Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Finding balance

We've always wondered what Zorro would do when confronted with a herd of sheep. Now we know.
On Sunday, we took him to Keepstone Farm, a farm near Berrysville, Va. that trains herding dogs. The owner, Susan Rhodes, has sheep, goats, horses and more dogs than I could count. She trains all kinds of dogs, from novice to competitors.
We told her that we didn't know if Zorro had ever worked sheep, so she put him in a fenced-in area with three "dog-broke" sheep. She put a long line on Zorro so we could grab him if necessary, stood out in the middle of the corral with the sheep, and instructed me to let him go.
At first, Zorro rushed at the sheep, but after Susan pounded her long pole on the ground, he changed direction and started circling. Gradually, his circles became wider, which is what herding dogs are supposed to do, Susan says. He took direction pretty well, although when Susan told him to lie down, he looked at her as if to say, "Are you out of your mind? There are sheep out here?"
Then she handed me the pole and told me to stand with the sheep. I was pretty nervous: the sheep got right up against me, and they were big woolies. I didn't really get the hang of the pole but Zorro maintained a distance so I wasn't trampled.
After a half an hour, Zorro's tongue was on the ground so we quit. Susan said it's unclear whether Zorro has had some training or was acting on instinct. I think we'll take him back to the farm for a few more lessons. I don't think Zorro will ever be a serious competitor, but maybe herding sheep will get his mind off the moon.

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