ryoushi
Member
On a recent thread I broached the concept of a Junkyard dog and how he would fit into the whole sheepdog, sheep and wolf catagory. Another member sent me a PM asking me to elaborate, so here goes.
I understand the whole Sheepdog, sheep, wolfe dynamic but this scenario only leaves room for the three and many people do not fit in.
I'm not a wolf as I obey the law. I'm not a sheepdog as I really don't give a rat's patoot about sheep one way or the other. I'm not a sheep because I'm not a stupid, defenseless creature even though the sheepdog thinks I am.
The yard dog (if only in his own mind) is lord of his domain. He has is own area of responsibility - his fenceline - and is very protective of it. He has an inbred suspicion of strangers but being an intelligent fellow, he soon learns who belongs in his domain and makes friends with them.
He can see beyond his fenceline and and often barks at wolves but can't get beyond his fence. It pisses him off no end to see wolves running free and he often wonders where the sheepdogs are when the sheep really need them.
He has pretty much the same instincs as the speepdog and actually gets along with many of them but every now and then one of them will stride by the outside of his fence and piss on a fencepost or two and this drives the yard dog dangerously nuts. He runs out to the fence and barks and bares his teeth but the sheepdog just trots off.
But most of the time yard dogs are happy fellows. They like to hang with their people and watch their yard but if a wolf should ever make it inside his fence (gee thanks sheepdog) the yard dog will kill the wolf or die trying.
The sad thing is this natural behaviour makes some farmers nervous and they put the yard dog on a rope within his own yard. The yard dog gets mean and jittery when he's on a rope.
I understand the whole Sheepdog, sheep, wolfe dynamic but this scenario only leaves room for the three and many people do not fit in.
I'm not a wolf as I obey the law. I'm not a sheepdog as I really don't give a rat's patoot about sheep one way or the other. I'm not a sheep because I'm not a stupid, defenseless creature even though the sheepdog thinks I am.
The yard dog (if only in his own mind) is lord of his domain. He has is own area of responsibility - his fenceline - and is very protective of it. He has an inbred suspicion of strangers but being an intelligent fellow, he soon learns who belongs in his domain and makes friends with them.
He can see beyond his fenceline and and often barks at wolves but can't get beyond his fence. It pisses him off no end to see wolves running free and he often wonders where the sheepdogs are when the sheep really need them.
He has pretty much the same instincs as the speepdog and actually gets along with many of them but every now and then one of them will stride by the outside of his fence and piss on a fencepost or two and this drives the yard dog dangerously nuts. He runs out to the fence and barks and bares his teeth but the sheepdog just trots off.
But most of the time yard dogs are happy fellows. They like to hang with their people and watch their yard but if a wolf should ever make it inside his fence (gee thanks sheepdog) the yard dog will kill the wolf or die trying.
The sad thing is this natural behaviour makes some farmers nervous and they put the yard dog on a rope within his own yard. The yard dog gets mean and jittery when he's on a rope.
