. Stories are recounted on the move during daytime guided tours and twilight ghost walks, and as a commentator at a dozen or so Highland Games each year. Stories told to enliven his whisky tasting sessions are always presented in the right spirit! Red Sky at Night, his first book and a UK bestseller, won him a Scottish Arts Council Book Award. His Fourth book, Of Dogs & Men, is due to be published soon.