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In a Tale That Wags Dog Owners, They Rent Flocks for Bored Collies
- doorty 16y agoI have a border collie, and I've heard this story many times by other border collie owners. If I didn't love the urban lifestyle, I would get some sheep too. It would certainly be easier that trying to tire him out each day by going on walks and taking him to the dog park.
- troutwine 16y agoI'm able to keep my two Collies in happy style without renting sheep. We play for two hours a day with a herding ball, have miles long walks and I referee indoor rope tug fights while I work. Back from our morning run/hike, both dogs are now sleeping peacefully on their day bed. A wonderful breed, if you're physically strong and dedicated enough for them.
- joshu 16y agoI wonder if there are equivalents for other breeds of dog. I don't think our pup wants to herd, since she is a terrier.
- philwelch 16y agoIf you have a Golden or Labrador retriever you can hunt for ducks and the retriever will go retrieve them for you. But I think you have to train the retriever first. Most people find it easier to just play fetch.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- jws 16y agoWe play a little game called: Get the mouse! Get the mouse! Great fun. Fortunately she is rubbish at actually catching the mice. Eventually they fall for peanut butter in a live trap where they are lovingly relocated to the railroad right of way where they either freeze to death or are eaten by foxes.
- joshu 16y agoHmm. We don't have any mice that I've seen here. We did have skunks in the backyard. The pup spent quite a bit of time huffing and puffing at the back door ("I'll take care of this!") but we never let her out. Obligatory puppy picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshu/5128408411/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshu/5128408411/
- aaronbrethorst 16y ago"Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo."
- joshu 16y agohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/joshu/5129013658/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshu/5129013658/ Try that one.
- aaronbrethorst 16y agoholy friggin' adorable puppy. that was worth the wait.
- noidi 16y agoHow about sharing a bit of the empathy reserved for the bored dog with the sheep, which are essentially reduced from living, thinking, feeling beings to just toys for the dog? This kind of speciesism sickens me.
- noidi 16y agoTo the downvoters: Do the sheep find being herded by dogs a pleasant experience as well? If not (as I assume), how can you morally justify increasing their suffering in order to reduce that of a dog?
- iron_ball 16y agoPeremptory answer: Dogs are our pets. Sheep are our dinner. Peremptory answer redacted for inherent biases: Dogs are our slaves. Sheep are our murder victims. Somewhat sympathetic answer: Sheep naturally flock together. The dogs just reshape and redirect the flock. "Dog-broke" sheep, as mentioned in the article, are used to the dogs and know they are not to be feared. Sympathy-trumping counter-answer: given the steady destruction of sustainable farming practices in the face of agribusiness hegemony, why begrudge the local shepherds any extra source of income? At least these sheep aren't growing up in a tiny stall in a factory farm.
- noidi 16y agoHere's an upvote for taking the time to answer instead of just clicking on an arrow. Re: Somewhat sympathetic answer: I thought the reason sheep can be herded by a dog at all is that they are timid and easily frightened, and think of the dog as a predator. If they weren't afraid, they wouldn't defend themselves by flocking. Re: Sympathy-trumping counter-answer, economic argument: In my opinion moral concerns outweigh economic concerns. Your mileage may vary. Re: Sympathy-trumping counter-answer, factory farm argument: Harming animals is not justified by the fact that they could have been harmed even more. (Replace "animals" with "people" for plenty of potential analogies. I resist the temptation to write any of them out for the fear of sounding like a troll.)
- burgerbrain 16y agoI wonder what they would say if I tried to get a pet pig to herd sheep. "That'll do pig. That'll do."
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]