The Lonely Sheepdog

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No, not a coyote or a mongoose or a sheepdog. He's a sheep. A sheep with really big horns that chooses to stay out of it and use his horns only for himself.
 
This silly "sheepdog" analogy needs to be excised from our culture. It is nothing but macho, self-indulgent chest-thumping. Frankly, it makes us all look bad.

I'm not a sheep, sheepdog, wolf, coyote, or any other furry critter. I'm a human being who plans to see to his own defense, and that of his family and friends.

- Chris
 
Lotta gray area here. If I see a couple of crank-freaks beating the hell out of each other, I'm gonna say "Rock on, Beavers" and keep strolling.

On the other hand, if I see a man beating a woman or an old Man or old Lady being mugged, maybe a dog being abused, I have to step in.

It's the Right Thing To Do.

Don't mean I have to shoot somebody. Just means I have to do what I can to stop an immoral act and help the weak as best I can.

I'm no Mall Ninja but I've been a reluctant hero a time or three and I've paid the price. I don't care for it but would do the same thing again given the same circumstances.

Sometimes you just can't turn your head.

Biker
 
Coyote is probably a good one.
Sort of the "sheep" of the psychopath world. A follower, an underling, but every bit as vicious
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NOLO no offense taken, Now here's some things you don't know about coyotes.

Coyotes are flexible and adaptable, the are found in 49 of the 50 states, where wolves have been mostly eradicated

They blend in well , they have been found in downtown Chicago & Central Park New York. They are able to live in society and remain free.

A coyote will run every time if you give him a choice. Corner him and you'll wish you never had.

And as I said when a sheepdog tangles W/ a coyote it almost never goes well for the sheepdog
Nope I'll stay a coyote
 
This silly "sheepdog" analogy needs to be excised from our culture. It is nothing but macho, self-indulgent chest-thumping. Frankly, it makes us all look bad.

I'm not a sheep, sheepdog, wolf, coyote, or any other furry critter. I'm a human being who plans to see to his own defense, and that of his family and friends.
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It only becomes ignorant and detrimental when it is subjected to undue prejudice and arrogance.
When left to its own and examined from an objective perspective, it's actually a rather good model of an aspect of society, though I think it's a bit simpler than it truly needs to be.
For instance, it was corrupted when people started calling Treo a sheep.
They have no idea who Treo is! They have no idea how he would react or what he would do. Methinks even he doesn't know.
I know I don't, but I can make assertions that may prove correct or false later that are based on some things I know about myself.
Anyway, this thread doesn't have much of a life left, I think. I'm not sure whether it can be saved.
Coyotes are flexible and adaptable, the are found in 49 of the 50 states, where wolves have been mostly eradicated

They blend in well , they have been found in downtown Chicago & Central Park New York. They are able to live in society and remain free.

A coyote will run every time if you give him a choice. Corner him and you'll wish you never had.

And as I said when a sheepdog tangles W/ a coyote it almost never goes well for the sheepdog
Nope I'll stay a coyote
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Eh, but maybe what you're looking for is more along the lines of "feral cat".
Kai-Oats don't make many people happy, though it is rather accurate (which I knew it was, when you take a certain aspect of the animal. It's one of the more complex animals, mostly because it backs down to other, larger predators, and because it is largely a scavenger.).
Keep calling yourself a coyote, and your liable to take some flak. ;)
 
I've always thought of myself as more a reformed wolf than as a sheepdog. I was not a very good person as a teenager. I never hurt anyone badly or caused any damage that took more than a couple hundred $'s to repair, but I still think like a scumbag. I don't act on it the way I used to, but that's a combination of impulse control, 4 hard nosed DI's and the fact, that Jail ain't fun. I will stand between the sheep and the wolves of our society if need be, but I don't have the sheepdog's inherent loyalty to those who refuse to acknowledge the world around them.
 
Dravur said:
The young girl was just caught in a police sting by the two undercover police officers. She was just seen dealing black tar heroin to school age kids next door. She is also from a well known cannibal clan of hillbillies.

Now, unbeknown to me, the rest of the police are coming around the corner with the van to take her away and go after the rest of the nefarious clan. But, I, whip out my pistol and my new Batman Decoder ring and I draw down on the two police officers.
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The fact that you think this is a strawman, or come up with reasons why not to intervine shows that you're just not getting the sheepdog analogy.

Yes, I would intervene. Every time. I have in similar situations, and I will again. That doesn't mean you go in guns blazing, often a simple "Hey! *** are you doing?" works. In your scenario, the LEO pulls a badge and says "Don't worry sir, she's a canibal, and we're arresting her." In Tuner's scenario you point out that they are NOT leaving with the girl and it would be better for everyone if they let her go, and left. Either way there are folks out there that would intervene.

We have to, we're wired that way. The possibility of not at making sure is not open to us. Call it macho, or chest thumping if you want, it's just the way our brain works.

As a side note, the presence of a firearm does not affect this. I'd try and stop the guys weather I was in full battle-rattle with my M249, or in my bunny slippers. One might be more succesful then the other, but the attempt still gets made.

While Tuner has a valid point about knowing in advance what you'll do, if you've ever been in a situation you know what you are. If the choice to walk away even existed for you, not a sheepdog.

And that's cool, it's good even. Sheep are almost universally happier. They probably live longer. It's fine. Protect you and yours and go about your life. There's nothing wrong with that. Be at peace with your nature.

But some of us have a different nature, and litarally don't have that option.

So in the succinct words of my German Shepherd Dog, who can fit all that and a effective warning of the folly of trying to change ones nature into one syllable.

*woof*
 
Woof!

I'm with Biker, sometimes you just can't turn your head.

For those of you that clutch their talismans to protect themselves (family and friends inclusive) "Party on Garth!" ya ain't the ones I gotta worry about anyway.

My sig speaks for me.
 
On the other hand, if I see a man beating a woman or an old Man or old Lady being mugged, maybe a dog being abused, I have to step in.
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And that's what this was about, Biker...not assuming the role of Batman and lurking around Gotham in the night. I already had you figured for a stand-up dawg, by the way. ;)

Sometimes you just can't turn your head.
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But most will...and do. How many YouTube beat-down videos have we seen here and on other gun boards that show a half-dozen bystanders just...well...standing by? We see them behind the perpetrator(s) in sufficient numbers to take successful action with little or no risk...and yet they stand there and do nothing other than maybe whip out a cell phone and call the police.

As a side note, the presence of a firearm does not affect this.
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And that's the second point. As I asked earlier...why does it always come down to the question of skinnin' the ol' smokewagon? Have we come to the point that all our problems are starting to look like nails? Most often an intervention only requires a shout and an aggressive stance to bring it all to a halt. The gun is only there to prevent retaliation for interrupting the night's activities.

So...Where are the sheepdogs amongst us?
 
A sheepdog is there to protect the whole herd from wolves. His JOB is to keep them safe.
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Do y'all even know what a real sheepdog does? Have any of you actually worked with a sheepdog or been with a shepherd, the flock, and a sheepdog(s) and watched them work? Okay, I will admit that my experience is limited to spending the afternoon with a shepherd in Constance Germany as he had his dogs working his flock across the campus of the university there. He had been hired by the university to shepherd his flock onto the grounds to keep the grass manicured. He explained to me how he controls the dogs, their pecking order, their personalities, etc. He was quite proud of his dogs in the control and protection of his flock and the dogs that he had were those that had survived training. Bad sheepdogs get put down early on.

You are fairly naive to believe that sheepdogs are there to magnanimously serve to protect sheep at all cost to their own lives. If you wish to equate yourself with actual sheepdogs (of which their are a variety of breeds), then understand that they are not this romantic version being spewed here any more than men in general are quintessential chivalrous good samaritans.

First and foremost, a sheepdog works at the beck and call of a master who commands the sheepdog regularly, both rewarding and punishing the dog as needed. Proclaiming you are a sheepdog is to proclaim that somebody else is telling you what to do everyday, day in and day out. The sheepdog lives to serve the master, not to protect the flock. Who is your master?

While a sheepdog serves to protect the sheep, that is just one aspect, the myth today of a Warner Brothers cartoon. Their job isn't so much about protection, but about control of the flock. They are there to dominate the flock in to behaving or moving in manners deemed by the master. The master is there to exploit the flock as s/he isn't magnanimous either. The sheepdog is there to make sure the master gets what he wants from the flock. So the sheepdogs see to it that the master can do whatever he wants to the sheep, be it shearing them or killing them.

How does the sheepdog tend to the master's needs with the flock? Is the sheepdog a nice guy who politely asks the flock to comply with the master's wishes. No. The sheepdog is the henchman that bullies the flock into compliance through intimidation and pain.

The sheepdog is also known for a nasty side, poaching the flock himself. If caught, the dog may be punished by the master or killed, especially if it is a repeated event. You see, sheepdogs as a group, are not entirely trustworthy. It is no wonder the sheep fear them, bullies by day, and potentially killers by night.

The story recounted in Killology about the role of the sheepdog is nothing but a fairy tale work of fiction. If you want to be a sheepdog, talk to your fairy godmother.
 
I find the wolf/sheepdog/sheep analogy a trifle misleading, though I confess to Sheepdoghood.

EVERYONE has the capacity to be any of the critters. Most of us are sheep most of the time.

We go along with the herd, we don't hurt anyone, etc.

Sheephood.

We tend to help others. Think of the tremendous abilities we possess to work together, to place ourselves in harm's way to hlep others. We confront violent people with the possibility of violence to them if they use violence.

Sheepdoghood.

And in crisis, we can all act like wolves. Think of the last chopper off the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon, or the lifeboats leaving the Titanic.

Wolfdom. Or if you prefer, Predator, though that's not a dirty word like the media would have us believe. Another term is Sociopath.

A working definition of sociopath/wolf is an individual so selfcentered that other people are just tools, obstacles or recreation to him/her. Whether born without the Empathy gene or nurtured in a loveless,uncaring environment, these people really do not care if their actions create suffering.

Some actually get off on it.

We all have a default setting, though and for most of us that's a sheep. Some of us at need become sheepdogs.

I put in 20 years working in Maximum and Medium Security prisons here in MD. I did it because I'm a sheepdog, guarding the society/flock from wolves. Now I work security and in some small way still guard the flock.

In closing, I have just one thing to say.

Woof...
 
The wolf/sheep/sheepdog analogy is useful as far as it goes, but like any analogy it can fall apart if pushed too far. It is useful because it gives us an idea of predators, prey and protectors. Of course, no analogy is perfect and this one sure isn't.

Clearly, there are those in society who are predators, who care only about their own immediate desires, who don't care what they do to gratify them. Other people exist only as a vehicle for satisfying their wants.

I think where the analogy breaks down is in trying too literally to shove everyone else into the "sheep" or "sheepdog" categories. "Sheep" tends to imply a thoughtless, weak mentality -- one that must be kept in line, one that is incapable of independent thought, one that is helpless against predators and must be reliant on others for protection. Some people here, and elsewhere, use "sheep" as a term of scorn in order to set themselves up as something better.

But sheep are also peaceful creatures that just want to be safe. They want to "lie down in green pastures," do what they do without being bothered, go along, get along and be happy and content.

As human beings, we can choose how we act. We can also be different things at different times. Even the "wolves" among us can be transformed briefly, under the right circumstances, into "sheepdogs," protecting the weaker.

While there are professional "sheepdogs:" police, military and the like who are clearly servants of their master, there are also "sheep" -- people who do their best to live a peaceful existence. Some of them will rise to the occasion when danger rears its ugly head, when that mugger approaches with a knife, when that burglar kicks in the door at 3:00 AM, and transform into "sheepdogs" -- protectors. And in that immediate crisis they do, in fact, become servants. Servants of the family members or the self they are protecting. And when it is all over, they will transform back into peaceful creatures.

Wolf/sheep/sheepdog can be a useful analogy if one takes it in the spirit of its intention and doesn't push it until it breaks down.
 
Do y'all even know what a real sheepdog does? Have any of you actually worked with a sheepdog
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Yes. I used to raise Collies and Border Collies, and have worked with both breeds extensively...but that's out of context. Sheep/Sheepdog is an analogy only.

See?

Dave made an excellent point that is probably accurate for 90% of us. We can all be sheepdogs/guardians in dire circumstances...provided the circumstance involves "Me and mine" but rarely crosses those defined boundaries. If "it" happens to be someone else's me and mine...it's usually chalked up to "Tough luck, bud. Wish I could help, but I gotta be at Little Suzie's soccer game in a half-hour."

These are probably more aptly called "Mama Bears" because everybody knows that a mama bear is dangerous when her cubs are threatened...so we can add a third category and maybe say that we're all capable of becoming mama bears should the situation dictate aggressive/defensive action. She'll rip you apart if you come between her and the little ones...but another mama's cubs? Nah.

The sheepdog, he are a different animal. Yes indeed...and there really aren't very many of his breed left.

For the 10% who will not or cannot bring themselves to act...even in defense of their young...I propose a fourth description. The Koala Bear. They usually won't even defend themselves, but instead climb to another limb and cry piteously in hopes that someone will come to their rescue....likely because they're so mellow due to those Eucalyptus leaves that they munch on all day...but regardless, the poor Koala is lucky to have survived long enough to reproduce.

And, we're OFF! :D
 
I don't know about labels, but I know that if I saw something going down like Tuner described early on in this, and didn't intervene, and read about a rape and murder of someone that I saw being kidnapped....

....it'd be pretty hard to look in the mirror.

I might just yell "hey, what's going on here?" I might make it very clear that I was watching and calling on my phone. I swear, some of y'all talk like the only way you can deal with this is with your firearms.

I wrote about this 2 1/2 years ago when my youngest son was attacked. It's at :

http://nousfromspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/between-sow-and-her-cub.html

I think this sort of response is what Tuner was talking about.

Springmom
 
For my own $0.02 on the sheep/sheepdog/wolf, I'll take a line from Rudyard Kipling.

"I am the cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me."

I have little or no use for the herd of sheep. They follow one another for reasons without logic. They worry over the latest exploits of people like Paris Hilton. They twitter about fashion or the goings on in the latest "American Idol". Frankly, I do not much care for them.

None of this is to suggest sympathy for the wolf, however. The wolf makes his living by taking that which others have built. The wolf is not self-sufficient and that is disgraceful. I may not like the sheep, but even I know that to prey upon them is an evil.

There are days when I envy the sheepdogs and their attachment to a flock, but these are rare. The sheepdog pays for his attachment to the flock with his own freedom and I am not yet willing to bind myself in that way. This may change. I am young yet, and single. I know that someday a woman is likely to cause my mind to change, but that is in the future if it is to pass.

So no, I am no sheep. Yet neither am I sheepdog nor wolf. I am content to be a solitary cat, coming and going as I will. What I ask, I ask of sheep, sheepdog, and wolf alike: to be left free to pursue my own path, whatever it may be, so long as it does not stray to evil.
 
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