Red and Simon have had some ups and downs. Simon went after Red when he first saw him, tried to drive him out of the pasture and away from the sheep. They had some exciting chase and circle scenes together. When we came to the new farm, Red and Rocky the pony attached to one another, and Red seemed to act as Rocky’s seeing eye dog, guiding him around the pasture. Since Rocky left, Red and Simon have been working it out.

Red is good around Simon, he is calm and projects a workmanlike,  easy manner. With his body, he signals that he wants no conflict. Simon comes up to him, sniffs him and increasingly, stands by him. I have encouraged Red to be still, to stay and also reinforced Simon with cookies and praise for being still. Now, they are often side-by-side in the pasture, a connection is developing. Listening to dogs has also taught me to listen to other animals, including some people.