She doesn’t have any sheep.
Just a round, doesn’t-stay-yellow-for-long, tennis ball.
It’s never out of her sight, she guards it day and night.
Well, not night, really, because we tell her to drop it before she enters the house.
Occasionally she manages to sneak it in. She’s tricky like that.
The best thing I ever got was a ball launcher. The first time I saw someone using one I thought, “for goodness sake, what a gimmick!” But without it, I can’t throw the ball further than she takes off running. She’d always have to turn around as soon as she heard the ball hit the ground. Behind her. And, this is the best part – with the ball launcher you can pick up that doesn’t-stay-yellow-for-long, slimy ball without ever touching it with your hand. Oh yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.
If you ever come to my house Koda will drop her ball at your feet. You are supposed to throw it for her, in case you didn’t understand. Every new person who comes to my house is a potential ball launcher in Koda’s eyes.
And those of us who live here and try and do anything outside get an Aussie following us around and dropping a ball in the middle of whatever we are doing. She will give you a few minutes to notice it, in this exact pose. If you ignore the ball, or actually didn’t see it dropped near you (because it’s kind-of like getting used to a noise and not hearing it anymore), Koda will come in, pick up the ball, and drop it even nearer to you. Like 6 inches or so. Ignore it now, she challenges.
Truthfully, I’m not sure she would have any more fun with a sheep. Because with that ball we play fetch, or throw it deep into the woods for more of a game of hide-and-seek (go find it, Koda!), or catch.
But sometimes I do feel like I’ve done her an injustice keeping her on a homestead with no sheep to herd. I don’t know if I’ll ever get her to a farm with sheep to test her prowess in this area. Is it such a part of her that she’ll just know what to do? I hope to find out someday.
Meanwhile, I have finally gotten Koda into agility. She was a natural in the trial class we took. We start real classes this Thursday! She is going to be so happy.
I think she might like agility even better than she likes that ball.
And that’s saying a lot.