by Karen Clymer

Created on: May 28, 2008

"Away to me," he says," and the black and white dog streaks away from his right side, casting out without a glance back at his owner. It speeds over a small rise and dips out of sight, then reappears even farther to the right. About 300 yards away from the handler, five sheep stand in a little knot, grazing without knowing that they are about to be met with disciplined fang and unshakeable determination.

The dog arcs out around and past them, circling now so that it comes up directly behind the sheep. It slows to a trot, then a walk. It hears the owners faint whistle and drops to its belly, then rises to its feet again.

One sheep turns to face the dog and stamps its foot. The dog lifts a corner of one lip in a soundless snarl, taking one step forward. The sheep changes its mind and turns back to the group.

The flock decides it would behoove them to leave that grazing spot. The dog stays just far enough away to keep them moving forward, glancing left or right from time to time as one or another sheep tries to make a break away from the group. Onward they come at a fast trot, moving straight back to the man, a small, tight group like a fluffy cloud scudding along the ground.

As the sheep near him, the man gives a few more quiet commands. The dog responds immediately, sometimes taking only a few steps to one side or another. The man moves to a trailer and opens the gate, standing by its side. Quietly, the dog pushes the reluctant sheep closer and closer, covering every attempt at escape until at last one ewe puts one hoof on the floorboards, then two hooves, then heaves its whole body inside. Suddenly, the rest of the group decides they are safer inside than out, and they rush to follow the leader into the trailer. The dog holds his ground while the man closes the gate.

"That'll do, Lad," he says, and Lad, with his tongue hanging sideways out of his mouth and his sides heaving, whirls around and heads for a nearby stock tank. With an agile jump and splash he lands in the cool water up to his chest, standing there panting

It was an ordinary day and an ordinary task for Lad, a working border collie. Without the help of this dog, the sheep could never have been turned loose to graze. It would have taken a half dozen people on foot or horseback to bring the sheep back to the trailer, and hours of patient maneuvering trying to outsmart the wily sheep in order to get them loaded. Let sheep hear the sound of some grain rattling in a pan, and they might come running. As soon

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>