Dogs and cats: watching them is great for keeping a sense of perspective.

Freeway and Tsuki had a great play this morning. They played bitey face and smack down. The interesting thing about the game of bitey face is that neither tries to "dominate" the other. Mostly the entire game is played lying down. It consists of much noise and "growling" and groaning, and swinging open mouths back and forth. I have no idea what the rules are and there don't seem to be winners or losers.

Freeway started herdng training in April. He did not look like an exciting herding prospect. But he is actually coming along fairly well. Oh I don't expect him to be high in trial, but I think he will do a respectable job ... maybe. At least he is a little more interested in obeying me than Tsuki is.

Tsuki ... what can I say. Being a sheepdog is in his blood. I have to be careful with him because he won't tell me when he is hurting. He konws I'll take him off the sheep. Last week he wore holes in his pads and I didn't even notice. I only ended up checking his feet because he was slower than normal in agility practice. Agility doesn't hold quite that high level of interest. So this time when we went out to herd I dug out his booties. He didn't mind them at all. I think he may have been grateful for them. Anyway he certainly was smiling as we practiced putting the sheep through panels and into pens.