Sheep School!!

Boy, today was fun! I took Mom to our first lesson at Uncle Wally's Sheep School! I don't know if that's the real name of it; all I know is Mom kept saying we were going to Sheep School, and it turns out that my Uncle Wally is the teacher! He was our teacher when I became a Good Citizen, and he taught us in Clever Canines and Middle School, too. But this was a whole lot better - instead of being in a big room and having to share the class with other dogs, this was outside in a big field with just me, Mom, Uncle Wally and the SHEEPSES!! Well, Max was there, too...Max is Uncle Wally's Borderline Collie. He's so lucky - he has his very own sheepses! But I got to herd them today, and he had to stay outside the fence and watch. Haha, Max! Now it's MY turn!

These sheepses were much better behaved than the ones at my Herding Instinct Test. Uncle Wally calls them "puppy dog sheep" because they follow humans. I think that helped Mom a lot; she's getting much better at getting them to obey. But I still had to keep them moving, and turn them around and get them moving the other way, and hold them in the corner of the pen when they needed a rest. Sometimes Mom told me to lie down and take a rest, too, and I listened to her...well, most times. But I never took my eyes off the sheepses - they're sneaky, you know! Look away for just a second, and they could be scattered all over the place, and that's not good. Even when I didn't look away, there was one sheep who kept trying to run off by himself. It was hard, sometimes, getting them all back together. I didn't know if I should herd the one back to the others, or herd the others back to the one. So I usually just went after whichever was moving fastest, cause that's the most fun.

And you know what? My brain didn't fall out my nose, not once! I even left the sheep and came to Mom when she called...well, usually. I didn't want to, but I didn't want her to think I love the sheep more than her. And she's learning - every time I came when she called, she let me go back and herd some more. That was a lot better than the Test, when she made me come to her and then it was all over.

The best part was the Grand Finale. Max and I took the sheepses I was herding, and brought them out to the big field. I got to run and run and run! We did pretty good together, Max and me...He's not a bad sort, for a Borderline Collie. Then Mom called me, and I came back to her from way across the field - Wow, was she ever proud of me, then! I didn't tell her that part of the reason I listened to her, was that it was so hot and my brain was so tired, that I was ready to take a break....but I think she would have been proud of me, anyway. And I could tell she was proud when Uncle Wally said "I like what I see!" while I was herding the sheepses.

I heard Mom and Uncle Wally talking, and we're going back for more Sheep School on Sunday. That's only 2 days away - I can't wait! I wish I could live at Uncle Wally's Sheep School, but Mom says that would make me a Boarder Collie. Then she laughed and said something about a "bad pun" but I'm not sure I understand. I'm a Real Collie, how could I ever be one of those Borderline Collies? Sometimes Mom just doesn't make sense...but I still love her. Even more than sheepses.