Random Moves

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Random approaches problems in a unique way. If you step back and let him figure it out, the job will get done, but I can guarantee you that you wouldn't have gone about it that way.

 

We have a horrible ewe named Groucho who produces two or three huge lambs and raises them with no help, and her lambs do the same thing. It's a great line but she has a really rotten personality. She doesn't pass it on to her lambs so she's bought herself a place here. She's a dog killer when lambing comes. Most of our sheep are pretty tough but Groucho is just mean - and she'll take hit after hit and continue to fight - I believe she'd let a dog kill her.

 

Doug the Dog has developed a careful and correct approach of pressure on/pressure off, never dropping his head, sort of whistling with his hands in his pockets on the perimeter but ready to go in for a quick well-timed hit if she charges. Groucho is OK with that but she is still the boss.

 

Random initially tried brute force and intimidation - which works, but makes her eager to run off at the first chance. She's fearful but not submissive. She always requires a big showdown with a dog to work out what she will submit to. I wondered whether Random would figure out what Doug the Dog did - Random is such a damn-the-torpedoes dog that I couldn't imagine his being able to be that subtle at this point.

 

A few days ago I was moving them around and Groucho charged Random. I shut my mouth and waited to see what would happen.

 

He dodged around her and she circled to face him. He did it again and she circled. He did it again and she circled again. He circled away from her head and this time he "overflanked" - spinning her on her heels again. She staggered a bit. Instantly he came in tighter and circled faster and faster around her, forcing her around and around.

 

Groucho fell over. He laid down.

 

She got up and made a wobbly dash at him. Random bodyblocked her and started the circling again, toppling her much quicker this time.

 

After a second Groucho got up and fled staggering to the center of the flock, leaving her twins to the devices of the crazy spinning dog. Random laid down and let the lambs run to Mama.

 

She's never been a problem since then. Yes, Mr. Crazy Spinning Dog. Anything you say, Mr. Crazy Spinning Dog.

 

I was laughing about this with someone last night, who suggested this move be added to the trial course - it would be named the Single and Random. Can't you hear the judge calling it? [Honk!] - "Thank you, that's a 'Random'."

[Pipedream Farm]

 

Thanks, my day just got better.

 

Mark

[steve clendenin]

You don't know how hard that was to TRAIN

[Caroline]

I loved this story! Would you have thought, Rebecca, that it would have worked out that way? Hooray for Random!

Caroline

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

So you forgot to give me the whistle for that?

 

You trained him to use his brain. You trained me to shut my mouth. Random did the rest.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Caroline, I may never earn a dime of trial prize money with this dog but I see a book in the future (now Steve really is cringing ). Random's got enough personality for a book and several sequels.

[steve clendenin]

I want a DISCLAIMER before you ever start to write. That dog is a nugget!!!!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Gold nugget?