As the sun rises, Red and I are in the meadow. Before my eyes, he becomes something other than a pet, a wolfdog, really, something out of Jack London, something ancient and powerful. He goes into the herding crouch, and the sheep, who fought him just two days ago, gather behind the corner pole and wait for instructions. They come soon enough. It stirs something old and ancient in me, a city kid, a stranger most of my life to the natural. Red reminds me of why we need the natural world, why we need animals in our lives.

And he reminds me to respect the true nature of this creatures, who are nothing like us.