Border collies, like draft horses, are born to work, bred to work, need to work. It’s been impossible to do herding work in the ice, cold and raging windstorms, so I find work for them to do, or they will find work to do, and it usually won’t be work that I want them to do.

Yesterday, a compromise. The sheep were holed up in the barn out of the rain and wind, I told Fate and Red to “hold the sheep,” that is, keep them where they are, and they took to it, taking up their positions and giving the sheep the full eye treatment. Nobody moved, sheep or dogs, for about an hour.

The sheep still give Fate a tough time sometimes, but Red backs her up. She is very tough when Red is right behind her.