Man's best Friend
November 5th 2006 08:45
Statue of collie-tribute to sheep dogs Lake Tekapo N.Z.
You know that thing about the sheep dog being the farmer’s best friend! Well, I’d have to agree. The dog is. That is if a friend is someone who will love and forgive you whatever you do and say to him and continue to serve and come back for more even when they have been misunderstood all day.
Of course it helps if everyone knows where they are supposed to be going with the sheep. There are some parts of the journey that are fairly straight forward and the dog soon learns the route the sheep are likely to take and how to stop them if it is not the right way. But just when they think they have it right, the farmer gets it into his head that he wants the sheep to go that unusual way. Instead of sitting down quietly and explaining this to what is supposed to be his best friend he will yell and call him stupid and deaf and a whole lot more that are unprintable. But how is a dog to know? He can’t read a man’s mind!
Now if there are sick sheep in the mob a dog would think that it would be important to bring them along too so that they can be treated– even if they are half a mile away from the rest of the mob. But that is not what is wanted. All the farmer wants is for his faithful friend to gently suggest to the sheep that he lies down and stays there so that the farmer can pick it up and carry it on the ute all the way home. The trouble is the sheep aren’t all that good at dog language – and having learnt to run away from dogs, they stupidly don’t realize that the dog actually wants to make friends, sit down and have a chat. Funny that!
And then there is the real classic. Young sheep boxed in with the rams. All rules go out the window. No the farmer didn’t want all the sheep brought into the yards, he just wanted the young sheep to come and to leave the rams behind. More yelling and threats ensue. But how is a dog supposed to know that!? What does the farmer expect of him next? Since when is a dog suppose to actually draught the sheep? Next thing we know he will be asked to shear them as well!
Come on, give a dog a break! Friendship can only go so far!
I took this photo when visiting Mackenzie country New Zealand. I think its great to honour the sheep dog in this way. For my readers, if you read my very early posts under "Surviving Rural Life", this is a repeat - but having just finished shearing and watched our exhausted dogs do their bit - I wanted to honour them myself!
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