If you've read any of my previous posts you might have gathered that Sally is pretty nifty at rounding up sheep. After the first display, only minutes after getting her home, and then subsequent events it got me a wondering how she came to be so good at it. After all she was only 4 months old when we got her and we certainly hadn't given her any tips! Could it be that its all in the genes? Is the instinct so strong in the breed that it just kind of happens?
Well, I'm certainly no expert on the matter in general but I am a little wiser now.
I work with Sally's previous owner and once I'd explained to her that Sally had escaped and rounded up the sheep in the field next to our home she said: 'Oh well she would. She's been out every morning and every evening with her mother who's been rounding all the sheep up on our farm.' Her young son had by this time joined in the conversation. He added: 'Yes, and she can round cows up too, well one at a time.'
So maybe that is a clue as to how come Sally is such a pro. However I also learned that one of Sally's siblings, who was bought to work with sheep turned out not to be such a natural. He's since gone to pastures anew.
I'm therefore still left pondering the time old question - nurture or nature????? I haven't got the foggiest!
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