hundred percent sure: the dog understood that he was doing something important, and, apparently, was just as passionate about it as Homer was about his sheep.

Позднее Чарлин, тоже поразившаяся царившему между ними согласию, спросила меня, что, по моему мнению, думает в этой ситуации dog.

"Don't you think he understands how much Joey needs him?"

I would very much like to be able to confirm this assumption, and I could hardly resist the temptation. But I knew that Devon had problems of his own. The previous owner prepared him for obedience competitions and brought him up very hard, but Devon failed in the tests, and he was replaced, and then sent away altogether. When I took him, he followed me as if tied, and even jumped out the window if I left the house.

The lion's share of the work I've done with him over the past two years has focused on making him feel safe, with or without my presence. He по-прежнему следил за мной с зоркостью ястреба, требовал внимания, оттеснял беднягу Гомера, когда я протягивал руку, чтобы его погладить, втискивался в постель между мной и моей супругой. At каждом удобном случае Девон охотно забывал об овцах, предпочитая постоять рядом со мной, чего не сделал бы на его месте ни один истинный бордер-колли.

A Джои звал его по имени, фокусировал на нем все свое внимание. I suspected that Devon, who never completely conquered his excessive need to feel attention to himself, was responding to this behavior of the boy.

However, Charlene assured me that I underestimated my dog. He работает, когда общается с Джои. She imagined Devon as a kind of Disney dog, a heroic canine who rushed to the aid of a sick child.

Maybe she was right - I thought about it all the way back. Maybe I tend to be overly cynical in interpreting dog behavior. However, does it matter what motives Devon was guided by? We had to take into account only the apparently beneficial effect that he had on Joey and, as we expected, would have in the foreseeable future.

The most amazing thing was that Devon - my dog, my own source of unselfish love, my cherished friend (according to Dorothy Burlingham) - changed his specialty before my very eyes. He отказался от древнего искусства пастуха, которое, впрочем, никогда не было для него смыслом жизни, как, скажем, для Гомера, и всеми четырьмя ногами увяз в новой профессии. And yet I understood that his true purpose was not to work with sheep or even visit Joey, but to help his master, that is, me.

Carolyn Wilkie's Strawberry Ridge, her farm and training facility, was close to Joey's school. I put Devon in the shipping container and went out with Homer to practice with the wayward and recalcitrant sheep. These sheep had nothing to do with the aged, meek creatures accustomed to communicating with dogs, which are usually shown on speeches. There were about a dozen of them, and when the dog approached, they did not gather in a flock, but scattered in different directions, kicked, and hid in a thorny bush.

I had to watch how many dogs, including mine, literally fell off their feet after chasing them. But Carolyn thought that Homer was up to the task.

The rebellious sheep released from the pen immediately scattered across the meadow, not feeling any desire to meet with the shepherd. Heи ринулись за амбар, затем отбежали к лесу и кустам — слишком колючим, чтобы я решился полезть за ними вслед. But Homer set to work enthusiastically. For a whole hour, under the scorching sun, he hunted down and drove the rams one by one, not paying attention to the thorns and thorns that dug into his wool. He задыхался, хромал, — подушечки на лапах были сбиты, — и я несколько раз протягивал руку к рации, намереваясь вызвать Кэролин на помощь.

However, Homer was not going to give up, and I did not dare to stop him. Every time I grabbed the radio, another ram jumped out of the bushes, and Homer stubbornly began the pursuit.

In an almost religious ecstasy, I watched the ancient instincts awaken in my young dog, forcing him to chase the damned ram and get ahead of him, anticipating his maneuvers. In the end, turning down the path to the pasture, I saw with the greatest amazement Homer sitting near the grazing flock. He бдительно следил за овцами и не давал им разбежаться. They seemed to accept their defeat and acknowledge his authority. However, it is possible that they decided to quietly graze.

I couldn't help but think how much previous generations of Irish farmers must have appreciated such perseverance. My Homer's tongue hung to the ground, and his paws bled, but he realized almost without my intervention what was required of him, and did not retreat until he had completed his task.

Then, when the sheep were back in the fold—it took us another fight to get there—I released Devon. He покосился на овец и припал грудью к земле, приглашая Гомера поиграть. A тому никакая усталость не могла помешать принять такое предложение.

The dogs began to run around the farm, circling, scaring squirrels and rabbits, and chasing each other; their enthusiasm was so contagious that I laughed out loud. What a pleasure to watch these creatures with such enthusiasm surrendering to the game and work.

Then they will surprise me again, and more than once. Carolyn insisted that I not put off training for a long time. In a few weeks and months, Homer will be sitting on Joey's lap, and Devon will be interested in sheep. Dogs do not stand still, just like their work.

Atложение
For this book, I feel indebted to many people. This time I have significantly more co-authors than during the previous eleven books, written relatively independently.

First, I want to mention my wife, Paula Spahn. Heа не только пожертвовала своим временем, выслушивая бесконечные собачьи истории, но и оказала решающую помощь в выработке концепции книги, в работе над ней, а впоследствии и в издании. My daughter Emma Span has grown from a nice girl into a devoted and reliable comrade.

Richard Ebat was responsible for the creative mindset and provided overall direction and support.

Bruce Tracy's endurance, his tolerance for my eccentricities bordering on insanity, and his talent as an editor have been of invaluable help to me.

Brian McLendon has long been a lifesaver for me, not just a publisher, but an invaluable advisor.

Carolyn Wilkie, owner of Strawberry Ridge Farm and head of a training center in Bangor, Pennsylvania, is not only a close friend of mine, but also a major inspiration.

The possibilities of the Internet seem to me a real miracle, especially after he introduced me to Debra Katz, director of the Training Center for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Lexington, Kentucky. Heа оказала решающее влияние на мое представление о собаках, людях и их взаимоотношениях. While working on the book, we managed to make friends.

I am grateful to Leslie Broules, Kati King, and especially Thug Heister of the University of Kentucky for their invaluable research at my request.

I am indebted to the many, many people who shared their experiences with dogs with me, notably Karen Simpson and Reggie, John and Cynthia Palmer and Boomer, Uwe Nimberg and Spirit. And, of course, Dave. I want to once again thank Margaret Waterson of Battenkill Bookshop in Cambridge, New York, who gave me the idea for the book that she initiated.

I thank the people who introduced me to the world of lifeguards—many of them wishing to remain anonymous—for taking the time to give me an idea of ​​this unusual subculture.

It is my duty to thank Terence Reidy, Montclair City Council Officer, for providing me with information regarding the city's canine population. And veterinarian Dr. Brenda King for letting me take part in her work and sharing her experience and some observations. I would also like to thank Matt Mason, Mary Todd, and Paul Hartunien, who were especially helpful in getting me started on this book.

I thank Джоэла Тейбора из Зоомагазина Монтклера за его любовь к собакам и содействие в знакомстве с их хозяевами. I can't help but mention Kate Hamilton as well.

I am grateful to all the people who agreed to answer my questions and let me into their homes and lives.

Atмечания
1 WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) - Ed.

2 Ceratonia (Ceratonia siliqua) (Ed.)

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