The little things...

The last time I took Lucy to the post, something amazing happened.

Lucy is the dog who has been criticized for being "too good" or "too obedient" at times. So we have spent a lot of effort getting her to take initiative and actually think rather than just following instructions.

At the last trial Lucy's sheep were excruciatingly heavy. Many dogs were struggling to shove them around the course. We had a good run going but it was exhausting. After a nice straight line to the drive-away panel I gave Lucy a wrong flank right at the panel in a moment of brainless ineptitude.

Instead of taking it, she turned and looked at me with an expression that said "Have you lost your f^&#*$g mind??!!" She then put her head down and did the CORRECT flank to push the sheep gently through the panel.

It was all I could do not to laugh and cry. That one look, that one moment of intelligent disobedience, meant everything to me. It confirmed my Lucy was thinking about the job at hand rather than just listening. She did what I meant instead of what I said. While a steady diet of disobedience isn't good, that was a victory for us. Win or lose, at the end of the day those are the moments that have me coming back for more...

Lucy in the Water
Originally uploaded by BCxFour