When you get right down to it, herding livestock takes heart as well as instinct, and Red put on quite a show of focus and dedication today. We were out herding the sheep and suddenly the donkeys came into the pasture and arrayed themselves in a straight line right in front of Red. They reminded me of defenders on a football field and their mission seemed to be to keep Red away from the sheep, who were hiding behind the donkeys in the field.

I got a bit concerned and inched closer – a border collie is no match for three determined donkeys, Simon leading the defense. Red never took his eyes off of the sheep, never moved. After a few minutes, I told him to “come bye” and he went clockwise around the sheep and moved them into the other pasture. The donkeys just watched. Red’s poise and stillness convey great authority, and they blinked. He didn’t. Red just doesn’t allow himself to be deterred.