I can’t ever remember a time when I went to the back door – which leads to the pasture – when Rose was in the house, when she wasn’t sitting at the door, trying to coax me out into the pasture to herd sheep. She is a scholar of doors, walking sticks and boots, especially if they relate to sheepherding. She always gives me this pleading look – we’re going out to work, aren’t we? – and if we are not, she slithers back into the house and looks out the window. She gets to me, this profoundly hard-working, responsible and loyal creature, and yes, sometimes I do decide to take her out working because I can simply not say no to her.
  I love my dogs, and some of the other animals as well (not sheep, really), but I think in many ways Rose is the greatest dog I will ever have, and I am profoundly grateful to her.
  She is often to be found sitting by this door.