Narrated by T'Daz A Tiko Tade RN CGC HIC JHD-s

Preface and ending translated by Cindy Baker

The Tale of Tiko and the Sheep            

How lucky we are to be blessed with multifaceted hounds. Like their owners, each hound has its own unique talents and is limited only

by its owner's willingness to search out those talents and allow them to prosper. I have always enjoyed that search and exploration.

My latest safari has been into the realm of herding.

Thanks to the American Herding Breed Association (AHBA), there is a herding organization parallel to AKC which allows non-herding

breeds to participate along with recognized herding breeds. The AHBA philosophy is "if the dog can do it, the dog will get the

credit."  With such a philosophy, dear reader, so begins a true tale….

             

Once upon a time, there was a young Ridgeback boy who really enjoyed sheep. At first he thought he'd enjoy eating sheep,

but at his Mistress's demand, he decided to enjoy herding sheep instead. The first time he saw sheep, he quickly realized

the lady in the arena with his Mistress didn't want him to eat sheep either, and she seemed to be directing him to move the

sheep by himself. Well, that certainly was exciting - he was the low man on the dog pole at home and here were some animals

he could boss around. So he tried to do what the lady asked and took the sheep through a gate, around a corner and through

another gate, then brought them over to the lady. She and his Mistress seemed very impressed. Not bad for a small dog who'd

never seen sheep before, and he even got a nice Certificate, too.

                                                               

He got to see some sheep the next year but then not for a very long time until one day his Mistress took him to a big building

that had a very special smell in it. Yahooo-oooooo!! Sheep!! Sheep!! Sheep!! His Mistress seemed to want him to be quiet-none of

the other dogs were making such a racket - but he was so happy he just couldn't contain himself. 

                     

This time there was a man in the arena and the man told him and his Mistress what to do. At first he wanted to make the

sheep run and learn what a mighty dog he was. But  the man made him understand that his was to move the sheep with his Mistress,

to make the sheep respect him, but not to scare them. OK, he'd show the man how a Ridgeback does it when a Ridgeback wants to do it.

And he did. The man and his Mistress were very impressed. And so were the people at the fence with all the Herding dogs

with a capital H. Not bad for a small dog who'd only seen sheep twice before.

 

Luck was with the Ridgeback boy, because not too long after working with the man, his Mistress took him to a place where

there were lots and lots of sheep. He actually got to work with three sheep and had quite a fine time. He did like the wilder

sheep the best. The ones that stayed in a group knocking against his Mistress's knees were kind of boring and so he'd nibble

sheep poop once in a while to keep himself occupied. But the sheep that needed herding, oh boy, were they fun. No time for

poop...gotta  keep those ewes moving...this way, now that way...through this gate...now over here.

 

Four different times he got to boss the sheep and got better with each try. Then, one snowy blowy day, he and his Mistress

went back to the farm and along with all the sheep, there were lots and lots of Herding dogs with a capital H. He was the only

herding dog with a little h. He stayed on his best behavior to impress everybody and eventually got to work the sheep once, and

then twice! He was thrilled, even though it was very cold, with sleet and snow and very strong wind. Actually he was a little proud

- he must have been special because he got to wear his winter jacket while all the other dogs had only their long hair for

protection against the weather.

 

Twice that weekend he got more Certificates for herding. What fun he and his Mistress had.

 

For the future, the Ridgeback boy hoped he and his Mistress could keep on herding, keep on moving those sheep, keep

on learning and getting better and better. Then, maybe one day he'd become a herding dog with a capital H.

And here, dear reader, this tale could say "The End" instead, this tale is "To Be Continued"                                                                                                                           

                                                                     

To continue the tale - Tiko went to another Herding Trial July 1&2 and earned the first leg of his AHBA Herding Trial Arena Dog, Level I (HTAD-I) title.  We both stressed the first day, but the second day, the friends we'd made in the herding community the day before actually cheered and applauded when we penned the sheep.  They've all been there, too, and appreciate the effort.

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