Being dishonest was once a habit, and now being authentic is becoming a habit, and I like it better. Another chapter from the story of the real world of real animals yesterday. After shearing, I sent Red out to move the shorn sheep and Ma, the sheep on the right above, veered off and away from him, and he broke out of his outrun to go after her. Border collies will often grab wool to control a sheep – Red does it rarely – and this time there was no wool so he grabbed her shoulder and the underside of her belly. When we looked, we saw she was bleeding and the skin on the belly wound was hanging down in a flap. We put antibiotics on the wound, wrapped it in gauze and locked her up for the night in the barn stall with another ewe for company.

Zelda spent the night trying to break open the gate and get her out. My first impulse was interesting – I wasn’t going to write about it, I’ve been so glowing and admiring of Red. But this is another chapter in the real world of real animals, and the true nature of real sheepherding on a farm, which is rarely as pretty and orderly as the herding trials one sees at fairs or on television. I don’t like herding trials and I suspect the sheep don’t either.

In the real world of farm and herding dogs, sheep get gripped, run down and bitten sometimes. Maria and I had a bit of the same reaction we had when Simon went after Rocky – we were disappointed in Red, he is so often a nearly perfect dog that I just don’t expect him to mess up, and he didn’t really mess up any more than Simon did. A ewe took off, he went after her and grabbed her in the usual way, but there was not the usual wool. And it was a hot day and he had worked all day and was tired – sometimes border collies grip when they are worn out and aren’t moving as fast as usual. End of story. This morning, the wound looks dry and there is no blood showing, so we will confine her for another day or two. I called the vet yesterday, but called her off this morning. I worked Red a bit and he was his poised and professional self.

I’m glad I didn’t think of withholding this story for more than a second.  Our shearer was much impressed by Red, he said he was one of the calmest and most professional dogs he had seen. Red did nothing wrong and this is the real world of animals. I want honestly to be as much of a reflex as being dishonest or manipulative.