I am not a farmer, but a writer with a farm. But it is still a farm, and when a dog comes into the family – especially a small one the size of Gus  – the acclimation of the dog to animals like donkeys, sheep and barn cats is important and must be thoughtful and gradual.

All of these animals are different. The donkeys are intensely protective of the sheep, they are wary of any strange animal coming near them. It takes weeks or months to satisfy them that the newcomer is safe. And that means the newcomer must never be alone with livestock or off-leash around them.

Today, we brought Gus to the sheep for the first time without Red to act as his bodyguard. The sheep – prey animals always on guard – came up as a flock to check him and get close enough to sniff him, I think they didn’t know what he was.

It went well, they came in for a close look, then went back to grazing, a good sign. Gus was curious about the sheep, and I wondered how he saw them, but after their encounter, he went back to sniffing the grass and didn’t seem much interested in them either.