Page 3 Profile: Don the sheepdog

Don, sheepdog (PA)

Who’s been a good boy then?

Not Don, who yesterday abandoned his sheepdog duties to drive a tractor. The Collie drove the mini tractor on to the M74 at Junction 13 in South Lanarkshire, further delaying the morning rush-hour for many astonished motorists.

I didn’t know dogs could drive.

Four-year-old Don leaned on the controls of the tractor when his owner, farmer Tom Hamilton, wasn’t looking; setting it in motion, he crashed through a fence, went down an embankment and across the northbound carriageway of the motorway. The vehicle only ground to a halt, with Don still in it, when it hit the central reservation.

That’s barking mad.

It certainly was. But police managed to clear the motorway and return Don to his owner. Mr Hamilton, 77, said: “I was out in the mini tractor and had stepped out of it to get a lamb which looked like it was about to get out of the gate. I had not put the brake on the tractor and when I turned round I got a fright as the vehicle was careering down the hill, through the gate and on to the M74.”

Did it cause any ‘tailbacks’?

I’m afraid Traffic Scotland got there first with that one. The incident caused much amusement on Twitter. Traffic Scotland announced news of the incident at 8:34am, along with the hashtag: “#maycausetailbacks”. Colin McCredie tweeted: “Wonder if the dog that crashed the tractor was tailed by a Police Pawtrol??”, while Tony T said: “Police investigating, so far no leads.”

Were there any injuries?

Luckily no one was hurt. Mr Hamilton, who has run the sheep farm in Abington for 52 years, said: “Don was fine and did not bark during the incident.”

Guess they won’t be bringing in canine licences any time soon?

Probably not. But there is a driving school for dogs in New Zealand and in 2012, 10-month-old Porter and 18-month-old Monty both managed to drive a modified Mini around a racetrack.