Posted on 11/28/2009 4:13:30 PM PST by missycocopuffs
Reporting from Camp Hale, Colo. - As soon as Renee Legro saw the sheep, she screamed.
The herd, 1,300 strong, has been coming for 30 years to graze in this valley on the backside of the Continental Divide. But as Colorado has become an adventure sports destination, the once-empty valley has filled with hikers, campers and mountain bikers like Legro, and she was about to tragically embody the collision of the old West with the new.
Legro, 33, screamed because she knew what came with the herd -- guard dogs. Shortly after she rolled down a hill and came upon the sheep, a dog leaped at her, locked its jaws on her hip and yanked her off her bike.
A second dog pounced as she fell. The two enormous canines, powerful enough to fend off bears, tore at her until her cries drew two campers who drove them off. The emergency-room doctor lost count of how many stitches she required.
To Legro and her husband, Steve, there was one person responsible -- Sam Robinson. One of a dwindling number of sheepherders in Colorado's mountains, Robinson, 54, turned to guard dogs a decade ago, after the state banned the use of traps to prevent mountain lions, coyotes and bears from destroying herds.
"We don't have any other option," Robinson said.
The Legros see things differently. In their years of hiking, biking and skiing the magnificent open spaces near Vail, they have fled from ranchers' dogs several times. "I cannot bring my dog up to the forest and let it run wild and attack people," said Steve Legro, 37. "Neither should anyone else."
They wanted Robinson charged with a crime.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Screaming probably sounds like a sheep being attacked to a sheep dog. Sheep do a lot of bleating but when attacked they do scream like neurotic lib-chicks. lol
Yeah, herding dogs are completely different since the herding instinct is actually a modified attack and must be under human control. These dogs are usually high-energy friendly types that incidentally do their job by scaring the bejessus out of the sheep! Livestock guardians are the complete opposite. They want to protect the sheep because they think they ARE sheep too, and the sheep agree. They are large intimidating dogs, but very low key and quiet unless danger threatens.
Another city liberal discovers the real world.
She should go back to the city.
For the briefest moment I slipped into my “King of the Universe” fantasy mode where the two yuppies were taken by plane and parachuted over a remote stretch of Amazon jungle with only a pair of J Crew sweaters, some organic power bars, and a blackberry with no reception.
Stick it where the sun don't shine Steven and may "The bird of Paradise fly up your noise".
She is not from the city George, she is from Chicago...
Her sense of personal entitlement would be lethal if she were to charge a range bull like she charged the sheep...maybe next time.
Grand Pyrnees. Traditional sheephearding dogs.
Sheep herding dogs are agressive by nature. They are working dogs.
Thanks for the info. That’s what I like about FR - lots of smart folks sharing good smarts.
This reminds me of people who move close to an existing dragstrip then complain about the noise and try to get it shutdown.
To tell you the truth I knew that but it wasn’t so in the 30s 40s and 50s when I was growing up the the San Joaquin valley as the imported Basque sheep herders used... sheep dogs
Great Pyrnenees are not herding dogs. They are protection dogs. My dogs are Belgian Malinois, and this breed is a true herding dog.
Neither animal guard dogs, nor herding dogs are aggressive, unless their charges are being attacked. People have so many beliefs that just are not factual!
I have tried to explain endlessly to my sis that the reason my Belgian Malinois are not “friendly” to her lag and golden is that they are bred to be stand-offish and aloof to other dogs, for the reasons some have stated above. Other dogs can “run” the sheep, chase the chickens, etc...
Herding and protection dogs are supposed to keep varmints of any kind away. Any who were overly friendly to strangers of any kind (animal or human) were not used for breeding, as friendliness wasn’t a helpful trait.
There is a difference between a dog being aloof/stand-offish, and a dog being aggressive. An overly aggressive working dog would also be quickly culled from the bloodlines of good working dogs.
Thank you for the infomation about the differentiation.
>>Many posters here need to reread the article
I’d say you’re the one who needs to re-read the article. Did you manage to read the part about her riding into the herd screaming? If not, you should consider it carefully.
>.I put the lady’s right to access above that of the sheep herder, who has, more likely than not, hired illegal aliens to watch the herd.
That’s one helluva assumption. You know what they say about assumptions.
So basically, you didn’t read the article closely, and make a bogus assumption, while ignoring the fact that this woman took a really, really stupid action that provoked the protection training of these dogs. This is the equivalent of waving a toy gun at me “in fun”. It won’t end well.
Looks like we’re on the same page with this one.
Just made a similar comment to someone else. I had Bearded Collies for most of my life. AWESOME dogs.
And its someone elses’ fault they got hurt.
I like a lot of the ‘adventure’ sports, but am starting to shy away simply because of the smug and elitist attitudes of the crowds.
For so many it isn’t about having fun and enjoying time outside, its about being soooooo much better than everyone else. (While burning up the fossil fuels on synthetic clothing and driving all over to get there)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.