Aggie Fulfills Her Destiny

In our last issue, we featured a story on a group of blue healer puppies who caught up at a "family reunion" (see related story). Since then we've gotten an update on one of the little girls who has taken up a very fun and natural hobby - herding.

One of the Australian Heeler puppies rescued from the Bakersfield shelter in August of 2007, Aggie was adopted by a Bill Foundation volunteer and her family. Like the other four puppies, Aggie clearly displayed a natural instinct to herd. She will herd just about anything that moves - children running in the yard, adults running to grab a ringing phone, fellow canines running at the dog park, even the pet guinea pig running around the kids' room.

Aggie's family decided that this was an instinct that had to be sated if she was to feel truly fulfilled in life. So, one day in March the entire family piled into the car and drove sixty miles to a sheep herding ranch in Palmdale. There it was explained that despite their breed-based instincts, not all herding dogs take to it. And, on this particular ranch, dogs new to the sport start out herding goats - which are more docile and easier to work with.

All were anxious - would Aggie really know what to do?  Would she like it, or would this often submissive dog get scared and run away? Would she consider the sheep prey and be too rough on them, thus ending her career in the ring before it could even begin?

It was clear as soon as Aggie caught sight of the goats that she couldn't wait to get in there. Unlike the other two newcomers waiting for a turn - a Wheaton Terrier and a Lab/Border Collie mix - Aggie barked and tugged on her leash towards the arena. Once she got inside, she was a natural. She barked a lot at first out of excitement, but once she got to work there was no stopping her. She took direction well, and quickly learned how to circle the goats from both the left and the right and how to drive them in the right direction.

Aggie enjoyed two turns in the ring, and the trainer deemed her a "star." To Aggie's family, it seemed as though she had truly fulfilled her destiny - she finally discovered what those herding instincts were all about! Aggie will be returning for more visits to the ranch and who knows, maybe she'll work her way up to sheep soon.

Photos courtesy of Susanne Zizzi, Aggie's Mom

(More herding photos)