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Home > Postcards > New Zealand > The Agrodome -- 27 April 1987

Yes, the Agrodome!! The final display was an outdoor demonstration of a sheepdog in action. The gentleman on the card is, I believe, the owner and proprietor of the Agrodome. He would give the command to the dog to bring 3 sheep to him and it would. It would cross from one side to the other, heading off their paths, and forcing them towards him. It would never bark or threaten, simply stalk in that hunched position so common to hunters, both canine and feline. If told to sit, the dog would lie, still in a crouch, without sacrificing any of its menacing attitude, until told to continue. If called off, the dog, no matter how intent and fierce, would simply stop, suddenly looking like a normal playful dog. Although apparently very trainable, this dog is bred to be a sheepdog. Without sheep it simply pines away. The sheep don't have such a problem. It was incredible to see a dog so intent on its purpose and to see the sheep so responsive without actually being threatened. Fun fact: due to the lanolin in a sheep's skin, the skin doubles in thickness after shearing.

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