A Dog's Life

I love my dogs. Really I do. We have three and they bring me such great joy. And exasperation. Yeah. That's a good word for it.
They have totally different personalities and are gifted in different areas. Isn't that what any parent says when something doesn't go quite right?
Take this morning, for example. It was time to move the cows from the rye field. For those of you who aren't familiar with the country, during the winter we plant fields of rye to feed the cows. Of course, they also get hay, etc. This is extra. You don't want to leave them in the lush green field for too long. It's like leaving a kid in a candy store. They will eat until they get sick. It's very messy, if you know what I mean.
Ladybug, the Australian Shepherd is the expert. She just looks at a cow and she heads toward the exit. No one wants to tangle with her. It's quite comical to watch a 2,000 lb. bull trying to get away from a 56 lb dog. She also knows exactly how to make them go in the correct direction. As in, toward the exit gate. Of course, she's getting older. Sometimes she just sits there and watches us. I think she's secretly laughing at how inept we all are.
Not so Sunshine, the lab. She wants to be a cow dog so badly. Really she does. Unfortunately she has a horrible sense of direction. So she can certainly get the cows moving -- in circles, toward the back fence, scattered in all directions. Yep, that child has direction issues.
Little Guy, our chow mix, prefers to focus on the calves. They're closer to his size I guess. You might guess that the mama cows want him to stay away. He's quite good at dodging their charge. And it's not like he hurts the calves. When mama's not around, the calves and Little Guy actually rub noses. Mama cow is never amused. That said, his favorite thing is to stand in the middle of everything and observe. That certainly has a way of bringing a halt to a herd. So we end up with the cows who made it out before Little Guy and the ones who have turned around and are trying to head in the opposite direction. Not that he doesn't try to drive the cows sometimes. He tried to help today. That poor cow had to be dizzy. The two of them were going round and round in a circle.
I've decided that tomorrow I'll just take Ladybug and let the other two visit with their grandma in the house. It might be less entertaining but it sure will go a lot faster.