As is obvious, I am not a classical or intuitive herding dog trainer. I know several people who have “Herding Dog” bumper stickers on their cars and trucks but who couldn’t herd a puppy across the road. I took three years of herding lessons, won three blue ribbons from the AKC, and then dropped that path.

I did all right, I was never a natural at i t. I don’t whistle and can’t move quite fast enough.

I can only go so far, and I never identify myself as a herding guru or whiz, I have no need of bumper stickers. Red came to me almost fully trained, any dolt could her sheep with him, even me. I do love working with dogs. but I try not to be a snob about it.

It doesn’t make me Daniel Boone, and I would not last a minute in those big televised trials. . Red and I are blood brothers, he understands everything I say and am going to say before I even know it say it. We do what we need to do, and Red and I have never harmed a sheep, or lost one, or let one get away.

In the morning, at Sunrise I come into the pasture, and just talk to Red.

Sometimes I  use the formal herding commands, more often I just mutter. This morning, I was bringing more hay out to the sheep feeder, and I didn’t wish to get knocked over by hungry sheep.

“Make a path for me,” I said, without even thinking that this was in no way a herding command, or anything me or anyone else had ever taught Red. Red, of course, got it instantly – he knows what I mean. He pushed the sheep to the far side of the feeder, giving me a clear and safe path out to the feeder. It is easy to take Red for granted, but I won’t.

He and Rose hold the co-titles of the greatest dogs I have known.